There are also some chains where the food varies - enormously.

In the UK the Little Chef chain has been notorious for its ubiquity and 'interesting' food. It has traditionally served fried breakfasts all day and other things that it could fry, whether appropriate or not. Some things that could have been fried have been microwaved, such as omelettes which are put through a rubberiser in their kitchens.

They have recently been working with Heston Blumenthal, of the Fat Duck in Bray, to develop a new menu (reality TV show attached, of course) and he's juggled their suppliers and menus as well as them redesigning the restaurants interiors.

There are now 3 or 4 of these 'New' little chefs amongst the hundreds of old style ones. I went, out of curiosity I admit, into one on the A14 outside Kettering in the East of England last week and was seriously impressed. It was an entirely different experience.

If I, or you, see a 'New' sign then stop otherwise accelerate.