LONDON – "The dog's dinner" is no longer just an expression – in Britain, it's also a disturbingly authentic meal.
The unusual food trend has been shoved into the spotlight recently after @WeWantPlates shared the following image, taken at a pub in Warwick.
Sausage, chips and... other stuff... at Varsity, Warwick. Yes, that is a dog bowl. (Pic: @zoecarrington) pic.twitter.com/Uk25iPcBw2— We Want Plates (@WeWantPlates) July 27, 2015
Mashable spoke to Varsity and they confirmed "The Dog's Dinner" is indeed an item on their menu, currently on sale for £4.29.
A quick scan of social media shows that it's not a new phenomenon, either.
I definitely just ate out of a dog bowl #varsity #dogsdinner #stickytoffeepudding A photo posted by Gemma Crook (@gemma4416) on Mar 19, 2015 at 12:53pm PDT
Standard dog bowl dinner at Varsity with @jesscajayne and @francescamariaizzo A photo posted by Hayley Crossland (@hayleycrossland123) on May 31, 2013 at 10:36am PDT
You can eat out of a Dog bowl at Varsity! @xRosieJane22x #JustYourCupOfTea #SuitsYou #JokingDontHurtMe pic.twitter.com/UmQsDu8Ayc— Joe Edwards (@JoseffEdwards) April 26, 2013
So far the idea of "The dog's dinner" seems to be dividing people.
@WeWantPlates @SirBarold @zoecarrington that looks scrumptious....— jaggybhoy (@jaggytooth) July 27, 2015
@jaggytooth @WeWantPlates @zoecarrington Woof woof!— Barold (@SirBarold) July 27, 2015
@ParkTavernChi What I find especially icky, is that that is exactly the same as my dog's food bowl. @WeWantPlates @zoecarrington— Steve B (@SDB57) July 29, 2015
@SueKassab @WeWantPlates @zoecarrington I'm just glad I'm not trendy enough to need to be seen eating in such a pretentious way— Mark Cockerton (@CockertonMark) July 28, 2015
The thing is, this isn't even as weird as it gets in Britain. As We Want Plates captures on their Facebook and Twitter pages, there are a whole host of pubs and bars out there attempting to revolutionise the way we eat.
(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));This is an actual serving thing from Yorkshire. *blinks in disbelief* Source: https://twitter.com/MarinaOLoughlinPosted by We Want Plates on Wednesday, March 11, 2015
"Chef, we're out of bread baskets." "Don't suppose you brought a handbag to work, did you?" (Pic: @83_baker) pic.twitter.com/BDFKKO8RHP— We Want Plates (@WeWantPlates) July 25, 2015
Oh for the love of God, Rob. "@RobFreeman: .@WeWantPlates A fry-up on a shovel. pic.twitter.com/u2lbyFziKG”— We Want Plates (@WeWantPlates) March 11, 2015
More weird and wonderful examples of ridiculous food presentation can be found here.