Featured Image Credit: @Lunchpailgin/TikTok
Topics: Food and Drink, UK News
Rhianna Benson
A women in New Jersey has sparked a controversial debate surrounding the quality of British food, after slamming a number of popular restaurant chain as 'terrible'.
The TikTok star named Charlie hit out at Toby Carvery - known by Brits as a cheap food hotspot, perfect for warming 'Sunday dinners' and cheap pints - among others after she was shown around the dining establishment by locals.
Born in the South before moving up to the North East Coast, Charlie had been visiting the UK on an exciting vacation, hoping to absorb all the culinarily highlights that Britain has to offer.
Advert
But the 24-year-old mom wasn't too pleased, after being taken by residents of the UK to a Wetherspoons pub and Toby Carvery, both chain restaurants.
Speaking to viewers on the video-sharing app, she sparked debate by insisting: "It's been really popular to s**t on British food in the last like year.
"But I'm here to tell you you're not wrong, OK?" she began her nearly three-minute video.
"I went to the UK. I had a variety of food while I was there. I was shown around by natives. So for all you Brits out there, I did go to Wetherspoons. I did go to Toby's. I did have a 'proper Chinese,'" she added in a British accent.
"All terrible."
Relating to her fellow American viewers, Charlie went on to explain that Wetherspoons was the equivalent of a British Chili's or an Applebee's.
She said the drinking establishment was 'nothing special'.
"I did go to a Toby's," she continued. "If you've ever been to a Golden Corral, that's the best I can explain it."
Arguing that Brits regularly claim that the US doesn't have an equivalent to carveries, she claimed that her home-country actually does, insisting that they're 'better than probably anything that they could ever imagine'.
"If you've ever been to a Brazilian steakhouse in the United States, it doesn't compare," she said. "A Toby's could never touch it."
She went on to describe peri-peri chicken hotspot Nandos as a 'mild version of Chipotle', adding: "It's really nothing great.
"But I will tell you that was the only thing I could eat consistently in the UK," she continued. "Everything else was a f*****g gamble. Y'all do not use seasonings."
Charlie also revealed she'd tasted a British version of a Chinese takeaway while visiting the historical city of Bath, describing the meal as 'suicide'.
"It's not good," she said, making vomiting noises.
"Not even the worst Chinese I've had in America could compare to the awfulness. It's really as bad as you think.
"I never tried Indian food while I was there. So, I won't completely knock the UK because as far as I know the Indian food in the UK is hitting."
Charlie's comments have now triggered uproar among Brits and Americans living in the UK, many of whom have defended the food over there.
One asked: "Who doesn't love fish and chips and a sausage roll though? Or a full English?"
A second went on: "I had the best food there! Went to the Pheasant Inn near Heathrow. Best meal of my life! Went to the Foxes Den in Bristol. Phenomenal!"
But many also appeared to be in agreement with Charlie's review, with one commenting: "My mom has traveled to like 50 countries for work and she said the food in England was the worst she's ever had anywhere in the world".
A second teased: "They literally conquered the spice trades JUST TO NOT USE ANY OF THEMMMMM".