marstonspubs.co.uk Avis 

No customer services.

Stayed at one of their pubs in Brecon only to be left out of pocket for a poor experience.

Lots of emails to get it resolved only for them to be ignored after 2 weeks.

Because of this, I've gone to all the usual pages to warn others not to stay or eat at the Wellington Hotel Brecon.

Have been using the famous old spa in weymouth for a few years now. Lorraine is great, she is always cheerful, always helpful and goes above and beyond to help. Well done everypub needs a Lorraine.

The following sums up our experience with the staff, pub and owners. It was sent on the 8th October and I have never received a reply.

"I have just looked at their website. I must be looking at a different menu to you. Pepper does not appear on the one I am looking at for the 8 oz Rump.

Neither of the two large steaks mention pepper or peppers. The lighter one mention peppers but not pepper.

The gammon (which I had and said so in my email below) only mentions eggs and tomatoes.

Are you aware that pepper and peppers are vastly different?

Why would I look at your menu on line anyway when we were in the pub?

The menu in the pub did not mention pepper. Whilst pepper is sometimes put on steak it is clearly shown.

No one would ever put it on gammon – especially on pineapple and egg.

I had had the same meal a few weeks earlier and there was no pepper on it.

So, besides getting my name wrong,

The pub has never replied to me.

You send a copy of the menu that is not online when I look.

You talk of steak when I clearly said I had gammon.

You – like them – say it is all my fault when it is clearly yours not mine.

I said below that nothing had changed.

Your email has just compounded that.

Apologies for the delay in responding to you.

I am very sorry to hear of your disappointment with the meals served during your visit.

If you go on to our website and hover over the ! a box will appear advising the ingidents for the steak.

Like the one I have added below, states what it contains and at the time of ordering you will need to advise our staff if you prefer the steak without pepper.

We apologise for any inconvience cuased and hope to see you again soon.

“This is a copy of the email I sent to the pub. They have not bothered to reply. It would appear the office has the same attitude as the waitress. Back to the old regime. "We visited you late this afternoon. I ordered gammon which was a bit on the tough side. However as I persevered I noticed it tasted of pepper – something I do not use. When I went to pay I mentioned this only to be told all your steaks and gammon are “seasoned” and if I did not like it I should have mentioned it when ordering. I have only been to one other restaurant in sixty odd years where pepper was put on my dinner without asking. No apologies – just mention it next time. When I did order I asked for no peas. They arrived on my plate – presumably the chef was to busy putting on the pepper. When I looked at the menu no mention is made of everything covered in pepper. The egg and the pineapple sat on the gammon so they also tasted of pepper. And eventually so did the chips. I have refused to visit you for many years due to the quality of the food. A few weeks ago my wife convinced me to try you again. I did and I had gammon then. It was not tough and it was not covered in pepper. Hence we came back again. Now we are back to square one. What a pity”

18/11/2024

I have since had further correspondence. It is a total waste of time. I am told I accepted a voucher and they have answered all my points. Both complete lies. I asked to be referred to a manager and was refused and that she was closing my case. Totally arbitrary. The only number to make a complaint is the customer services department. She works for them! I have contacted Resolver but they only act as an inbetweener and not an arbitrator. When they contacted Marston's she was the one who replied!
28/11/2024
I emailed the CEO on 18/11 and reminded him 21/11. I did not expect him to reply direct but no one has. In the meantime the employee who sent wrong information contacted me on the 22/11 via Resolver to ask for a telephone number to contact me. I sent it the same day. Never heard from her.

It would appear that incompetence and lack of customer care starts at the top.

Went to the Running Horse in Fakenham yesterday.. not busy. Ordered easily and was served with some pretty good food. Nicely cooked and presented. Service with a smile at the bar and table. Reasonable prices too. But… why was the Christmas Tree being put up in September.. absolutely pointless.

I booked a table in the restaurant in Romsley and when we arrived I found they put us on a table with low sofa chairs!! How do they expect people to eat from a low chair?? Do you put the plate on your lap?? I complained of course but was told that there were no other tables available inside the restaurant and that was that!!! Very unpleasant and uninviting. 😡😡😡

This was a lunch visit to Houghton Arms and my experience was first class.

I was greeted shortly after entering the property and advised I could sit anywhere. Once seated I was approached by Jackie and given menus to look at. A drink was offered at that point. Jackie then came back and took my order and was very upbeat and friendly as she so did. Food preparation time was reasonable and the I had the Steak and Ale Pie. This came with an assortment of vegetables, which were fresh and not frozen. I was given the choice of mashed potatoes or chips. High quality gravy was already on the plate and there was a pouring jug with an additional serving. The food was absolutely delicious and everything was cooked exactly right.

Jackie took the time to talk to me and she brought a ray of sunshine to my visit. I was also able to speak with the owner, Mark, and he was friendly and knowledgeable and very friendly in his manner and approach.

The Houghton Arms is a lovely property, situated close to the M65 and very easily accessible. There was ample parking and the property is surrounded by trees and outdoor spaces.

This was a superb lunch experience.

