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Some people think Pizza Express actually nice for example.
Glad you understood my point. Sometimes I don’t make myself as clear as I’d like.
From what I can see there’s none in Didcot and 2 possible options in Newbury,
Two independent Italians in Thatcham!
Always enjoyed PE. Had some lovely meals with the kids. Particularly at the ones where they encourage the children up at the front to help assemble. Yes it’s a standard fayre, but I always think it’s top third and as mentioned above, when away from home with work, you want a known quality. Nothing like Santa Maria in West Ealing, run by my cyclist mate. And when we lived in Oxfordshire itvEAS local. The dough is made in a factory in Witney 🙂
ebygomm
Member
They also do gluten free and vegan options.
Pretty shit hot gluten free, too- and not just the pizza but also starters, deserts, and beer. I know a couple of good independents that'll do me a very good gf pizza but not many that can do all the trimmings.
This,
How did we get to the point when big business tells us that their crap excuse for food is the real deal.
It’s mad, this generation thinks a smackdonalds is a true ‘burger’ .
That said I’ve recently been to a gaff in ormskirk that charged me £10+ for a greasy POS that they described as ‘the beast’,,,,,, thing was smaller than a big smack.🤔
More fool me,,, the mrs had to restrain my meldrew type rant.
Frankie and Benny’s are already closing branches aren’t they?
They must be spinning in their grave. Or at least they would be if Frankie and Bennie had ever been real people. 🙂
If you’re in a strange town and want something good and reliable then Pizza Express is bang on. The food is pretty good, it’s not mega expensive and does the job consistently. It’s easy to be snobbish about these places but I think it’s a chain that’ll be missed if it does go.
I agree. It's average quality at an average price, and child friendly.
Pizza Express is a shit tonne better than the Pizza Hut’s and Dominoes of the world. That said, it’s mostly average and a bit overpriced, particularly drinks. Their whole marketing budget is based around the voucher schemes but that means punters won’t ever visit without a deal. It’s the Groupon mentality. We have a few amazing independents in Milton Keynes area but the restaurants are similarly priced. Easy parking etc., is helpful plus the kids love it. Be a shame if they closed, particularly for the workforce and suppliers.
Also in MK and I agree the non chain restaurants round here can be very good, but not cheap by any means
Always thought pizza express were OK, myself, last time we went was for a birthday party for my MIL, we went there because someone got a voucher that made it very good vfm for a big group, especially compared to similar located independents.
Staff were super helpful too, crap times for them, so.hopefully something will be worked out.
I feel sorry for the staff that need the jobs, as exploitative, dead end and soul destroying as they may be.
I have mixed feelings about the social media sycophants and corporate cheerleaders though. It's a cross between pity and a feeling examples need to be made of them, so future useful idiots think twice about it.
We use them a lot via the Tesco voucher scheme
Next time you`re in Tesco try their own brand pizza mix, its surprisingly good and a piece of p to do.
Chain places are good for young kids.
Suprised at the news its always packed when I pass.
You do realise its all cook chill and tastes like it. Assembled on the premises but the dough and sauce are all made industrially in huge quantities, chilled and trucked to the "restaurants"
My local independent is £10 - 13 for a pizza that is made fresh from fresh ingredients on the premises
If there’s one thing I enjoy it’s a pizza. Nothing comes close to a Pizza Express Calabrese! I don’t care where the friggin dough comes from! We go in every couple of weeks with a taste card. Starter, main and a couple of beers for about £20 each. Can not whack it. Be devo’d if it closes.
pizza express is cheap, pizza express is going out of business. hmmmhmmmmmhmmmm
their whole marketing budget is based around the voucher schemes but that means punters won’t ever visit without a deal. It’s the Groupon mentality.
^ This
Pretty sure that Pizza Express have long since been a poster-boy for "how to devalue your brand" ever since they started selling their own branded pizzas in Supermarkets for you to cook at home. Looks like Tesco's might have negotiated the terms of their voucher deal a bit too aggressively and run them into the ground.
I think there is a place for Pizza Express - it just seems like they have got their finances/market positioning wrong.
I would imagine any restaurant that largely relies on vouchers and other promotions to get people through the door is on shaky ground. Only been to Pizza Express a few times, I just remember the prices being a bit of an eyebrow raiser. Not passing judgement on the quality, I'll eat all sorts of crap other people turn their refined palates away from :p
Oh and I can't ever remember as a kid having 3 courses on a treat day out, what's this world coming to!
Two independent Italians in Thatcham!
Yeah but... Thatcham! I've been told the one on the road with the Jade and Szechuan is pretty good.
