GREASE
Café life in Britain.
Greasy spoons very rarely appear in guidebooks, but they are an essential part of life in the UK, especially for people living in the bigger cities. Current’s Sam Jordisan sings the praises of this great British institution.
In London, the capital city of the greasy spoon, there are hundreds and hundreds, fuelling the population with bacon, eggs and sausages. These small restaurants are so common and everyday – like baked beans or phone boxes – that they are barely even no
oticed, but if greasy spoons were removed the country would be on its knees.
Greasy spoon cafes are so called because any cutlery that comes into contact with the food on offer is immediately coated with sticky, greasy layer of lard. It almost seems like an oily mist hangs in the air, as if fat drips from the walls. More calories can be found in a cup of tea in a good greasy spoon than in a whole meal at a no
ormal restaurant.
The setting.
Greasy spoons are generally found slightly away from the main streets of most towns, on the shabbier roads. Always a bit dirty and down at heel, they usually have large ( grease coated ) glass windows, a plastic sign with th
Inside they are generally clean, functional and scruffy. You’ll see old wooden seats, tables covered wit cracked linoleum and plain walls. Each table has on it a bottle of brown sauce, tomato ketchup and vinegar, and pots of salt and pepper. In the background, behind a chipped counter, are huge gleaming tea urns and a steaming kitchen where the gruff chefs work their magic.
The people.
In a typical greasy spoon, you will find people from all walks of life. Poets, drop – outs, hurrying businessmen, students lazing around with huge mugs of te

The food.
The meals are dangerously unhealthy, and absolutely delicious. All kinds of fried food can be bought for incredibly low pr

Greasy spoons have some devoted followers. Tapping ‘Greasy Spoon’ into a internet search engine will bring up a hundreds of entries. One of the best sites is http://www.greasyspoon.co.uk/ . With pictures, reviews, menus and stories, it’s the next best thing to going to a greasy spoon café yourself. But of course, noting can beat going to a real one – especially on an empty stomach.