The worst customer service in a Cardiff pub, staff don’t seem to care, broken picture’s hanging on walls, June specials board in August? ‘Guest Relations’ took the medal when we complained that Father’s Day Sunday lunches were stopped without notice after booking, rude and unprofessional responses, closed a complaint within one reply, have these staff even visited a pub out of area? Refused to provide supervisors details for escalation, when I wrote to Marstons to complain, the very person I was complaining about was dealing with the complaint! Conflict of interest! An absolute shambles speaks volumes.

Went to Sparkford Inn for lunch. Impressed by menu so decided to have dinner instead. Enquired with the manager whether our dog was allowed in dining room ? YES, anywhere in the Pub; so we booked a table. We arrived promptly to an almost empty Pub. We were not allowed to take our dog into the dining room My meal was lukewarm; my wife's Lasagna was burnt during reheating.

Give the Sparkford Inn a wide berth, they do not value your custom.

We recently had a Birthday meal at The Otter, Gainsborough, Lincs.
Manageress Katie, greeted us in a very polite and professional way.
We was taken to a pre booked Table.
A very pleasant person came to take our order and the food came quickly and hot.
We all had different meals and everyone had no complaints.
This was a very hot day and could have done with a bit Aircon.
We had a good time and was very happy.
Thank you
I always write a truthful review and have 76,000 views on Google Maps and other sites

I recently worked at Kings Chamber Pub & Inn, and it was without a doubt the worst professional experience of my life. As someone who has worked in various kitchens, I can confidently say that this one stands out for all the wrong reasons.

First and foremost, the kitchen environment was unbelievably dry and devoid of any creativity or passion. The leadership lacked any vision or direction, resulting in a monotonous and uninspiring workplace. There was no encouragement for innovation or personal growth, making it a dead-end job for any aspiring chef or culinary enthusiast.

Moreover, the kitchen habits were deplorable. Hygiene standards were alarmingly low, with dirty equipment and poorly maintained workspaces. Basic food safety practices were often ignored, putting both employees and customers at risk. This neglect was not only unprofessional but downright dangerous.

The management was equally disappointing. There was a complete lack of communication and respect for staff. Constructive feedback was nonexistent, and any attempts to suggest improvements were met with hostility. The toxic work culture made it an unbearable place to work, contributing to high turnover and low morale among staff.

In conclusion, Kings Chamber Pub & Inn is a place to avoid if you value your career and well-being. The lack of leadership, poor hygiene, and toxic work environment make it a truly dreadful place to work. Save yourself the trouble and look for opportunities elsewhere where your skills and creativity will be appreciated.

The Foley Arms is lovely and essential to the streetly community, our food was delicious as always and Lindy was fantastic.

Big change since I last went.The menu choices are smaller.The food we ordered was bland with small portions (mushy peas portion no more than a tablespoon) Poorly presented.Scampi batter was really soggy.Sent 2 complaint forms to Marstons (1 after the 5 days they said they would reply in) No reply !! Do they actually read any comments ?

Cannot believe how rundown this pub is! The beer garden has old tables which are falling apart! Peeling paint on windows! Rubbish strewn around. Chairs inside ripped and stained! This is no reflection on the staff who do a great job!
The community around the Talbot Atherton support this pub well but deserve more! Marstons you are missing a trick! With a refurb it could be great!!

Oyster Bed Restaurant, Thanet Way, Whitstable, Kent. Worse restaurant experience we've ever had. Waited patiently for an hour for starters to arrive and then the mains turned up instead. Asked where the starters were and was accused of not ordering starters. Duty Manager was rude and completely incompetent and didn't even know that they had calamari on the menu as a starter when we told him that was part of our order. He then backtracked and said we don't have any stock. How he knew that instantly when he didn't even know they sold calamari is a mystery to me. We asked to speak to the waitress who took our order but they wouldn't go and get her. The Duty Manager then had the audacity to imply that we were being rude when it was he who came across making outrageous accusations. What reaction did he expect - hugs and kisses! Rude people don't sit there for an hour being as patient as we were. Also, did he really think that 5 adults would be making it up about starters when they had already been sitting there for an hour? It's obvious that the waitress had made an error and for some reason hadn't passed the order on to the kitchen or the kitchen lost the order. We wanted serving and the less time spent there the better so why would we send the mains back if we hadn't ordered starters? Had the Duty Manager made proper enquiries and apologised for the error then things might have been different, but he obviously lacked the experience or training or just the intellect and attitude to handle the situation correctly. We obviously said it was now too late for starters but he then expected us to accept the mains that by now had been cooked for at least 15-20mins! The alternative was to wait for however long it would be for the mains to be cooked again. Given that by now we had probably been there for around 1 1/2 hours, we decided to leave. We did notice that on another table the same or a similar issue appeared to be happening as they also sent their mains straight back. The car park also had several cars with people eating McDonalds in their car and throwing their boxes and rubbish out of the window. The tables they sat us at were outdoor stainless steel tables and each one was a slightly different height! Spoke to a friend the next day who was also there and he said they walked out after waiting over 1/2 hour for ice creams that never came. The other thing that they kept blaming was Marston's for not giving them the staff and support they need. Well take it up with them and don't take it out on your customers! The fact that it was also my birthday didn't help matters and it certainly ruined my day.

