An unhappy customer gave a Midlands pub a one-star rating after being made to wait more than an hour and a half for their food. Management at Harvester's The Foxhunt in Halesowen, meanwhile, hit back at the scathing claims that were left under the heading "Service rubbish", reports Birmingham Live.
The reviewer decided to cancel the order and leave the premises without eating after being told their meal would be another quarter of an hour — with 80 minutes having already passed since making their menu choices. Posting on Tripadvisor as Richard following his visit to the pub last month, he said: "Terrible service — food hadn’t arrived within 1 hr 20 minutes and was then told it was going to be 15 minutes.
"Can’t say about the food as never got to try it as we cancelled the order which was the only thing they were willing to offer." The pub's management team disputed some of the remarks made by Richard, however, claiming that he did sample some of the food as his party's starters arrived "within 15 minutes" of service.
They also stated that Richard was offered the food free of charge to take home with him and that cancellation was not the only option he was given. The full response read: "Hi Richard, it’s disappointing to hear that your visit wasn’t up to our usual high standards.
"I can see on our systems that the starters had arrived within 15 minutes however the mains had taken longer than usual. We were unprecedentedly busy on Friday afternoon, and with this, on top of ongoing issues with kitchen equipment, meant there was a delay on food which I can’t apologise enough for.
"I do believe the duty manager had offered the mains to take away, for free, as you had to leave, to which you declined as you wouldn’t be able to eat them in time. The order was then cancelled and the rest of the bill wiped as way of an apology.
"Again, I’d like to apologise for the service delays you experienced and assure you we have taken steps to ensure this remains an isolated incident. We have also responded to your complaint via email."
The Foxhunt has an overall score of 3.5/5 on Tripadvisor, which is based on the ratings given in more than 500 independent reviews. One recent reviewer said: "Had lovely lunch, staff very helpful, extra touches reminded us of the 1970s. Changed seating to window seats, no problem, we booked again on same table for two weeks time."
Another reviewer added: "Visited Foxhunt Halesowen at lunchtime. Had 3 lovely meals from main menu.
"The cod was huge and batter light and crispy. Served by Sarah who is very friendly and puts lots of effort into helping with menu choice etc."
A third reviewer enthused: "Excellent service today from Sarah. The bird surf and turf was cooked to perfection.
"And the fish and chips were very good size and very tasty. Compliments to the chef."
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