Chicken Out

So, which are you? Two for a fiver or free range? Yes, the recent TV debate over the chicken that we eat led by Hugh Fearnley-Doublebarrelledverylongname has got us all talking chicken here at the Grog. Do we really care about the quality of the chicken we eat? For, as we now know, not all chicken is the same.

Whilst we're rather proud of the quality of the vast majority of our ingredients - our boar, our salmon, our venison, our black pudding, our beef... we're not as bold about the quality of our chicken. That said, we don't use battery chicken and we do ensure that it meets our quality standards as a product. What we don't do is buy Scottish - there's not that much of it about, and we don't buy free range.


So, the debate of the moment is should we? Inevitably, free range chicken will cost more. So the cost of your quesadilla or your Cajun chicken dish will cost more. Will it pass the taste test? We're doing a bit of research to try and put some real facts and figures together on this. In the meantime, we need to hear your opinion on this.

Did we tell you that we do use free range eggs, though?

Ouch!

Its raining, its dark outside and you've just got the credit card bill for the Christmas shopping... Well, here's some more depressing news to add to your troubles, and ours.

According to the British Beer & Pub Association, the average price of a pint will reach £4 this year due to rising beer production and distribution costs. We've just had our first increase notification from the Atlas and Orkney Breweries and with prices set to increase by 7.5% it looks like the BBPA might well have a point. And the situation isn't going to be helped by the news that energy companies are announcing energy cost increases of up to 15%. And don't even get us started on the ridiculous new licensing arrangements...

More Mojo from Franz Ferdinand

So, why do we now have a blog I wonder? 'Cos everyone else has got one perhaps? Hmm, good start but since when has The Grog & Gruel given a monkey's what everyone else is doing. Err.. because 'The Grog' is more than just a pub and there's always stacks of stuff going on, tales to tell, rants to go off on and exciting and interesting people passing through our doors? Yeah, that's it. I knew there was a better answer to that most mundane of questions.

Give me a 'for example' I hear you ask? Well for starters, there was that visit from Franz Ferdinand the other month that ended up with a write up in Mojo magazine which mentioned The Grog & Gruel as much as it did the gig they were in town to play.


So there you go. If you want to mix it up with the rich and famous, then you know where to head. Can't promise that Alex Kapranos, or for that matter Mel Gibson will be propping up the bar when you visit but there again, the customers who did pop in and find them there probably thought the same thing!