What do Gordon Ramsay, Molecular Gastronomy, Prawn Cocktail and Wimpy have in common?
To celebrate the 20th Restaurant Show this October, 55,000 Harden’s Guide readers were asked for their defining moments, most influential people and memorable dishes of the last 20 years and answers included all of the above. One major change mentioned many times was the general shift in attitude towards eating out – it is no longer seen as an occasional, celebratory activity but something we do far more frequently, often several times a month or even week. Various factors have contributed to this: Terence Conran is credited with introducing fine dining to the masses through his ‘mega-sized’ restaurants, while the opening of the first gastropub, The Eagle, in 1991 sparked a flurry of places serving high-quality food at pub prices. Nouvelle Cuisine gave way to Modern British: seasonal, British produce, carefully cooked and served in portions more acceptable to the average consumer. Many people also remarked on the increased choice in eating out, particularly in ethnic restaurants such a
