Berni Inn

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Berni Inn was the name of a chain of British restaurants.

History

Frank Berni and Aldo Berni founded the first Berni Inn in 1955—The Rummer public house, in Bristol. It introduced the post-war British public to the joys of prawn cocktail, 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 brought in steaks already chopped. It was sold to Grand Metropolitan for £14.5m in 1970 and then sold to Whitbread in 1995.

Aldo Berni died in 1997 at the age of 88, Frank died 10 July 2000. 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.

Advertising slogans

"You're better off at a Berni"

"Make it special"

"Berni welcomes children"

"We're famous for our steaks"

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 "f*cking ghastly".
• In Ashes To Ashes..."classy, like a Berni Inn" Ray Carling