I love pizza - good, bad, indifferent. Pizza Express is reliably OK. It's overpriced without vouchers though, I remember meeting with some of their management team 5-6 years ago, they said that unless you do discounts/vouchers people just don't come in. I take my mum there every couple of months but we've realised that a meal at the award winning gastropub a few miles out works out cheaper.
Best pizza? My friend's pizza van, available for weddings, parties and events in the summer. She's got a residency at Northampton Saints this winter. She makes the dough each morning inside the tiny van! There's a secret ingredient too but I've been sworn to secrecy.
Shameless plug,
Oh and I can’t ever remember as a kid having 3 courses on a treat day out, what’s this world coming to!
So the kids have a doughballs/garlic bread starter, it's about 4 balls.
Then a pizza and a ball of ice cream...
I don't see that as ridiculous ?
Oh and I can’t ever remember as a kid having 3 courses on a treat day out
That'll be becasue the voucher scheme didn't exist, so if PE and the rest go bump then my kids won't be getting any 3 course treats again either.
Oh and I can’t ever remember as a kid having 3 courses on a treat day out, what’s this world coming to!
Garlic mushrooms, chicken in a basket and Black Forest gateaux.
i think their food is better than the voucher system suggests.
i wont go in a PE and pay full whack. not a chance. every time ive been in, which is many! its been with a discount of some sort. i have walked in to some outlets and been told my tastecard or voucher is not valid either at that location or on that day - and we've walked out again!!
its funny because id happily pay full price for the same grub elsewhere!!
I get the feeling this isn't really about the food, the drinks or how much each store makes but it being owned by venture capitalists so the company gets loaded with debts, has assets stripped and has to cover large exec salaries and bonus's.
I do feel for the front line staff and hope they manage to find something else sharpish.
Garlic mushrooms, chicken in a basket and Black Forest gateaux
Hah, nailed it (apart from garlic mushrooms obviously, do any kids eat those?!). Actually my idea of a treat day out was was a burger and jubilee pancakes at the local Little Chef, oh those were the days.
Yeah but… Thatcham! I’ve been told the one on the road with the Jade and Szechuan is pretty good.
Nowt wrong with Scratchem, I mean Thatcham. Yeah that one is better than the other, its quite decent in a low key way.
brant
Subscriber
Margherita for £6.50That price seems to be the exception, rather than the rule. Most places charge ~£10 for a pizza.
As stated above, Paesano in Glasgow is superb, and it’s also amazingly good value.
https://paesanopizza.co.uk/great-western-road/
Nothing comes close to a Pizza Express Calabrese!
This Rudy's Calabrese begs to differ...
I prefer the Tarantina but the lads from work all rave about the Calabrese.
Pizza Express is a shit tonne better than the Pizza Hut’s and Dominoes of the world.
Different products, different style of Pizza. I like all three. Well... Pizza Hut for US style pizza in restaurant; Dominos for takeaway (PH pizzas don't travel well), Pizza Express for a decent thin pizza in a chain restaurant. Then again the service in PH is always glacial which doesn't help.
Is it just me that really dislikes Dominos? As Molgrips, I quote like Pizza Hut and will happily eat at Pizza Express, but I find the underlying taste of Dominoes a bit odd - they all kinda taste and smell the same a bit like Subway sandwiches do.
I'm pretty sure Paesanos in Glasgow and Pizza Posto in Edinburgh (the one I posted about previously) are linked as their pizzas, prices and restaurant interiors are really similar.
And excellent.
and the primary one is that the need for standardisation has a hugely detrimental impact on the quality of the food and the care taken when preparing it.
That I have to take issue with. Its not the standardisation that's the issue, far from it, if you want to be a good restaurant you've got to get everything the same, time and again. What makes a lot of chain [anything] crap is cost cutting.
Minimal training
Minimum wage
Minimum staffing
Minimum quality
Minimum return
Maximum volume
Maximum (turnover) growth
Maximum share value
Its not standardisation that drives chains towards low quality, its the need to grow by 12% year on year on year ad infinitum and to pay dividend on an ever decreasing % profit.
Independents can be just as bad in terms of product service etc of course, often the ones that are tend to give the impression they think they're doing you a favour by serving you and seem to feel owning a business entitles them to the same salary as ceo of tesco salary.
Is it just me that really dislikes Dominos? As Molgrips, I quote like Pizza Hut and will happily eat at Pizza Express, but I find the underlying taste of Dominoes a bit odd – they all kinda taste and smell the same a bit like Subway sandwiches do.
Yeah I'm the same - not a fan of the Dominos sauce and tried one of their double-decker base things once and it was vile (and as previously mentioned I'll happily eat all sorts of processed junk). The smell of Subways (the actual restaurants) make me gag, meatball marinara's taste OK I guess but yeah rarely go to get one due to the smell.
