When I'm at home there's only a couple of chains that I eat at with any regularity - Nandos (because a friend of mine is, quite literally, addicted to them), Wetherspoon (a cheap pub that serves consistent, if not great, food), and a fast-food place called Spud-U-Like (nice jacket potatoes).

When I'm travelling within the UK, I try to find gastropubs, or fish and chip shops that look like they attract a lot of locals.

In foreign countries, I look for places that are busy, clean, and affordable. Sadly, chain food everywhere else in the world seems far nicer than chain food in the UK, so I've been known to rave about how amazing food is somewhere only to find out that the place I love so much is considered to be one step above McDonalds to the locals