went to Cornwall last week, slept in St. Ives, but toured around all week.

The first night, we decided to eat fish and chips, and found the 'Gourmet Fish and Chips' restaurant on St. Ives sea front. We sat down, and the waitress took our order, mussels a la creme, shared, I had fried Haddock, my partner grilled lemon sole and salad (on a diet!). It took a little while to cook, but was excellent, I had the home made tartare sauce, which was 'perfect'.

The waitress apologized for the delay, but said they had had an order for 50 F&C just before we came in, but sent the second chef home when the people who ordered originally didn't show when they said they would (they were an hour late!)

Thursday we ended up in Falmouth, about 5pm, and we were hungry (again!). By chance, we parked in front of a 'Rick Stein's F&C shop'. We just had to try them! We both had haddock and chips! It was rubbish. The chips were of the frozen kind, and the fish was dry, the lemon tiny and the FL parsley limp. I'll say it again, it was rubbish. The cost? nearly ?17 !!!

How is it that a seaside F&C shop, with just one cook and one fryer (and who was under a lot of pressure) can deliver such excellent produce whereas a 'celebrity chef's' offerings, with 8 cooks (mostly doing sod all) can't manage to scrape and fry a real potato?

Whilst talking to the mother of a gallery owner we were delivering to (my partner is a well known West Country potter) in Charlestown, I learnt that we weren't the only ones who thought Rick Stein's offerings were rubbish.

That is a shame. You should write to him Lapis. These guys open too many places and then can't keep an eye on them. Public is paying for their name, so food should be cooked by them or by someone personally trained to a good standard by them.

Few years back, kavita and I went there too and stayed in an upmarket bed & Breakfast, where they served superb breakfast and gourmet evening meals, really, really top class. We had another mother and daughter staying there, whom we got chatting to. They had booked for an evening meal at a well known celebrity chef's restaurant nearby, name escapes me, probably Kav will remember. That was the purpose of their visit to the area. They said that it was very expensive, ?90.00 or something per head a few years back and that it was nowhere as good as at the B & B and the service was terrible. It was a big place feeding over 90 people!

?17 for fish and chips !!!! no wonder I don't got to chippies and much prefer to make my own !

As Mamta says let him know - rickstein.com/Contact-us

Steve

Frozen chips!! Makes me wonder if everything is prepared in a central factory and then delivered to all his outlets in Padstein and surrounding area to ensure the same (equally bad) consistency everywhere.

message sent to Stein yesterday, as yet, no reply. I know he is in Australia at the moment (they won't accept substandard fish and chips!!) but there should be someone to give a 'standard reply'.

I tried Jamie Oliver's 15 whilst down that way (Newquay) about 6 years ago. I too was very disappointed with the value and mediocrity of the 'taster menu'. I left feeling hungry and cheated. Upon reflection though, it is obvious we are paying for a brand. At the end of the day these guys are TV celebs first and chefs often at the last - particularly in J O's case. I now see he is on TV promoting schools. What on earth J O has to do with education I don't know?

Anyway, back to my point, I get really tired of seeing these guys on TV feeding their own egos and bank balances. I personally would go out of my way to avoid such establishments and instead seek out an eatery where the restaurateur's primary focus is on the food and service of their restaurant, not their own fame.

Rant over!

James.

just received an answer. They did apologize for not being up to standard (although they didn't actually say so!). They want me to go back and have the same again for free. I think they missed the point! I may have to say so!

?17 for rubbish fish and chips, what a shame it had to be Rick Stein's place.......he is my favourite chef, i never miss his programmes on TV.

Rajneesh, he is one I watch too, not the usual 'celeb chef' type. All I say to defend him is that he took the wrong decisions when he opened a F&C shop. So many people do it better in my own experience.

Interesting, I just went to Fifteen last month for dinner (the tasting menu) and had a very good meal indeed. And was STUFFED, no chance of being hungry whatsoever. Some dishes better than others (some shockingly good) but overall, a huge thumbs up.