Mediterranean Out of a Packet, With Tablecloths

Mmmm fresh reliable home-cooked Mediterranean food. This is the UK. Not bad for £10.00 + a head...how do they do it! An acquaintance, a friend, told me he had the privilege of riding in a delivery van to a circuit of 'independent' Italian restaurants. The van picked up from the factory. It's an assembly line of freshly made healthy factory food, Mediterranean style. With its full charge of preservatives: doughs, minestrone, vegetarian lasagne with cheddar on top, stuffed artichokes, breads, you name it. I rush to their defence: The restaurants boil their own pasta, don't you think?. The suppliers can produce anything, even a bisque. The main factor in any establishments' menu is how long they're prepared to keep it in the filthy fridge, or pop it in the freezer a few times. JOhn