[Misc] No more food

[Yes Chef]

The place was rammed, although I couldn't say how many people were eating as the more restaurant-y bit of the pub was the far end to where we were sitting, but I certainly could see some people eating.

As it happened, the chef who was on last night joined in the FB conversation and said she was still cooking mains around 9:00 and desserts through until 9:30.

Bizarre, then that is even more inexcusable.
The most frustrating nights as a chef can be if you've been dead all evening and then get orders 5 minutes before the end. You haven't made enough money and you still don't get an 'early night', but if they were still going, fitting another 2 in should not have been an issue in the slightest.
Chefs, by and large, are twats though.....

 

[Bob!]

I see this as just another example of the British workers reluctance to provide anything like customer service.

It's just the same if you ring a bank, insurance company, or fault repairer five minutes or so before the advertised closing hour. No one will pick up the phone to provide a response as they are already packing up and getting to be out the done on the dot.

You also see it with shops with the doors being closed before the closing time, and while they will deal with customers already in the shop, they don't want anymore in, in case they have to stay after the closing time to serve them.

Don't blame the workers.
It's more likely that Management/owners won't add to the staffing costs by paying the staff for any extra time they do.

 

[BensGrandad]

Bizarre, then that is even more inexcusable.
The most frustrating nights as a chef can be if you've been dead all evening and then get orders 5 minutes before the end. You haven't made enough money and you still don't get an 'early night', but if they were still going, fitting another 2 in should not have been an issue in the slightest.
Chefs, by and large, are twats though.....

I wouldnt say that I would say temperamental.

 

[Bladders]

Yes, but 40 minutes looking at a menu?

Karma for being such DITHERERS

 

[Mackenzie]

The place was rammed, although I couldn't say how many people were eating as the more restaurant-y bit of the pub was the far end to where we were sitting, but I certainly could see some people eating.

As it happened, the chef who was on last night joined in the FB conversation and said she was still cooking mains around 9:00 and desserts through until 9:30.

Sounds like they'd had a busy night, and still had a stack of orders in front of yours to work through. Annoying for you, but I do have a bit of sympathy with the kitchen. Perhaps the bar staff could have made you aware of the situation rather than just saying no at twenty to nine.

 

[Yes Chef]

I wouldnt say that I would say temperamental.

I am a chef BG, I was exiting on a self effacing joke

 

[Deleted member 2719]

40 years ago The Egremont was one of the best pubs in Worthing when Bryn Eaver ran it but it then went through very poor times and bad management but from reports it seems to be getting back to its former glory. Good to see and hear.

The Egremont was the best pub in Midhurst about 30 years ago.

 

[GT49er]

Slightly OT but on the same topic has anybody tried the Sussex Yeoman in Palatine Rd since it changed from Fair and Square to Hungry Horse? Need somewhere for dinner on the way home from Newcastle game next week and so far it looks like the Downlands Toby Carvery.

I remember going to the Sussex Yeoman one Sunday night a few years ago; When I went to the bar to get my second pint, they wouldn't serve me because they'd decided to close fro the night. It was just a bit after 9 o'clock........................

 

[Bob'n'weave]

If I was told at just after 8 o'clock that food would stop being served at 9 then I wouldn't wait until 8:45pm to order.

Probably because ordering a shit tonne of food 15 minutes before the kitchen closes on a Saturday night just seems like a shitty move to me.

Fair point. As an ex landlord I know how f***ing annoying this can be, especially when you've got a psychotic chef who turns into the hulk if anyone does this. I would always ask customers to try and order by at least 8.45 if poss. If someone walks in at ten to and orders the works then tough, got to honour the 'food till 9pm' policy or have something on the menu/promos about ordering by 8.45 as back up, still awkward to refuse in my book.

 

[Giraffe]

I deleted the post because it was just getting ridiculous, so I can't copy and paste some of the responses now but some were just bizarre, including a suggestion that I'd left it late to order on purpose to catch the pub out so I could complain (I didn't complain, I bought some crisps).

