‘Fawlty Towers’ pub slammed for small portions

Leanne Williams claimed the Clock House Pub & Restaurant in St Helens charged £2.50 for just seven chips.

She posted a one-star review on the Facebook which said: “If you want to pay £2.50 for seven chips then go here.”

The pub replied thanking her for the “glowing review” but that she failed to mention the size of the chips.

Williams posted a picture of her meal and said: “If they were anywhere near the size of your attitude then I wouldn’t have complained.”

The pub responded: “I count eight chips and I think someone’s had a sneaky one too. That makes nine #topqualitychips #freshnotfrozen.”

Williams said: “That’s not all. Roast potatoes as dry as your sense of humour. Steak pie, watery as hell. Wrong food brought three times. Food tasteless. Obviously geniuses (sic) idea charging £2.50 for a spud and a half worth of chips #dickturpinworramask #customerservicestinks.”

The pub replied: “I’m surprised you had room for those seven chips that magically became eight! After eating steak & ale pie and roasties. Sorry I can’t take this seriously as you failed to count the number of chips #magicnumber.”

Something from Fawlty Towers​

Williams responded: “I don’t go for meals by myself. I know you probably do but I’m not surprised to be honest. Can’t take criticism about your business #childish.”

She told the Daily Mail​: “It was like something out of Fawlty Towers​, I couldn’t believe it.”

The Morning Advertiser ​attempted to contact the Clock House but had received no response at the time of publication.

However, the pub’s boss Jamie Fildes claimed the pub’s comments were ‘banter’ and that he expected them to be taken in the spirit they were made, according to the national reports.

He said: “It was a daft, flippant comment, which was satirical and meant to be banter and wasn’t meant to cause any offence. I hold my hands up, I should have been more clued up, but I’ve learned a valuable lesson.

“On the pre-order it said it was a kid’s meal. Ideally they should have said something along the lines of ‘you have messed up here and given us a child’s portion’, and it could have been sorted straight away.”

Portions are big

He defended the pub’s portion sizes and the comments on Williams’ Facebook review: “It’s not a fair comment to make as our portions are big.

“If anything, I’m over reasonable and will do anything to make anyone feel comfortable. Out of 265 meals served that day, we didn’t get one complaint,” the national newspaper reported Fildes said.

He added: “How can you come to a restaurant once a week for three years, leave a one-star review and then wait until she had finished to put it all over social media? For a table to leave a £10 tip, this suggests to me that the food has been good.

“I never once said anything bad about them, I was trying to defend a review that was on my page. I was never nasty, I kept it professional.”