Belt-busting buffet stars in TV show

The secrets of getting the most from all-you-can-eat restaurants were revealed in a Channel 4 programme featuring a Wigan eatery chain.
The Chinese BuffetThe Chinese Buffet
The Chinese Buffet

The Chinese Buffet company, which has a large restaurant in Standishgate, was highlighted in The 2,000,000 Calorie Buffet.

As well as following diners at the restaurant, the programme also featured some telling insights from group managing director Paolo Hu.

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He explained how, for example, moving the dishes of crispy duck – one of the restaurants’ more expensive foods – nearer the kitchen and into the chef’s eyeline, cut down amounts consumed.

Paolo HuPaolo Hu
Paolo Hu

People don’t seem to like piling up their plate with the chef watching,” he stated.

The programme focused on the huge popularity of all-you-can-eat buffets these days, and the vast amounts of food involved.

At The Chinese Buffet’s restaurants, for example, diners eat four tons of chicken breasts each week, 15,000 eggs, five tons of duck and 1,000 litres of sweet and sour sauce.

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To make the most of the stomach-challenging range of food on offer at these buffets, the programme advised diners to do a full sweep of the restaurant before picking any food. But having such calorific diets on a regular basis is not advisable.

Paolo HuPaolo Hu
Paolo Hu

Prof Kate Ardern, director of Public Health at Wigan Council, said: “Eating a balanced diet as part of a healthy lifestyle is key to preventing obesity and longer-term health issues, like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Wigan Council is committed to supporting residents lead healthy and happy lives, as demonstrated by our numerous weight management programmes, including Lose Weight Feel Great and Trim Down Shape Up. These programmes are helping to bring obesity levels down.

“Our Deal for Health and Wellness strategy focuses on prevention, which is why we’re working with children to embed these healthy lifestyles to avoid health issues in the future. We’re working with every primary school in the borough through our Let’s Get Movin’ programme, in conjunction with Inspiring healthy lifestyles, to get children taking part in fun, physical activities. In addition to that 42 schools have signed up to the Daily Mile and nurseries are taking part in the Daily Toddle too! Last year £1m was committed to launch the Wigan borough on the Move programme which will help even more people get active.”