Ahh Big John's... That familiar warmth that washes over me as I see the pink on green colour…read morescheme, and the way that the words 'Famous Five' makes me think of chicken nuggets rather than Enid Blyton perhaps says a lot about my relationship with Birmingham's fast food institution.
My relationship with Big John's on the Bristol Road went from a curious first meeting at the outlet opposite the Vauxhall Garage beyond Millenium Point, to a passionate few months of indulgence following a move to Selly Oak (The Bristol Road Big John's stood between my house and the train station as a constant temptation). Following dieting and vegetarianism, we're not really on speaking terms at present, sadly.
Perhaps the best reason to visit Big John's on the Bristol Road lies in its rivalry with Pizza Pepper next door, which has led to an outrageous price war between both establishments, slashing pizza prices to less than 50% (In real terms, a massive 12" pizza from Big John's is a steal at £4.99). While Pizza Pepper's pizzas are less drenched in grease, Big John's has a small advantage by letting customers pick as much of their own toppings as they'd like. For example, my usual would be cheese, pepperoni, jalapenos, chinese chicken, regular chicken, red onions, peppers, mince, a second layer of cheese and a top layer of pepperoni - ONLY in that order. While the shame of struggling home with such a large box past masses of people waiting for busses might hurt for a while, the dinner (and following breakfast of leftovers) will be well worth the while.
Besides pizza, Big John's covers a large variety of chip shop regulars, peri-peri chicken, kebabs, kid's meals and even paninis. These are all mostly inexpensive, with the 'Famous Five' deal in Selly Oak remaining an old favourite. When I moved to Selly Oak two years ago, a fairly small - but still generous - portion of six chicken nuggets and chips, a slice of pizza and chips, a donner meat burger, one piece of chicken and chips or four hot wings and chips were all available for £1 each, which proved to be a very tempting proposition at first. Following two jumps in price to £1.25, then £1.50 a few weeks ago, it remains a good deal but is less likely to make me count my change in the street like it used to.
Perhaps over-indulgence has overshadowed my relationship with the Big John's in Selly Oak, but it continues to open new stores and keep customers happy with a large and often pretty tasty menu, so it must be doing something right.
