£2.50 for 7 chips!
Diner’s anger at pub’s tiny portion (but owner insists there were nine)
ORDER a burger and chips from a pub menu and it’s highly likely to be a hearty, if rather unhealthy, plateful.
So perhaps it’s not surprising that a diner was disappointed when her burger arrived on a small plate with a mere handful of chips.
Leanne Williams, 28, posted a scathing review online with pictures, claiming that she had received just seven chips costing a total of £2.50.
She said the ‘ doll- sized’ portion worked out at more than 35 pence per chip.
But restaurant owner Jamie Fildes declared he could count eight chips in the photograph and ‘someone’s had a sneaky one too, that makes nine’.
Miss Williams likened the row, involving the Clock Face pub and restaurant in St Helens, Merseyside, to ‘something out of Fawlty Towers’. She said: ‘We’d gone out for a family meal. My partner’s aunt had ordered the burger and chips. The meal was served on a small side plate with seven or eight chips on it – it looked like a doll- sized portion of food.’ Taxi driver Miss Williams gave the 200- year- old venue a one- star rating on Facebook, but admitted not complaining on the day of the visit.
She said: ‘The aunt had just had a stroke and is still struggling to speak. She didn’t feel confident speaking about it. When I saw (Mr Fildes’) reply I just thought “what a cheek”. I was a bit shocked.’
Mr Fildes sarcastically thanked Miss Williams for the ‘glowing review’ before adding his remark about the number of chips. He said he was ‘surprised she had room’ for the chips after having steak and ale pie and roast potatoes.
Miss Williams vowed never to return to the restaurant, even though her girlfriend’s family had dined there for years.
Mr Fildes, 31, said he was ‘stunned’ to learn that the party, who left a £10 tip, weren’t happy. He said when they pre- ordered they requested a children’s burger and chips meal – ‘which is why the portion was so small.’
Mr Fildes said his Facebook reply ‘was meant to be banter and wasn’t meant to cause any offence’. He added that the pub, rated 4.5 out of 5 on Trip Advisor, served 265 meals on the day of Miss Williams visit but did not receive one complaint.