My next step now is to take this matter up with head office.

Small portions, overcooked and worst of all the toilets smelt atrocious. Could do with a refurbishment, the area we sat in all paintwork was chipped.

Distinctly average food , I ordered a fish finger sandwich and had to order a search party for the “fish finger” part , a salad was optional and consisted of lettuce and rocket ? I was visiting with friends and will continue to meet them there I just won’t both eating .

I have logged 3 complaints, via their web portal and to the customer service email and have had no response. This is a review about the shocking response to my complaint, not about the complaint on the pub in question. As a paying customer at their facilities, I would expect a response and some action taken on the complaint. Shocking service

Beautifully decorated, service is very lacking, the restaurant wasn't over busy. The lady came and took order for drinks we were then told that anything with chicken on the menu was off. So we had lasange which was tasty not sure a big ciabatta roll with a little bit of garlic butter warrants as garlic bread. The disappointing thing was that we did not see the waitress again, no one asked if meal was OK, I would have liked and drink, a pudding would have been ordered if they could be bothered to come over,even when paying wd weren't asked if everything was OK,

Somehow an extra drink was ordered when ordering using the app. We tried to cancel it but something went wrong. We also managed to order a Pepsi full sugar instead of a Pepsi max pint. When the assistant Amanda brought the drinks to the table we hadn't realised the Pepsi was full sugar but we noticed the extra drink. Amanda had a poor attitude but offered a refund and we initially said we'd keep the extra drink but then when discovering the full sugar Pepsi I went to the bar to tell Amanda that actually I'd like to refund the extra drink and we'd spend the refund on the Pepsi max. Not to complicated or too much bother right? Not for Amanda. Amanda told me that we'd already declined the refund she'd offered so she wasn't going to give it. This is literally about 2 minutes after her speaking to is at our table. I told her that it was not my guest wgo had declined her offer who had paid for the meal it was myself, a hefty £85, and we already had one extra drink and now a drink with full sugar and yet she wanted me to buy a third drink and her reasoning for this was that it was my mistake not hers. If she had made the mistake she'd fix it but it was my problem since I had not managed to master the app on the first attempt at ever using it. When I told her I didn't feel that was fair or right she told me she'd been doing her job fourteen years, she knows her job and she won't stand there arguing with me. Note that it was her arguing with me, I was simply discussing the situation and asking for some assistance to fix it fairly. I believe that for the enjoyment of the customer overall replacing a single drink and retaining customers and appreciation is important but again Amanda didn't care. I returned to my table frustrated without a drink to refresh myself while I waited for my food. There were four of us as guests and so far I'd bought five drinks and I was the only person without a drink that I could digest. I returned to the bar a second time and asked her position and she said she was an assistant so I asked to speak to a manager. The manager came over and was polite and after a short discussion asked that I get the extra drink and she'd swap it for a Pepsi max. We still had one extra drink as they refused to refund that as mentioned earlier but we were getting somewhere. I wentbto retrieve the drink and as I approached the bar Amanda was telling the manager I had been shouting and swearing at her. Amanda hadn't anticipated my returning to the bar so quickly and so was caught red handed telling a blatant lie to her manager. I asked to to give an example or when I shouted or used bad language and she said "well you just talked to me like crap", another false statement. Over a glass of Pepsi Amanda had an awful attitude, a reluctance to fix it and an eagerness to bad mouth me to her manager while I was away from the bar. I told Amanda that I'd be making a complaint to head office and her response was not one of worry or concern she simple said "go on en". She then proceeded to overwork the tables around us in an attempt to prove how great she is at table service which is a behaviour that only made her look worse. Why couldn't Amanda treat is with the same dignity and respect that she felt was necessary only to prove to us that we are the problem. From the offset I accepted that we may have made a mistake on the app but its not something a customer is trained for and for the sake of a couple of pounds in a really tight economy I'm sure Marstens would have preferred a member of staff who cared about the reputation and customer retention of their business. Amanda didn't thank us as we left, ignored us when we tried to pay for garlic bread on the way out and again when I returned to tip the manager I caught telling the manager what a "sh#* attitude" I had in those words. Amanda is appalling. I've never ate anywhere and had a memeber of staff belittle me infront of other customers, a couple who I passed on my way out told me I should have asked for a full refund and left, and I've never be made to feel like a mistake in an online purchase is non refundable or exchangeable, especially something that is part of a mich larger purchase of which all smaller elements of the purchase make the total purchase a perfect experience. I brought my family from Cwmbran to Merthyr telling them this was a great place to eat. Unfortunately they have said theyd never eat there again as they'd fear getting the same shocking service I did and over something so arbitrary.

The Bobbin Carrier, Cleckheaton.
Fantastic service, food and drinks on both a Friday and Saturday night. Table of 4 on Friday, table of 9 on Saturday night. Friendly staff, great food, reasonable wait times, quick service at the counter too.