Restaurant chain Harvester is reported to be closing its iconic self-service salad bar in what has been described as the end of a Great British institution. Whilst the salad option will still be available with meals, diners will be barred from piling up their own plates, reports HullLive.
The new policy for customers is for them to queue to be served by a member of staff. It has also been reported that popular items like bacon bits, olives and beetroot chunks will be ditched as rising costs put pressure on the viability of the previously all-you-can-eat facility, according to national newspaper reports.
The popular family chain has restaurants across the UK including the Ryhope Harvester in Ryhope Road, Sunderland. One customer of a restaurant in Sussex, said: “We’ve always loved going to Harvester as a family, but this has made us think again."
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"The salad bar is one of the best parts. I don’t like having to point and ask for my scoops of coleslaw, sweetcorn and thousand island sauce. When we complained we were told it was a company-wide measure caused by rising costs. It feels like the death of a Great British institution.”
Meanwhile other fans took to social media to complain with one diner stating they were planning to boycott the chain until the facility is reinstated. For almost four decades, Harvester has claimed it provides “the nation’s favourite salad bar”, telling customers: “Pile your bowl high and take as many trips as you like.”
Changes were first noticed when dining restrictions were introduced at the start of the Covid pandemic and it removed self-service tongs. However, Harvester insisted it was looking at ways to improve the facility for customers.
The brand stated: “We’re currently researching how to give our guests the best version of the unlimited salad bar in 2022 and beyond. We’re looking at consumer feedback, speaking to our teams across the UK, hygiene monitoring results and salad item supply as part of the process and hope to update Harvester’s salad bar fans with any changes in the coming weeks.”
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