to boycott this restaurant

[FineSally]

For about the last 8/9 years, right from when it first opened, we have been regular diners at a local restaurant that has limited opening hours. It's privately run, in premises owned by a business that my DH is on the management committee of. The restaurant is run independently of the premises, they just charge rent & a small profit share.

In the early days it was very quiet and probably a bit "niche", but as time passed it's got a lot more popular and now does a lot of business in private functions such as birthday parties, weddings etc.

The original restaurant manager has recently retired and his son has taken over.

The Management Committee has been hearing allegations that for some time there has been a scam involving alcohol. Like substituting cheap spirits for the branded ones in the optics, and cheap wine in labelled bottles (screw tops so easy to do). A friend "in the know" reckons this sort of thing is commonplace in the licensing trade.
I have had my suspicions that something was amiss when my Bombay Sapphire gin definitely wasn't, and a bottle of red wine was nothing like the previous one with the same label.

Is it fair to assume the son will have learned these practices from his father?

and legally, is there anything that can be done? I guess Trading Standards would be the first port of call but it wouldn't do any good unless they visited on spec.

[user1471517900]

You don't have to go to any restaurant if you don't want to.

That was a fairly easy AIBU.

[CuboidalSlipshoddy]

AIBU to stop going to a restaurant I used to like but now don't? No, YANBU.

End of thread.

[lostjanni]

Don't go then. But if you have no proof you're being a bit of a gossip.

[PoorYorick]

You can dine, or not dine, anywhere you please.

[DeathStare]

You don't like the restaurant any more, so don't go there. You don't have to have other people deciding whether this is reasonable or not.

[Trinity66]

I'm surprised people are being so blunt tbh it's totally fraudulent to do what they're doing (if they are of course) you pay enough for drink as it is without getting scammed on top of it.

[Dungeondragon15]

I would report. You don't need proof as that is trading standard's job. There is no reason to think the son "learned" this scam from his father though. It is hardly a novel idea.

[midnightmisssuki]

dont go if you dont like it. If you dont have proof of what you are doing - you are no better than a potential gossip. HTH

[IrenetheQuaint]

Report to Trading Standards - this sort of thing is so common they must have a standard approach.

[Trinity66]

dont go if you dont like it. If you dont have proof of what you are doing - you are no better than a potential gossip. HTH

Well she did say that she felt that when she ordered a certain brand of gin, she thought it tasted wrong, what other proof does a customer need to have that investigated tbf?

[BitOutOfPractice]

Is it fair to assume the son will have learned these practices from his father?

Why would you unless you noticed these things happening under the father?

Don't go if you don't like it

[Idontdowindows]

Trading Standards is your first port of call. And if I thought I was being scammed at a restaurant, I wouldn't go there again.

[pigmcpigface]

I don't think it is fair to assume the son has learned this from the father. In fact, it sounds like you have direct evidence that he didn't: you used to like this restaurant, and presumably the wine and gin were legit then? So something has changed, and that change has coincided with a shift in the management.

It sounds as though this AIBU is more 'Should I report to Trading Standards than 'Should I keep going to a restaurant I now dislike'. And yes, I would report it, but perhaps through the Management Committee route.

[19lottie82]

I used to work in pubs when I was younger, that did this.

It’s actually quite dangerous as often they are “black market” spirits and they don’t have any idea what’s in them.

If you are seriously convinced it’s happening then I would report TBH, if they haven’t been doing anything wrong then they don’t have anything to worry about.

[KNain]

I think your AIBU might be asking the wrong question. Are you unreasonable not to eat at a restaurant you don't like? Of course not.

Would you be unreasonable to report the restaurant for swapping the drinks? Not if you genuinely believe they were doing so, which it sounds like you do. It's better than spreading rumours.

Is it fair to assume the son will have learned these practices from his father?

This does sound a bit unfair, if you were happy with the drinks when you ate there under the father's management. But it doesn't really matter now anyway as the father has retired.

[Mistydampandwet]

Making money in a restaurant is not very easy, this is a quick short cut from a bad businessman

I just googled and believe its Environmental health who may revoke either a premises or premises supervisor (personal license) if laws are being broken

[Viviennemary]

You could report them to Trading Standards. But I imagine this does happen more than we care to think in the catering trade.

[Mistydampandwet]

Rather than trading standards

[Mistydampandwet]

This is what Licensing laws are for to protect us so we eat and drink what is advertised - if you think about it this could be really dangerous

[Dungeondragon15]

You could report them to Trading Standards. But I imagine this does happen more than we care to think in the catering trade.

All the more reason to report.

[Kahlua4me]

I think Trading Standards would be your first port of call.

You just need to tell them your suspicions and they will act from the information as necessary and will contact environmental health if needed.

I would do that if I thought I was being charged for something and then being given a cheaper substitute.

[Hullygully]

I'm afraid you still have to go.

Oh wait

[BitOutOfPractice]

Hully I laughed at that.

I thought the same!

[Hullygully]

yars

Madness, I tell you, madness

[Glitterbopeep]

Surely a quick look through the paper work will tell you all you need to know;

600 x Bombay Sapphire measures sold over X period
2 x Bombay Sapphire bottles purchased over same period
10 cases of Aldi Saver Gin bought over same period.

..Hmmmmm