AIBU about food in pub garden?

[toboldlygo]

I work in a pub/restaurant/hotel. Today we had an informal booking for 20-40 people for a post-wedding gathering, drinks only. Between 11am and 3pm 45 people arrived and all wanted to order food, contrary to the booking. Not a problem, we'd normally have arranged for an extra staff member to help out for that number but we did our best and served them all.

Food service stops at 3 and doesn't begin again until 6.30 (same staff, split shifts, we haven't the capacity to serve all day) as advertised on menus, outside boards etc. I stated many times to the group that last orders had to be in by 3pm and that we were now running short of many items.

At 3.45 another group of people arrived and enquired about food. I apologised and said that we'd finished serving at 3 and jokily added that we'd been eaten out of house and home. They ordered drinks and headed outside with the rest of the group.

On going out to collect glasses I find that they've put together all of the outside tables and have a spread of sandwiches going on - six or seven plus snacks, coffee etc. I try to point out as politely as I could that they are not permitted to eat 'outside food' in the garden. They argue that we are no longer serving food so what else are they to do?

There's not much I can answer to that except to in my head consider that they've had five hours in which to order food, have been made aware at several points what time service finishes and I know from previous experience that I will be collecting up all of their rubbish when I return from my hour's break. There are plenty of parks and green spaces in which they could eat - the bakery they bought them from has benches and tables outside.

So am I (or rather the hotel, it's the manager's rule) being unreasonable to ask people not to bring in their own food when we are not serving any ourselves? I am a bit narked that they totally ignored me and carried on eating but don't know if it's because it's a bloody stupid request.

Yes, we don't do frozen shite - unless somebody specifically requests a budget buffet, then out come the vol-au-vents. It's all 95% pork sausages from a local farm, fresh fish, seasonal salads etc. Even the sandwiches have good local naice ham, poncy bloomer bread from the bakery and whatnot. 40 people unexpectedly ordering - okay, so we thought maybe some of them would inevitably eat, call it 25 people expected - that's enough to screw our supplies for the weekend and mean a total lack of prep for the busy service tonight.

We will make do, we always do. I'd better dash anyway (I selfishly hope they've gone by the time I get back )

er, thanks for the tip squeaky

Our restaurant has 22 covers inside and about the same outside. Our freezer is a usual sort of chest freezer, rather than a "walk in" type thing, if that's what you're imagining.

We cater for a "usual" type of Saturday night, given that it's just coming into "off" season, and the weather isn't very good ie a few of each thing on the menu.

And thank you for your thoughts S_G. I would love to take on a management role and turn the place around.

We don't do frozen shite either OP :)

Frozen doesnt have to mean shite though. If you have cooked it yourself, it is still home-made, and wouldnt lose any quality in flavour. Pies, soups, stews etc..

I dont like eating in the chain places either if I can help it, simply because I know that the vast majority of the food is Brakes brothers or bought in.

I also appreciate how difficult it is for the smaller businesses to control their stock without risking things having to be thrown away too.

In general I dread walking into pubs in this country - with all the rules!
Children allowed in the bar - not public bar/children allowed in the bar area but not in the un carpeted area by the bar, children not allowed in the bar but in the restruant if eating, children not allowed to eat past 7pm or 8pm, children not allowed in the resturant or the bar but oinly in our totally un loved shite family room.....

laden down with misreable rules and regulations! Cant have this at this time, cant do that at that time!

its no wonder so many places are closing down adn the ones thriving are those that give the bloody customer what the bloody paying customer wants!

honestly you walk into some places and wonder how the hell some people are in the service industry....

the bad taste and impression some places give when you walk in or when they wont do the tinest most simplest request - the bad mouthing one then does after....

there is also an expectation that all these strangers that walk into establishments should some how be immedialty up on all thier rules!

they have thier own lives, thier own things to do....chatting away to friends and family and yet your opening hours are supposed to be first and foremost on thier minds!

havant you ever chatted to people and not been able to get away - or lost track of time?

why is your business so amazingly important that all these people had to put that as a priority...

do you know how many pubs and restauurants are closing every single day>? there is a crisis in the industry?

If that was me - I would have suggested to them - to bring in thier own food - as it was a special occasion - the whole party is already there - and gone round with big smiles being as accomodating and pleasant as possible !!!!

so they leave with an amazing impression of us - all write about us and tell thier friends about how incredibly nice we were.

instead of ruining someones party and putting bad taste in thier mouths.

