A pub owner put a guest in their place after responding to a TripAdvisor review which bemoaned the fact staff were taking a break.
The review was posted for the Travellers Rest pub in Stanley village near Endon, which currently has a four-star rating on the site. Serving traditional pub food such as pies and steaks, it is also rated the 14th best restaurant in the Stoke-on-Trent area on the site.
Despite its overall favourable reviews, one guest was not happy with their visit. They posted a review complaining about seeing staff sit at the bar while taking a break, noting that beer mats were also left on the floor and stating the food was not up to their standards, StokeonTrent Live reports.
Opening the review with the title "the King is dead, long live the King", the guest wrote: "We have used the place for many years and, nothing but praise for the general management and high standards.
"We arrived and were amazed that only one other table was taken for food; the normal ‘after work drinkers’ were noticeably absent. I was somewhat surprised to find the cooks and pan wash, socialising ‘front of house’ behind the bar, on several occasions.
"Beer mats on the floor, assume from lunchtime; the menu covered in dried drink stains. When the food appeared, which we have tasted many times, it was bland and of poor quality.
"What a shame to witness such a pub/restaurant to fall into such decline. Come on and, start managing it back to it’s almost faultless standards. You can’t delegate ‘responsibility.’"
Bosses were less than impressed with the review, so they decided to deliver a scathing response. They noted that the jibe about the 'King' - a nickname for the landlord - as being in 'poor taste' since the review was posted a week after Queen Elizabeth II passed away.
On beer mats being on the floor, the pub said: "Our apologies for the beer mats on the floor. However, these may have been knocked off by a customer and how you have managed to deduce that they had been lying there since lunchtime is amazing."
On the issue of staff having a soft drink in the main pub the owner said: "Staff are entitled to have a soft [drink] during their shift. As you will be very aware it does get very hot occasionally, especially around the OVENS!"
They added that the customer could have spoken to "The King" about their concerns and it would have been dealt with there and then. However, they pointed out that there was nothing they could do if the guest only complained on TripAdvisor after the fact.
The landlord called the review into question, saying: "Looking at your other reviews I notice that you seem to enjoy complaining. Next time you visit an establishment and by your comments it looks like it won't be ours, please, if you enjoy your meal try giving them a good review."
Other guests have written reviews about the pub, praising its food and service. One wrote: "Had a lovely meal with a friend. The food was delicious, especially the chips.
"The staff were very friendly and made us feel very welcome. A real gem of a pub. If you haven't visited then you are missing a lovely experience."
Another praised Pie Night: "Pie night is an exceptional meal, such good value and good quality food. Plenty for the heartiest of appetites and good choice of pie. We had steak and blue cheese, it was beautiful with lovely shortcrust pastry.
"The service was good, with plenty staff on hand a necessity as it gets very busy."
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