What do you think of this pub's new policy on reducing food waste?
- Replies 12
Australian foodies are split over a pub's decision to discontinue serving salad and vegetables as part of entrees and instead offer them as separate side dishes.
A Reddit user posted a photo of a sign from Irish Murphy's in Ballarat, which explained that the restaurant's signature leafy green relish and other garden-grown delicacies would no longer be served as complimentary side dishes
Instead, they would have to be bought separately at extra cost.
The bar, located in the state's central highlands, has updated its menu to minimise prices and reduce food waste, as explained further on the sign.
'To keep our prices and wastage down, salad and vegetables are no longer presented with your meal,' it reads.
'They are still available to purchase as a side. Appreciate your understanding.'
To 'save operational costs and food wastage', an Irish pub decided to sell vegetable salads separately, which stirred online discussion. Credit: Reddit/ZanePWD.
Social media users were divided on how they felt about the pub's rather unexpected approach to reducing food waste.
'At this point, why even bother going out for a meal?' asked the user who uploaded the photo in the caption. Several other patrons and pub-food enthusiasts also voiced their thoughts on whether or not the restaurant should make the change.
'So what, they just plate up a steak or a schnitzel with nothing else on the plate if you don't order sides?' one user asked in the comments section.
'I mean, they're telling you upfront how it's going to be, so I guess people can make their own decisions, but I would find it off-putting unless there was a noticeably lower price for the main meal than the previous price,' they added.
Another person said they didn't like the idea and suggested that the restaurant should have done something different.
'There are other methods of countering that, though – such as asking if they would like an included salad when ordering. This feels like a method to increase profit, not reduce food waste.'
A third user agreed with the previous arguments and also added their opinion: 'But salad and vegetables are part of the meal? Nobody cooks themselves a steak and calls it a 'meal'. You also need potatoes, carrots, beans etc. for it to be a complete meal.'
Several of the pub's main dishes will no longer have vegetables in them. Credit: Facebook.
The majority of people who commented on the post were critical of the decision, but not everyone agreed. Those who claim to work in the service industry at other restaurants were particularly supportive.
'I worked in a pub years back. About half of the plates came back to the kitchen with the salad untouched,' one user shared in the comments.
A second user who also claimed to be a waitress at a restaurant agreed and added, 'Most of the time, people leave the salad bowl untouched. We cannot reuse it because it was already served, so it will go in the bin. Same with chips.'
Others, though, didn't seem to mind that the diner was getting resourceful to keep expenses down, especially given the recent spikes in the cost of fresh ingredients caused by inflation.
This year, consumers have seen the price of lettuce rise to as high as $11 per head, while the price of broccoli has risen by a whopping 130 per cent, prompting some to rip off stalks in an effort to lower their grocery expenses.
Wholesale spinach prices were also at an all-time high, with a 1.5-kilogram box costing as much as $38.50 (up from $16.50).
Mushrooms, Lebanese cucumbers, and cabbage are also among the most expensive grocery items in Australia these days.
Irish Murphy's Ballarat no longer serves parmigiana with salad unless ordered. Credit: Facebook.
There has been no response yet from Irish Murphy's Ballarat to the enormous online controversy their sign has sparked on social media. It is also unclear whether or not the restaurant has adjusted the prices of its main courses to reflect the new menu options.
What do you think, folks? Do you believe it's fair to take the veggie salad out of the pub's main dishes to prevent food waste?
Personally, we can't imagine a chicken schnitzel without a side of veggies, but that's just us! If they really wanted to remove it, let's just hope they mark down the price of their meals as well.
Share your thoughts and opinions with us in the comments, we would love to hear them!
A Reddit user posted a photo of a sign from Irish Murphy's in Ballarat, which explained that the restaurant's signature leafy green relish and other garden-grown delicacies would no longer be served as complimentary side dishes
Instead, they would have to be bought separately at extra cost.
The bar, located in the state's central highlands, has updated its menu to minimise prices and reduce food waste, as explained further on the sign.
'To keep our prices and wastage down, salad and vegetables are no longer presented with your meal,' it reads.
'They are still available to purchase as a side. Appreciate your understanding.'
To 'save operational costs and food wastage', an Irish pub decided to sell vegetable salads separately, which stirred online discussion. Credit: Reddit/ZanePWD.
Social media users were divided on how they felt about the pub's rather unexpected approach to reducing food waste.
'At this point, why even bother going out for a meal?' asked the user who uploaded the photo in the caption. Several other patrons and pub-food enthusiasts also voiced their thoughts on whether or not the restaurant should make the change.
'So what, they just plate up a steak or a schnitzel with nothing else on the plate if you don't order sides?' one user asked in the comments section.
'I mean, they're telling you upfront how it's going to be, so I guess people can make their own decisions, but I would find it off-putting unless there was a noticeably lower price for the main meal than the previous price,' they added.
Another person said they didn't like the idea and suggested that the restaurant should have done something different.
'There are other methods of countering that, though – such as asking if they would like an included salad when ordering. This feels like a method to increase profit, not reduce food waste.'
A third user agreed with the previous arguments and also added their opinion: 'But salad and vegetables are part of the meal? Nobody cooks themselves a steak and calls it a 'meal'. You also need potatoes, carrots, beans etc. for it to be a complete meal.'
Several of the pub's main dishes will no longer have vegetables in them. Credit: Facebook.
The majority of people who commented on the post were critical of the decision, but not everyone agreed. Those who claim to work in the service industry at other restaurants were particularly supportive.
'I worked in a pub years back. About half of the plates came back to the kitchen with the salad untouched,' one user shared in the comments.
A second user who also claimed to be a waitress at a restaurant agreed and added, 'Most of the time, people leave the salad bowl untouched. We cannot reuse it because it was already served, so it will go in the bin. Same with chips.'
Others, though, didn't seem to mind that the diner was getting resourceful to keep expenses down, especially given the recent spikes in the cost of fresh ingredients caused by inflation.
This year, consumers have seen the price of lettuce rise to as high as $11 per head, while the price of broccoli has risen by a whopping 130 per cent, prompting some to rip off stalks in an effort to lower their grocery expenses.
Wholesale spinach prices were also at an all-time high, with a 1.5-kilogram box costing as much as $38.50 (up from $16.50).
Mushrooms, Lebanese cucumbers, and cabbage are also among the most expensive grocery items in Australia these days.
Irish Murphy's Ballarat no longer serves parmigiana with salad unless ordered. Credit: Facebook.
There has been no response yet from Irish Murphy's Ballarat to the enormous online controversy their sign has sparked on social media. It is also unclear whether or not the restaurant has adjusted the prices of its main courses to reflect the new menu options.
What do you think, folks? Do you believe it's fair to take the veggie salad out of the pub's main dishes to prevent food waste?
Personally, we can't imagine a chicken schnitzel without a side of veggies, but that's just us! If they really wanted to remove it, let's just hope they mark down the price of their meals as well.
Share your thoughts and opinions with us in the comments, we would love to hear them!