One of the reasons we don't freeze much (outside of meat) is that our menu is very fresh and seasonal and constantly changes.

So we buy things in when they look good and are fresh, and put them straight on the menu. For this reason we tend to buy smallish amounts from small producers.

For instance, we have a guy that sometimes comes by with locally caught trout. We'll get maximum 10 or 12 and when they're gone, that's it until he catches some more! Our customers like the straight-to-the-table thing.

Regarding soup specifically, we have usually made it for some other reason (something about to go bad, a large party) and don't make it in vast quantities. Again, when it's gone, it's gone.

er yeah ok eliza....

eliza, that's not my impression of pubs at all.

It's more like, go in, buy drinks. drink drinks in beer garden whilst kids run about. Order food, eat food. If they're not doing food when I want to eat, I go somewhere else.

I don't feel that pubs should be so desperate and grateful for my money that I should do what the hell I like whilst there i.e bring food and expect them to clean it up just because their staff have a break from serving food between 3 and 6.30.

Thing is, you can do all this if you're the manager/owner.

I used to be a publican - I would have done as someone else suggested, rung up the local bakery & said 'Can you get a couple of dozen sandwiches up to us asap?' then told punters 'We don't normally serve food between 3 & 6 but we've sorted you some locally made sandwiches, would you like ham, cheese or egg ?'

& I'd've had a couple of fryers on & offered chips.

Then you can boot out the picnicking chancers!

But if you're just the bartender/hired help & the manager isn't on site, you can't necessarily use your initiative in the same way. OP was put in a difficult position & had already been run ragged - you have my full sympathy!

eliza I am sure that there are pubs all over this country that won't miss you a bit.

raven- good idea and good post.

Yes it wasn't the OP's fault, as her manager was not exactly on fire!

eliza makes some good points.

We do need to improve our customer service.

I remember visiting a restaurant in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, many years ago. I arrived far too late to make an order, but wanted to catch up with some friends who I knew were in town. I was very warmly welcomed, the waiter then asked me if I was still hungry, he then shot out to a nearby pizza take away and bought us one back.

That was service!

We spent a lot on drinks, and I made sure that a hefty tip was left in appreciation of the effort they made.

I am a bar manager in a very busy food led pub.We serve food all day but even if we didn't we would not allow picnickers.

If you allow one group to bring their own food then you have to allow it for everyone and before you know it food takings are down.

We bend over backwards to accommodate requests/bookings but a line has to be drawn somewhere.

Exactly issy

We have an ice cream cafe over the road - most of the day our garden is in sunshine whilst theirs is in shade.

If we're not busy, we don't mind if the ice cream eaters come and sit in our sunshine as long as they order a coffee or something. However, someone cracking open the sandwiches just looks bad and like you say, how can you then tell other people that they can't bring their own food too?

We would usually try to accommodate people where possible, but sometimes it just isn't, and a party of 40 - certainly not.

yanbu but if it were me i would turn a blind eye if drinks were being brought

If they ordered most of your food and a lot of drinks this wouldn't even be an issue for me.

I would turn a blind eye.

If they had a good time they would return
If you get arsey about a stupid rule with no alternative offered then they won't return and it's a tough climate

So yabu (just)

Whether the manger should have turned a blind eye or not is entirely their decision to make

The manager decided to turn a blind eye and rightly so.

I have been a part of that size group and have asked if it is ok to go and get food because the place that we were drinking in, didn't serve any.

If they refuse, then we leave and go somewhere else, but seeming as we all drink enough to sink a battleship, the manager usually makes the best decision for their business and takings.

We travel around the country and those pubs that have strict rules are usually the one's closed down when we return the following season.

Some wedding are cheap and cheerful and it's... You know... The vows that count

I can't talk I had a ridiculous wedding

Sounds more fun than your typical reception apart from bar staff with no business sense

I'm not overly impressed at the idea that employees should be expected to do a few hours extra work in the middle of a long and hard day.

The clearing-up fairies very seldom arrive at my premises.

Well the bride and groom might have been skint and said 'we'd love you to come and see us exchange vows'

Then someone else could
Say 'lovely, then we can sainted down to the pub'

Then someone said 'lovely, I'll make sure they can squeeze us in'

'lovely'

It's not odd it's just different to the crappy norm