I followed the facebook post this morning with some mirth. Some of the replies were priceless and indicated some of Worthing need to get a life and a sense of reality.

Also worth noting that The Egremont regularly promote themselves on that page, arguably far too much, and therefore the least they could do is accept an honest and reasonable review that has been posted on it rather than arguing the toss a bit over 16 minutes.

 

[AmexRuislip]

Yes they should serve food, a chef just doesn't clock off at 2100 and go home, there's still the 'clean down' to do.

 

[looney]

We went out to Worthing's excellent Egremont pub last night for drinks and something to eat.

When I went to the bar for our first drinks, I asked either one of these (I can't remember my exact words):

"Are you still doing food?", or "Are you still serving food?"

The barman checked the clock, it was a little after 8, and said something like "Yes, until 9."

We perused the menu over our first drinks and around 8:40 I went to the bar to get another round of drinks and order some food whereupon I was told they'd finished food and were taking no more orders. I checked my watch and it was 8:44.

I posted this on a Worthing food & drink page on FB, and it sparked a fair bit of debate, with some thinking I was in the wrong and I was ordering too late. Even if the barman was stating that food was served until 9, at no point did he indicate I'd need to order by a certain time in order to get food.

Given what I have described, would you expect to still be able to order food at 8:44?

If you asked at 8pm and over half an hour later had not ordered I wouldn't keep the kitchen open as I would think you've changed your mind. A lot of pubs do a knock of early thing if its not busy.

 

[vegster]

A little bit of common sense could have been shown by both sides here. The barman could have said food is served til nine but the kitchen staff like to start cleaning down in the last 20 mins or so so be quick please. Also Bozza could have thought for a mo about the kitchen staff looking at the clock rolling up to 9pm on a Friday night and home then another order turns up. If a shop shuts at 5.30 and you turn up at 5.28 to buy a pint of milk, fair do's, if you turn up at 5.28 to peruse a new carpet you are a git.

 

[Triggaaar]

Given what I have described, would you expect to still be able to order food at 8:44?

Clearly.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Assuming he hasn't moved on recently, the head chef down at the Egremont has previous when it comes to poor customer service. He used to run The Steakhouse at Findon and when he shut down - a few days before Valentines Day - he didn't bother to contact people with reservations or put an update on Social Media. People only found out through social media when they turned up to find the doors shut.

Shame as the Egremont has turned into one of the better pubs in Worthing these days.

 

[BensGrandad]

Is the Crescent Rd restaurant still open and still as good as it was?

 

[Springal]

Is the Crescent Rd restaurant still open and still as good as it was?

No they emigrated a few months ago.

It has reopened under a new name but the concept / branding seems odd. Can't even remember the name of it now

 

[Badger]

Here in Canada, if I tried to order something 15 minutes before the kitchen closed they'd go out of my way to make sure I got my food. Even at 9.05, they'd probably cook me something, even if they limited it to only a couple of choices. I've grown used to a certain level of customer service in pubs and bars, which isn't always on offer in the UK.

 

[Whitechapel]

Fair point. As an ex landlord I know how f***ing annoying this can be, especially when you've got a psychotic chef who turns into the hulk if anyone does this. I would always ask customers to try and order by at least 8.45 if poss. If someone walks in at ten to and orders the works then tough, got to honour the 'food till 9pm' policy or have something on the menu/promos about ordering by 8.45 as back up, still awkward to refuse in my book.

I know that in my main stomping ground (Royal George, Shoreham) that the chefs would normally be ready to clock off 15 minutes before the designated last orders as food orders would have quietened down. Most cooks (bar head chef) in a pub are young lads in their first real job. They'll be told they're working until a certain time. So a last minute order, especially on a Saturday would f*ck them up.

IMO, the blame lies with the barman and his lack of miscommunication.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

You should have had a quiet word in the ear of the manager/owner and offered him £20 to keep the kitchen open and then ordered one Waldorf Salad and one Green Salad, with two screwdrivers to drink.