Is it just me that really dislikes Dominos? As Molgrips, I quote like Pizza Hut and will happily eat at Pizza Express, but I find the underlying taste of Dominoes a bit odd – they all kinda taste and smell the same a bit like Subway sandwiches do.
This, definitely. I would rather have a £1 frozen pizza out of Lidl than any Dominos.
Any time I've eaten in Pizza Express it's been decent. I suspect that some over ambitious expansion, questionalble promotions and debt will do for them more than the quality of the food.
but it being owned by venture capitalists so the company gets loaded with debts
Seems to be a bit of a downturn in the market which means it cant handle the debts it has been burdened with.
One near me seems busyish but isnt going to be a cheap location.
Are they on the verge of going under?
I hope so.
I went to my first Pizza Express around four years ago with my mum and sister when back in the UK.
Knowing that I'm a fan of Italy they insisted we go.
It was shit. Below average food (if it were served in Italy they wouldn't be serving it for long) in a mediocre setting.
It always struck me when back in the UK how many chain restaurants there are and how hard it is to find an independent, let alone a good independent. The same goes for coffee, too. The same goes for pubs... WTF. Chain pubs. Soulless places.
I can only think of a few chain restaurants near me here in Munich; Vipiano (the place where you wait on yourself), Hans im Glück (Burger place).... Whereas the number of both small and large independents is massive.
It seems to be a UK thing because the same goes for Austria and Italy. Can't think of any chains there either.
I think the quality suffers in these chains. I'm glad they're dying off.
I think the quality suffers in these chains. I’m glad they’re dying off.
But they're not being replaced by Indy places, they're both closing...
We're lucky in Aviemore as there are two really good pizza outlets (one is takeaway only) and a third that is OK too. That doesn't prevent me from enjoying Pizza Express when I'm somewhere else though. It was a dead cert PE wouldn't be artisan enough for STW though. I bet their coffee is shit too.
This Rudy’s Calabrese begs to differ…
not gonna lie that looks the business. but i likes all the rocket and cold clumps of mozzerella you get on the PE version...!
But they’re not being replaced by Indy places, they’re both closing…
But that's because the market isn't there, its a bubble that's been inflated by (mostly) chain restaurants doing things like tesco vouchers so they can show 3k of lunch time sales even though no one has actually spent any money.
Independents are closing because they can't sell you a pizza for £12 and make enough to pay wages if you're paying with monopoly money and they can't charge more £8 of real money because at the chain up the road you can eat for "free". (and to a fair extent you're only going out because you can do it for less than eating at home)
It's the same old story of clever* people coming up with ways to create money out of thin air, it'll all goes well until they actually need some of that imaginary money then it all falls over.
*how clever you think they are largely depends on whether that imaginary growth has made you richer or the collapse of the bubble has left you on JSA.
I'm surprised at the number of food snobs here! PE is not at all bad for a quick meal with the kids. Of course there are better indys, but there are plenty of shit ones around too. I've never had a bad experience at PE, which I can't say for other restaurants. I'm not going to go PE for a special occasion, but still nice to have the option of a reasonable pizza when you are in town. Plus our 7 year old loves their supermarket margheritas!
The good thing (well, acceptable) about chains is that you can pretty much go in any one in any town and know what you are getting - as an adult only group it isn't too much of an issue but when you are with kids it is better to go with a safe option rather than try an indie and for them not to like it. Our daughters like Ask Italian so we usually go there as we know they will have a good meal and we can eat in peace. We wouldn't go there as a couple.
HTS - you seriously have a three course meal for lunch? The only way I'd have a "starter, main and dessert + sides of garlic bread and olives" at lunchtime is if were planning on hibernating for a week afterwards.
We’re just a small northern town but we have at least four indy pizza/pasta places in the town centre,
Come to East Lancashire, you'll struggle to find a street that doesn't have at least four independent take-away pizza places.
I've just looked at the menu for the one nearest me (literally two blocks away), a 9" margarita comes in at three quid, going up to £5.50 for the posh ones. The nearest good pizza place is £5-£8 for a 'regular'.
a 9″ margarita comes in at three quid
That's ridiculous.
(literally two blocks away)
I didn't know we had blocks in the UK.... how big is that?
HTS – you seriously have a three course meal for lunch?
I guess that depends on the circumstances surely? Family day out, big lunch then home for a movie and snacks? I know we've done that.
HTS – you seriously have a three course meal for lunch?
