Buffet Revival
The rise of the buffet restaurant
When was the last time you went to a buffet restaurant? According to a recent survey, they are becoming more and more popular. But why?
Part of the reason is that they are cheap. And with the recession, most people want to save a bit of money. Some buffets have some incredible offers, “All you can eat for £10” says the Fryburn Inn in Wokesmaster, England. “Unlimited portions for just £7.99!” exclaims Tayburns. And, “Eat as much as you like for just £5!” boasts Kormas of London with its Indian-food buffet.
Buffets also offer quantity. “I always have the buffet breakfast on the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander. I can sit there till lunchtime stuffing myself, drinking coffee and watching dolphins. After that, I don’t eat again for 8 hours!” explained Mark Jones, who often travels to Spain by boat. “I always a buffet lunch on Fridays,” explained Daniel Carrington, a city worker. “It’s great fun as there’s just so much food to choose from. And there are no limits!”
Buffets offer variety, too. The Dragon King Buffet in Manchester offers dinners more than 101 dishes. There are meat and fish dishes, cold and hot choices, and sweet and savoury items to choose from. “I loveit because you mix and match,” explained Ellis Harper. “I often put sweet food with meat. My girlfriend thinks it’s disgusting, but I love it.” And another fan said, “I think it’s a brilliant way to make combinations. I often combine salad with pasta, sandwiches, potatoes and lots of meat.”
But not everyone likes buffets. “I hate all the pushing and shoving,” said Sam Paulson. “The food is terrible,” said Harriet Jones. “It’s often cold, and people breathe over it, touch it and do all sorts of horrible things with it.”
“I hate it because it’s all so rushed,” explained Maddison Smithers. “People are trying to eat as much food as they can in as short a time as possible. I don’t find it an enjoyable experience at all. I like to sit down for my meal and eat it calmly and quietly; but at buffets, my husband just stuffs himself – it isn’t pleasant at all. He’s got no control.”
So, what do you think of buffet restaurants?
Glossary:
a buffet restaurant: a type of restaurant with food placed in a public area. Diner serves themselves.
a survey: a series of questions asked in order to get people’s opinions on things.
a recession: a period of poor economic activity.
to save: if you keep your money, you keep it and don’t spend your money
to boast: if someone “boasts” about something, they say how great/ good/ wonderful it is
a ferry: a boat for taking passengers/ vehicles from one side of a river/ area of water to another – often found in a city by the coast or with a river.
to stuff yourself: to eat a lot of food – so much that you feel very full
a diner: a person who is eating in a restaurant
a dish: a plate of food
savoury: not weet
to mix and match: to create a combination by having a bit of one thing and a bit of another
to shove: to push aggressively
to breathe over: if someone breathes over food, they push air out of their mouth and onto the food
rushed: if something is “rushed,” it happens in a quick, non-calm way
enjoyable: pleasant and nice
a meal: a period of time when you sit down to eat: breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc
