Berni Inn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Berni Inn was the name of a range of British restaurants.
Aldo Berni founded the first one in 1955 in The Rummer public house in Bristol. It introduced the post-war British public to the joys of prawn cocktail, and steak, chips and peas, and Black Forest Gateau.
The chain quickly expanded, first throughout Bristol and then the rest of the country. Unlike other restaurants, they didn’t do their own butchery but bought in steaks already chopped. It was taken over by GrandMet in 1970 and later sold to Whitbread.
Aldo Berni died in 1997 at the age of 88, and British tastes have moved on. The chain is now defunct and many former Berni Inns have since been converted to other brands owned by Whitbread such as Beefeater (restaurant) or Brewers Fayre.
[edit] Advertising slogans
- "You're better off at a Berni"
- "Make it special"
[edit] References in Popular Culture
- Sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf refers to the chain when Holly, the ship's computer, says, "Loneliness weighs heavily on us all. Personally, the only thing that keeps me going is the thought that we are over 60 billion miles away from the nearest Berni Inn."
- In Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge, during an interview with a French chef, Alan Partridge asks, "Now, you are known as the top chef in your field. You've only got one restaurant; Berni Inn has thousands. Jealous?"
- In Life on Mars, series 1 episode 7, when Sam takes DCI Hunt to Rusholme for a curry, he says "When I said different, I meant maybe a Berni Inn."
- In the Only Fools and Horses episode "Go West Young Man" after meeting a couple of women in a nightclub, Del tells Rodney that he'll "take them to a Berni Inn". Also in episode "Yesterday Never Comes" Del has just returned to his flat with his posh date Miranda. Both are dressed in formal wear. Del: "That was a blinding meal wasn't Miranda eh?" Miranda: "Yes, it was very nice. I did feel a bit overdressed for a Berni Inn though."
- In series 3 of The Mrs Merton Show, Mrs Merton recommends Berni Inn to food critic Michael Winner.
- In a recent episode of Ramsay's Kitchen nightmares, Chef Gordon Ramsay recalls a visit to the Berni Inn during 1982 and remembers his meal as "hideous".
- In Ashes To Ashes..."classy, like a Bernie Inn" Ray Carling
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