Not every week. Probably 3 times a year max. Christmas Eve at the PE just up the road, once on holiday as a change from eating in and we’ll probably be in the Buxton one this Sunday as we’re going for a day out (if that is OK with all of the food and diet snobs on here).
As plenty have said. It is cheap on the Tesco Vouchers (drinks and a tip will cost about £15 in real money), you can guarantee that the food will be OK and the menu has been carb scored for my daughter, so we don’t have to worry about unknows for her insulin dosage.
I wonder how many of the “Go Indy” types on here actually do go out as a family and eat in a local restaurant 3 times a year? I know that I couldn’t justify dropping something north of £300 to do it.
And as for those willing their demise... people will be out of a job. Hundreds if not thousands of people. It may not be well paid, but it is a job. Get a ****ing grip. The PE/Bella Italia/Café Rouge/Zizzi etc customers aren’t suddenly going to rock up at the local artisan Trattoria and start spending cash. They’ll just go to a ‘Spoons or not bother at all.
I wonder how many of the “Go Indy” types on here actually do go out as a family and eat in a local restaurant 3 times a year? I know that I couldn’t justify dropping something north of £300 to do it.
3 times? Not me probably nearer 8 or 9 times and it doesn’t cost a £100 a time or near and kids are way past kid portions. Look for the lunchtime specials and early birds you’ll be under that each time.
Yup johndoh Dominos are awful one of the worst pizzas I had was from there.
I occasionally use a chain for ease but never found them that much cheaper but simple to use. My kids aren’t fussy kids so I know what they’ll eat so have no issues going to an independent.
I wonder how many of the “Go Indy” types on here actually do go out as a family and eat in a local restaurant 3 times a year? I know that I couldn’t justify dropping something north of £300 to do it.
We go out for dinner much more than that, although only a family of 3 I doubt we spend more than £200 at anytime, maybe we did for my birthday last year. Usually we can eat out for less than £75.
So £75/3x4 x 3 visits = £300
There's no way that we as a family could justify that. Not that there's anything wrong with spending that amount of money, but it's not for us. That's why we go to Pizza Express.
I would literally cry if I had to drop 200 quid on a meal for 3 people. I've never really got the whole fine dining thing, dont get me wrong i love the beef fillet yakitori skewer that they do at a pub near us but that's 23 quid a go with two very nice sides out of a choice of maybe 10, but even that makes me wince a little. Perhaps I'm just a tight bastard!
There’s no way that we as a family could justify that
This is STW, there has to be superiority in all the threads like this... people here just have to be 'better' depeding on their interpreation of better within a given thread.
Place astounds me.
Not every week. Probably 3 times a year max. Christmas Eve at the PE just up the road, once on holiday as a change from eating in and we’ll probably be in the Buxton one this Sunday as we’re going for a day out (if that is OK with all of the food and diet snobs on here).
Ah, fair enough. I assumed you meant like popping out from work on a random Wednesday or something.
I didn’t know we had blocks in the UK…. how big is that?
Seriously? That's what terraced houses come in. It's maybe a two minute walk.
This is STW, there has to be superiority in all the threads like this… people here just have to be ‘better’ depeding on their interpreation of better within a given thread.
Place astounds me.
Not sure whether that is aimed at those who spend the money or those that won’t. If it is the latter then at least quote the sentence that followed it.
Anyway. Each to their own and all that, but back to my original point, if PE goes under then I’ll miss it.
I would literally cry if I had to drop 200 quid on a meal for 3 people.
It's drinks and sundries that are the killer. A local Indian might only be seven quid for a main, but then you factor in poppadoms, chutney tray, onion bhajis, rice, naans, a few pints at a fiver a pop, suddenly you've spunked £40+ a head without noticing.
Ah, fair enough. I assumed you meant like popping out from work on a random Wednesday or something.
I'd need to be using an aweful lot of diesel to get enough vouchers for that!
It’s drinks and sundries that are the killer. A local Indian might only be seven quid for a main, but then you factor in poppadoms, chutney tray, onion bhajis, rice, naans, a few pints at a fiver a pop, suddenly you’ve spunked £40+ a head without noticing.
Tell me about it... Me, the wife and the boy went for Indian last weekend.
£110 ! I nearly choked... It was nice enough.. but i was astounded at £110.
Whoops
^Very off topic.
I bet Hitler was the sort of person who had peas on a pizza.
[edit]Whoops isn't good enough.[/edit]
and pineapple.
Wrong thread!
This is STW, there has to be superiority in all the threads like this… people here just have to be ‘better’ depeding on their interpreation of better within a given thread.
Place astounds me.
Ay? Everyone is saying you can eat cheap at the right places that was the OPs point with PE and others on Indy places. Only one person interrupted it as £300 for one meal.
