Food served on wood chopping boards

[Rosetta]

I thought this trend had died out, but was served a pizza on one last week at a Brockley restaurant. The board was also too small for the pizza. Why is this considered a good idea?

[Seabag]

Really, you got off lightly

http://wewantplates.com/2015/08/beans-on-toast/

[steveo]

Unless you have a circular saw in the kitchen, how do you clean a wood board?

[JoeLeg]

steveo Wrote:

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> Unless you have a circular saw in the kitchen, how

> do you clean a wood board?

You can't, not properly. That's why they shouldn't be used. Was this at Noak?

[DulwichFox]

In the average kitchen wooden chopping boards will often harbour 'Germs'

Serving food to them is unhygenic. They get cuts in them where food can get trapped if boards are not cleaned properly

at high temperature.

In a busy restaurant they are at best likely to get a quick wipe over with a dish cloth that has been stuffed

down the back of the waiters / chefs trousers.

We get ?Pretentious? meals dished up on pieces of wood, chopping boards and slates, as well as drinks served in jam jars.

...and get charged a premium for the privilege..

Just give us a nice white Porcelain plate...

... Yes ! there will be people on here that will say they like their food dished up on pieces of wood, chopping boards and slates, as well as drinks served in jam jars.

.. Well I dont like it.. It's NOT cool.. It's Naff.

Foxy

[Rosetta]

JoeLeg Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> steveo Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Unless you have a circular saw in the kitchen,

> how

> > do you clean a wood board?

>

>

> You can't, not properly. That's why they shouldn't

> be used. Was this at Noak?

Yes, it was at Noak.

[Louisa]

Next time you go in to a restaurant which serves food on anything other than a circular plate, my advice is simple. Demand that the waiter takes back the food and serves it in a more appropriate fashion. Try to get a free dessert out of them for the inconvenience too. I had a row with a member of staff at the Beefeater just off the M26 near Maidstone, a year or so back. The manager (?) seemed confused as to why anyone would have argued the toss over such a small matter. I on the other hand, was more concerned about the risk of nasties collecting on the slab of wood.

Louisa.

[JohnL]

One in Holborn recently they still used wooden boards but covered with paper. :)

[JoeLeg]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

>

> In a busy restaurant they are at best likely to

> get a quick wipe over with a dish cloth that has

> been stuffed

> down the back of the waiters / chefs trousers.

>

>

>

> Foxy

While the rest of your post is accurate - wooden boards are a serious hygiene risk - this bit winds me up. It's nonsense.

Firstly neither chefs nor waiters clean the plates - that's the kitchen porters job. And if you know of anywhere that has them using cloths that have been in trousers then I'd be incredibly surprised.

Have you ever worked in kitchens? If not then please stop chucking out spurious accusations that it gets might take as accurate. Some of us take hygiene very seriously.

All that being said, wooden boards are still minging.

[JoeLeg]

Louisa Wrote:

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> Next time you go in to a restaurant which serves

> food on anything other than a circular plate, my

> advice is simple. Demand that the waiter takes

> back the food and serves it in a more appropriate

> fashion.

Fair enough, no arguments with that.

Try to get a free dessert out of them for

> the inconvenience too.

>

> Louisa.

Now that's just being a nasty piece of work.

[DulwichFox]

JoeLeg Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> DulwichFox Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> >

> >

> > In a busy restaurant they are at best likely

> to

> > get a quick wipe over with a dish cloth that

> has

> > been stuffed

> > down the back of the waiters / chefs trousers.

>

> >

> >

> >

> > Foxy

>

> While the rest of your post is accurate - wooden

> boards are a serious hygiene risk - this bit winds

> me up. It's nonsense.

>

> Firstly neither chefs nor waiters clean the plates

> - that's the kitchen porters job. And if you know

> of anywhere that has them using cloths that have

> been in trousers then I'd be incredibly surprised.

>

>

> Have you ever worked in kitchens? If not then

> please stop chucking out spurious accusations that

> it gets might take as accurate. Some of us take

> hygiene very seriously.

>

> All that being said, wooden boards are still

> minging.

There was an obvious bit of tougne in cheek in my comment.. It was not aimed at any particular restaurant..

.. but yes I do know a local E.D. place where one member of staff thinks the obligitory dish cloth tucked into his trousers

is part of the uniform.. No names.. Not sure what he uses it for.. It's just there. ?

Foxy..

[JoeLeg]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> JoeLeg Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > DulwichFox Wrote:

> There was an obvious bit of tougne in cheek in my

> comment.. It was not aimed at any particular

> restaurant..

>

> .. but yes I do know a local E.D. place where one

> member of staff thinks the obligitory dish cloth

> tucked into his trousers

> is part of the uniform.. No names.. Not sure

> what he uses it for.. It's just there. ?

