Without exception, the worst meal I have ever had. A group of 15 went here for a Christmas meal in early December & it was a disaster from start to finish.
First, there was a mix-up with the payment before the meal was even served. We had been asked to pay in advance for my meal, which seemed very odd but we agreed to. (Apparently, it's because it's a pub & that's what pubs do!) However, after all waiting at the till the staff didn't seem to know how to take the payment from each individual. So we all sat down again. It took 40 minutes for the starters to begin coming out from the kitchen. Just as this happened we were told to go & pay again, so there was a server trying to bring us food as we were getting up trying to move around to get to the till to pay. The delivery of the first course took far too long; some people had finished their starters before others had even received theirs. I had the prawn avocado cocktail, & it was unpalatable. The prawns were clearly previously frozen; they were tasteless and hard. The cocktail sauce had no flavour. Others had breaded brie which were dry & as hard as pebbles!
It then took another 45 minutes for our main courses to arrive. There was no communication from the staff about the delay. When the food finally arrived, I was appalled by its quality. Not only was it lukewarm, but the dishes were also completely inedible. I had ordered the grilled salmon. When it arrived the hollandaise sauce in the small jug looked like it had been standing for a considerable amount of time. There was a congealed skin on the top of the sauce. Stirring it just made it lumpy.
The salmon itself was dry and lukewarm. It, too, looked like it had been sitting out a long time. The potatoes that were meant to be 'roast' had clearly been deep-fried and tasted like chips. Most had very little potato in the fried shell. The parsnips had also been deep-fried. They tasted like the potatoes. They were burned and soggy and dripping in grease. There was meant to be stuffing and a Yorkshire pudding with the meal. These were missing, but by the state of the stuffing (hockey pucks) and Yorkshires (tough) others had, I think that was a lucky miss. The Christmas dinner was just as disappointing
More than half the party couldn't eat their meals. It was clear that the meals did not meet even the basic standards expected from any reputable establishment. We couldn't believe that such poor-quality food was served.
As there were numerous complaints about the food from several members of our party, we were offered a complimentary tea or coffee. A nice gesture but hardly enough to compensate for an inedible meal. We were offered replacement meals but having waited over an hour for the first meal, we declined, especially when we were told (by the staff) that the food was sent in from Greene King and just reheated on the premises.
Thankfully I had ordered cheese & biscuits for dessert. Impossible to mess up. But those that ordered Christmas pudding were serves with a slice of (clearly microwaved) hard pudding that was impossible to cut with a spoon. They were given replacement desserts but not what they wanted because they had to be defrosted.
I tried to address my concerns with the management, but was told to take it up with Greene King head office. But my contract was with the franchisee. I asked to speak to the owner on more than one occasion and was told that this is not the pub's problem & was again told to email the head office. Despite multiple attempts to speak with one of the owners, I was met with a dismissive attitude from the staff. Apparently hosting a pub quiz was more important to them than dealing with unhappy customers. This lack of engagement and accountability is simply unacceptable.
As a paying customer, I expect to be treated with respect, receive prompt and efficient service & be offered edible food.
Despite numerous emails and requests for a refund, I have been told no refund as we were offered replacement meals that were turned down.
Avoid at all cost. read more