Anyway, four of us went to PE on sunday… shared a double dough balls, pizza each, and pudding each (with coffee for adults), drank tap water… £43 thanks to a voucher. Better pizza elsewhere for sure, but it’s good for the price, and carbs are spot on for the boy… post lunch peak was only 10 … most pizza joints result in a late 20+ peak.
I would literally cry if I had to drop 200 quid on a meal for 3 people. I’ve never really got the whole fine dining thing, dont get me wrong i love the beef fillet yakitori skewer that they do at a pub near us but that’s 23 quid a go with two very nice sides out of a choice of maybe 10, but even that makes me wince a little. Perhaps I’m just a tight bastard!
@wrightyson Joiners Arms, Quarndon?
Anyway we use PE a fair amount. As stated above because of the vouchers and I also know that my son will find something he likes. Would go somewhere else if it was just me and the Mrs
chestercopperpot
Member
Utter shit.
^^^Yep sums it up. Expensive but only middle of the road quality and a bit bland. How the **** it lasted so long I don’t know. Went in the Manchester one years ago and that was enough for me to know I’d never go again.
From what I've read Pizza Express itself is largely successful and profitable, the problem here is that the chinese private equity firm that now owns them has saddled them with a metric shit-tonne of debt that they cannot afford to service.
Ay? Everyone is saying you can eat cheap at the right places that was the OPs
Nah, they're all throwing in their reverse superiority about how we shouldn't use chains and they're better because they only do Indy. There's 2 different sets of superiority within the same topic.
Nah, they’re all throwing in their reverse superiority about how we shouldn’t use chains and they’re better because they only do Indy. There’s 2 different sets of superiority within the same topic.
It doesn't read well! Reality is that indy places can be hit and miss as can chain places!
Me, the wife and the boy went for Indian last weekend
Massooms?
Tell me about it… Me, the wife and the boy went for Indian last weekend.
£110 ! I nearly choked… It was nice enough.. but i was astounded at £110
We go to an Indian for the Sunday buffet occasionally - all you can eat for a family of four. I'll normally have two or three pints of Cobra and my wife/two girls a couple of J2Os each then the girls will have ice creams - we cab normally do it for £45 all in which I am comfortable spending. I think I would do a runner at £110!
Massooms?
Kolkata. As i say it was nice enough, they were friendly, food was good...
I think I would do a runner at £110!
I suggested it to the wife.... she gave me the look...
Whoops again.
I’ll normally have two or three pints of Cobra and my wife/two girls a couple of J2Os each then the girls will have ice creams – we cab normally do it for £45 all in
Assuming you're not sharing a plate, crikey that's cheap.
2 beers and 2 j20 would be closing on £20 here.
(the most over priced curry I recall having was in Derby a few weeks back, £75 for two of us. Expensive but not terrible I thought - food was OK but not worth the price tag - only as I was getting into the car did I twig we'd shared a starter, no deserts and neither of us were drinking, at that point I muttered the Yorkshire war cry)
Nah, they’re all throwing in their reverse superiority about how we shouldn’t use chains and they’re better because they only do Indy. There’s 2 different sets of superiority within the same topic.
No, they’re suggesting alternatives to a chain support your LPS.
No, they’re suggesting alternatives to a chain support your LPS.
You read it like that then fella... 🙂
From what I’ve read Pizza Express itself is largely successful and profitable, the problem here is that the chinese private equity firm that now owns them has saddled them with a metric shit-tonne of debt that they cannot afford to service.
Thanks for that. According the Metro (not usually a good news source) there's no imminent danger, and, as you say, the root problem isn't structural it's the debt. So it seems certain that nothing will change before 2021/22 and whatever technical stuff happens in the background the brand and restaurants will continue trading after that.
Based on that, from a punters POV nothing to see here.
Phew ....
I like a PE ... La Reine with spinach, a runny egg and lashings of chilli oil.
As chains go, it's better than most.
Excellent news. Will order my vouchers for Sunday!
They do get the eggs spot on.
retro83
Member
From what I’ve read Pizza Express itself is largely successful and profitable, the problem here is that the chinese private equity firm that now owns them has saddled them with a metric shit-tonne of debt that they cannot afford to service.
Exactly what happened to Maplin and Toys R Us.
Based on that, from a punters POV nothing to see here.
Yup Thomas Cook for example.
the problem here is that the chinese private equity firm that now owns them has saddled them with a metric shit-tonne of debt
As above seems to be case all round, how is it permitted these days to buy up a company, lend them a load of money at % well above norm, repeat and rinse - isn't capatilism great 🙄