A mum says she has been barred from a top pub after she complained about a Sunday dinner they delivered. Katie Lou took to Facebook with a photo of the £15.50 dinner she had ordered from The Hope and Union in Stockton, saying it looked more like a kids' meal and was "freezing" when it arrived at her home.
The Hope and Union made the list of the UK's 30 best places to have Sunday lunch in The Guardian, but Katie, 31, was less than impressed with her meal, which cost a total of £20.83 with other costs including delivery. She claims the dinner was missing apple sauce, was "freezing cold" and the potatoes were dry, Teesside Live reports.
After approaching the pub with her complaints on Facebook messenger, Katie said she initially had no response from them, and threatened to post what she thought about the meal on Facebook. The pub then responded to say the situation was "deplorable" and when Katie once again said she would post a photo of what she received, she claims she was barred from visiting the Silver Street pub again.
The Guardian described the pub as being "unassuming" but said it "punches well above its weight", praising its Sunday roasts with all the trimmings and its "relaxed" atmosphere and industrial decor. Regulars also rate it highly, with a 4.5 out of 5 from 378 Google reviews, with one praising the "excellent" service and another the "fantastic" food.
However Katie, a mum of one, wasn't impressed with the meal she ordered through Uber Eats. She also slammed "rude" staff after she complained.
Katie said: "I thought I'd order [a Sunday dinner] from The Hope and Union in Stockton, and I ordered it and it came to about £15.50, and that was with an extra Yorkshire pudding. The dinner was meant to come with pork belly, crackling, apple sauce, creamy mash, seasonal greens, roasties, roast carrots, parsnips, and red cabbage.
"The apple sauce was missing and I got three carrots, two roasties, two parsnips, loads of peas in a pod, and a small portion of red cabbage. It also came with gravy on the side in a pot. I was not happy - I paid £15.50 and it looked like a kids meal. It was freezing cold and the potatoes tasted like they had been sat for a while and been re-cooked - they were dry."
She decided to complain and called the pub through Uber Eats. She said: "I explained to a person on the phone [from the pub] who told me to message their Facebook and said they would reply straight away. I messaged at 5.30pm and they replied at 6.22pm."
Katie posted screenshots of her messages with the venue on Facebook, where she threatened to take the matter to social media if they did not respond. In the messages seen by Teesside Live, the pub then called the situation "deplorable" and added: "our record for customer service speaks for itself."
Katie said: "I thought it was a bit rude and unprofessional. Everywhere that does food isn't going to always get positive reviews. Sometimes negative reviews are a good thing so you know what to improve on."
She then once again made the intention to post her opinions on social media, which saw the pub respond with a simple statement: "You're barred." Regarding this response, Katie said: "I thought it was ridiculous. I ordered a dinner and it has come the way it did and I was complaining - it's not my fault.
"I have left it at that - I would've gone back for dinner to try it inside but I can't know I've been barred so I won't be going back."
Teesside Live has attempted to contact The Hope and Union pub for a response.
