Saturday 8 December 2012

Slow food revisited

Yesterday would have been my late father’s birthday, so I took my mother to leave some flowers at the crematorium and after that we went for what we hoped would be a nice pub lunch. However, and not for the first time, the occasion was largely spoiled by an excessive wait between ordering and food being served. If you have to go back to the bar to ask about the progress of the food they have failed, big time.

The food was actually quite decent once it arrived forty-five minutes later and, to be fair, they did apologise and give us free desserts. But it shouldn’t have to be like that. As I said in the linked post, in contrast, my experience is that Spoons’ food is always served pretty promptly once ordered. I won’t name the establishment, but it’s an Ember Inn, not somewhere they go out and freshly slaughter a pig in response to your order.

7 comments:

  1. No, I won't, as apart from the slow food service it was in most other respects one of the nicest food-oriented pubs I have come across.

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  2. It can be as nice as it likes but it sounds useless for a guy's on an hours lunch, and you owe your readership the truth.

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  3. Wetherspoon's food is often there at the table waiting for you by the time you walk back from ordering it.

    How they do this I'm sure we can all imagine.

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  4. Martin, Cambridge9 December 2012 at 23:03

    I don't mind waiting 30 minutes if a member of staff tells you it's likely to be that long and lets you know if there is an exceptional delay; it's the times you have to continually chase up that irriate (3 time over 75 minutes in a pub near Hampton Court this year).

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  5. Professor Pie-Tin9 December 2012 at 23:53

    45 minutes for pub grub?
    It's at times like this that I most enjoy causing a scene in public.
    Over the years my kids have got used to it and are now no longer embarrassed when I go off on one.
    In fact we generally take a vote at the table as to what level of the Richter scale the volcanic explosion should merit.
    If it's really crap and shoddy service I've been known to stand on my chair in the pub/restaurant and start calling for the manager.
    Fuck me you'd be amazed how quickly you get served when that happens.

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  6. I waited for an hour in a pub in Saddleworth for lasagne and chips, only to find the lasagne was still frozen inside when I tucked into it. I demanded and got my money back. I'd eaten the chips first so at least I got something for my extended wait.

    ReplyDelete

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