Shareen Campbell and Phil Saunter, owners of Los Gatos and Bistro Les Chats in Wood Street, and the Swindon Business People of the Year, talk about life in the restaurant business

The other day we were chatting with someone in a bar about what we did and explained about the tapas bar and bistro. “Oh, tapas – that’s small plates, isn’t it?”

There followed a discussion about quantity, quality etc. The conclusion was that tapas are small portions on small plates, bistro food is moderate sized portions on standard plates, pub grub is generally large portions on large plates, and fine dining is small portions on large plates!

Portion size is a subjective thing. When you get used to serving and eating tapas, a full plate of food can look enormous! When we travel to the US to visit Shareen’s daughter, like many overseas visitors we can rarely finish what’s served.

According to the Commodity Research Bureau, UK food prices rose on average by over 20% in the year to March 2014. Many producers have had to make changes to deal with this. If you’ve noticed a reduction in packet size or an increase in price, that’s the explanation.

But there is a serious point behind this. It’s a generalisation, but in the western world, most of us eat too much and we don’t pay enough for it.

We undervalue food compared to the rest of the world. Despite the temptations to buy more than we need and waste too much of it, the average Brit spends just 9% of their household income on food, whereas in France the average is 13%, almost 50% more!

You won’t see many French shoppers settling for inferior quality on BOGOF.

Of course, many factors are involved, including how the supermarkets have forced down prices thus compromising on quality.

If you consider the rest of the world the differences are astounding. In India, food costs amount to more than a quarter of household spend. In Cameroon, just eating to stay alive takes up 47% of the average income.

So next time you look for a supermarket bargain, or furrow your brow at restaurant prices, reflect on our approach to food and its value.

Maybe we should be less concerned about the quantity, and more prepared to feel the width.