>

> Foxy..

I'd argue it wasn't that obvious, but then I'd also agree I can be accused of getting too...intense...where health and hygiene matters in a kitchen are concerned.

However, that staff member you refer to needs to be gripped by his management, before the local health inspectors get hold of him and penalise the entire business for his dirty habit.

[Louisa]

Perhaps my example of demanding a dessert on the house is a little extravagant, but I'd only do that in exceptional circumstances (eg where they were damn rude about my request to use a hygienic serving method).

Louisa.

[Blah Blah]

Being a vegetarian, the idea of eating anything from a chopping board, that might normally house a dripping steak horrifies me.

[JoeLeg]

Louisa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Perhaps my example of demanding a dessert on the

> house is a little extravagant, but I'd only do

> that in exceptional circumstances (eg where they

> were damn rude about my request to use a hygienic

> serving method).

>

> Louisa.

Just a little...! All you're asking for is a different plate.

At the same time, all you're asking for is a different plate. If the response is anything other than "of course, right away", then the management need their head examined. If they're rude about it, I'd say getting up and leaving followed by a severe email to their bosses is warranted.

Unless you just really, really want the dessert. Then squeeze them till they squeak.

[Lowlander]

Wood is great for cutting on.

Have a look at any half-decent butchers, what do they use for cutting? Wood!

Very hygienic, naturally antibacterial. For preparing food.

But I wouldn't serve food on it.

[Seabag]

Ploughman's

Cheese Board

Bread

A steak

I'm ok with these

Dessert

Gravy

Veg

Any of that piped/puree nonsense

Ice cream

Coleslaw or pickle

I'm very much not ok with

[malumbu]

A fad

Style over substance

Bring back chicken in a basket

What a strange thread

[Louisa]

It makes me quite angry to think that some know all nothing from some poncy cookery school made up this patronising concept of putting anything and everything on a bloody chopping board. I can understand chicken wings in a basket or scampi, especially in a themed chain restaurant or informal pub setting. But going to a restaurant and spending 20 quid plus on a main course served on a chunk of dirty wood is unforgivable IMHO. I might have had a few drinks, but for some reason this topic gets my blood boiling. Next time I go in somewhere for food I will ask before I order if the food will be served on a plate. I can't cope, call me old fashioned or a traditionalist but my god, why would you do this to food? What's the point? Grrr.

Louisa.

[maxxi]

I had a pulled pork thing served on wood, no big deal, I didn't die, it was fine... actually it was delicious and eating from the wooden board made a nice change.

I think any place determined to serve you - what did idiot-boy call them?, oh yes, 'germs' - would be as able to do so with an unwashed china plate or a glass with fungal growth in its nether regions as with a plank. I dare-say I'd probably scoff at a cocktail in a jamjar but surely that is so old hat as to be only served in the Poundland version of hip bars now?

I like food on wood or slate or even on greaseproof paper (the idea!).

Plus - anything that makes Louisa's blood boil is de facto something i support wholeheartedly.

Mine's a cod & chips served in a miner's helmet - ta!

[KidKruger]

What's with the passive thing like you've no say in the matter, jeezuz.

Don't see an unfixable issue here, if you want a plate ask for a plate, you'll also be implicitly giving feedback to the restaurant/pub, especially if you request this from the mgr.

I'd be surprised if the mgr seriously wants to look you in the face and say 'we have no plates'.

If you wanted your beer in a straight glass you'd do the same, right ?

[Blah Blah]

Quite KK.

Often the use of cups for chips etc is to control protion size and as someone posted, to fool you into thinking the portion is bigger than it is.

But if any of those things fail to impress, you just don't go there again. There are plenty of places that do offer value for money and serve on plates too :)

[Louisa]

KK that is NOT the point here. I don't feel anyone should be forced into asking a manager in a restaurant, whether they would mind migrating their steak & chips from a chopping board (and mini bucket) onto a plate. Why not just put it on a plate in the first place? It upsets the entire evening and causes a fuss when there's no need to be. Me? I have no issue asking for a plate, but some people of a shy disposition may struggle to ask that question.

Louisa.

[DulwichFox]

It's a very English thing not to complain at point of contact...

People will complain after the event... It's in our upbringing.. 'You eat what your given or go without.'

We simply put up with crap.. in ALL fields..

We put up with poor sevice, Restaurants, Shops, Buses, Trains.. Internet Services...

We are simply too polite..

DulwichFox

[KidKruger]

"Why not just put it on a plate in the first place?"

Louisa, I think you know why wooden boards, slates, etc. are used - it's to be cool / trendy.

But if you're at any kind of venue and want something changed then it's up to you to ask for it, saying it's not fair on shy people is a whole other subject - not specific to plates v slates.