Shareen Campbell and Phil Saunter, owners of Los Gatos and Bistro Les Chats in Wood Street, talk about life in the restaurant business

Who ate all the American Pies?

We’re lucky enough to be recuperating from the stresses and strains of Christmas with a relaxing visit to family in the USA.

One of the things that always surprises us when we’re here is the range of produce available in the supermarkets: vegetables, salads and fruit, almost all home produced.

A visit to the meat or fish counter is also a revelation with wonderful joints of dry aged beef and fresh fish and shellfish from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

It has to be remembered that America is a big country with a climate which varies from near tropical in southern Florida to Arctic in Alaska. This allows the production of almost anything that grows, somewhere, at any time of the year.

With all of this wonderful food at their fingertips, why is it that we get the impression that so many Americans live on junk food? Latest statistics, provided by the American Heart Association, suggest that over 30% of Americans – men, women, and children – are overweight, and at least half of these clinically obese.

When you get past the fresh produce aisles and start to delve a little deeper, especially when you look at prices, it soon becomes obvious that the price differential between fresh wholesome food and processed trash is enormous. That wonderful looking dry aged rib of beef comes in at about $25.00/lb (that’s about £36.70/kg), so a generous sized family joint with some left over for sandwiches will set you back about $120.00 (£80.00). Alternatively, you could opt for a complete, pre-processed, pre-cooked turkey dinner for 10-12 people with all the trimmings, vegetables, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce, ready for the microwave, for a mere $80.00 (£53.00)!

What does this mean to us at home? Statistics for the rise in obesity in the UK and across Europe are worrying. The supermarkets are already trading heavily on the processed ready meal market – “Dine in for 2 for £10” etc, and consumers are lapping it up. France – once considered gastronomic capital of the world – has become the second largest consumer of McDonalds after the USA.

Maybe it’s time for a New Year’s Resolution?

Los Gatos can be contacted in 01793 488450 or go to www.losgatos.co.uk.
Bistro Les Chats can be contacted on 01793 527082 or go to www.leschats.co.uk