Saturday, November 30, 2024 |
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Tea, the backbone of Britain's identity – as essential as drizzle and double-deckers – is in trouble. Typhoo, a name stitched into the fabric of our tea breaks since 1903, is circling the drain. Black tea sales have nosedived by 20 per cent in a decade, and younger drinkers aren't helping. For Gen Z, tea is your nan's thing – they're too busy cradling oat lattes or sipping turmeric chai. The builder's brew is no match for coffee's high-octane allure or the wellness glow of herbal teas. Add in rising costs, supermarket competition and climate woes hammering tea production, and the situation is grim. In India, China and Japan, tea has adapted – think matcha lattes and iced blends – but here, it risks becoming a relic. Typhoo's demise feels like a warning: if tea doesn't evolve, it'll be as forgotten as powdered custard.
Beaujolais Nouveau is wine with a grin on its face – light, fruity and utterly unserious. The French have loved it for centuries, but in Britain it was once the preserve of speed racers in Jags and jet-setters ferrying bottles back from Burgundy. Now, this gamay-based delight has clawed back credibility, shaking off its naff reputation with better quality and a fresh following. Released just weeks after harvest, it's like sipping sunshine in November's gloom. The big names are back in stock – even the Wine Society is selling its first Nouveau in 30 years. It's a joyful toast to brighter days ahead.
Christmas dinner is as British as arguing over sprouts – why else would we stress ourselves out for weeks to deliver one meal? This year, it's time to strip away the chaos. Gordon Ramsay's turkey, with its herb-butter magic, guarantees juicy meat without a meltdown, while Jamie Oliver's stuffed squash proves vegan mains can be just as show-stopping. Matt Tebbutt's brined turkey crown and James Mackenzie's five-bird roast up the ante with gourmet flair. Rick Stein's Marmite-infused gravy? A surprising triumph. From traditional to inventive, these recipes deliver flavour and theatrics without turning your kitchen into a war zone.
Not all of us want to spend 25 December sweating over pans, though. For those with no time or energy to spare, festive one-tray wonders are the way to go. A pigs in blankets traybake or a steak supper with red wine sauce hits all the holiday notes – no fuss, no faff. Stuffing balls with sprout-laden polenta make for an effortless upgrade, while Sorted Food's budget-friendly recipes offer solutions for anyone keeping an eye on the pennies this season. It's all about getting the joy of Christmas cooking without the stress – which, frankly, sounds like a miracle.
And what's December without the Christmas sandwich? Sainsbury's nails it with its Turkey Feast – a perfectly balanced classic at a reasonable price. Tesco adds veggie-friendly sage and onion stuffing to its turkey offering, while Marks & Spencer goes all out with gravy mayo and crispy bacon. Pret, however, falls flat, charging a small fortune for dry bread and sparse filling. Still, whether you're grabbing a lunch break fix or eating your way through the high street, these festive stacks remain a seasonal guilty pleasure worth unwrapping. |
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Could TGI Fridays and Pizza Hut go? The future of the chain restaurant no longer seems bottomless |
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Chain restaurants were once the cornerstones of British dining, loved for their affordability and reliability. But rising costs, changing tastes and the pressures of a shifting dining landscape are pushing them to the brink. Can they adapt, asks Hannah Twiggs, or are they destined to become relics of a bygone era? |
For a generation of Brits, nothing said celebration quite like Pizza Hut. You knew you were in for a treat when your parents caved to the lure of bottomless Pepsi, industrial-strength cheese and the social status of a trip to the salad bar. Or maybe you remember the joys of a TGI Fridays where the towering burgers, sticky ribs and potato skins arrived with a side order of weaponised enthusiasm.
Chain restaurants, once the rock stars of British dining, now find themselves in retirement, their glory days behind them. Take Pizza Hut: its biggest UK franchisee is scrambling for cash, thanks to rising costs and a public with a newfound fondness for artisanal sourdough. Prezzo is shuttering branches faster than you can say "al forno" and TGI Fridays recently took an unwanted detour through administration.
It's impossible not to feel a pang of nostalgia at the news. The idea, of course, was an American export, with the first chain restaurant, Wimpy, opening here in 1954 – Pizza Hut didn't catch on until 1973, a year before McDonald's. But chains were never about Michelin stars or locavore bragging rights. For many of us, they have been our first defining memory of hospitality. They are where we learnt how to order from a menu, where a fistful of greasy napkins and a Coca-Cola (full fat, of course) felt indulgent, and where unlimited ice cream was the height of sophistication. Hosting a primary school birthday there was practically a rite of passage. These places introduced generations of Brits, even the snobs, to the joy of dining out – affordable, reliable and a little bit exciting. Kids loved it, parents tolerated it and nobody complained about the bill. So what happened?
The quick answer: everything. The longer one: chains like Pizza Hut and TGI Fridays are up against a triple threat of soaring costs, shifting tastes and an economic climate that makes dining out feel about as sensible as taking out a payday loan.
The hospitality industry has faced a litany of crises over the past few years. Rebuilding after the pandemic came with a VAT hike from 5 to 20 per cent, just as businesses were struggling to recover. Brexit threw in staff shortages, red tape around imports and a weaker pound. The Ukraine-Russia war sent energy prices soaring, while the cost of living crisis left diners tightening their belts...
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