THE snow was falling and we needed something to warm us up on a cold January afternoon.

And because it was payday I decided to treat my friend and colleague to lunch at Morrison’s – I know how to live!

The cafe was almost full, usually a good sign if you are unsure where to go.

Shoppers queued up along the conveyor belt-style counter, lifting cream cakes and tea pots along the way.

The sandwiches looked tempting and there were various meal deals - the majority of them under a fiver.

But, because we wanted a winter warmer, a cheese omelette, chips and beans had my name on it and for my friend a jacket potato with cheese and bacon.

Unfortunately the two arrived 20 minutes apart. Sure it was busy but you would think the staffing would be stepped up to cope. It was lunchtime after all!

Once the omelette arrived I was reasonably happy.

Straight from the kitchen, it was nice and hot, but I have a question over the chips, some of which were golden, some pale and a few overcooked.

But it did the job and kept me going for the rest of the day.

When the jacket potato finally arrived 20 minutes later, to add insult to injury it wasn’t cooked properly and was hard in the middle.

You can’t fault the quantity but how do you spoil a jacket potato?

Cheap and cheerful is clearly what Morrison’s aims for but that doesn’t mean basic quality and efficiency shouldn’t be there too.

VERDICT

  • Food: 5
  • Drink: 6
  • Service: 4
  • Atmosphere: 5
  • Value: 7