The Gorge — Restaurant in Ashford

Not impressed. It’s been a few months but things have changed. For one it’s now colder outside but I needed a heavy coat indoors. Ok, it might be an idea by management to get the customers in and out quickly, but the cold won’t bring them back. Turn the heating up please. I actually started to lose the feeling in my fingers. I pity your staff. Secondly your music is too loud. Third, please change the batteries in your smoke alarm. They cost £1 down the market. Take it out of your petty cash to stop your customers from being annoyed by a high pitched beep every few minutes. Do you not walk around and check things? Do you not notice these things? Sort it out THE MINUTE you hear it, you hear it talked about or somebody mentions it to you. In fact before you open up have a walk around to check everything. Your toilets are freezing and your toilet roll dispenser can be unlocked as your toilet roll was on the nappy changing table, which means there is a chance of cross contamination. I also don’t see a check board that states when and who checked your toilets. They may be a ‘service’ to your clients but the minute you offer them you have health and safety regulations to adhere to. My fourth point is that one of your staff members is slightly challenged in the smarts department. We were delivered lukewarm tea and coffee with no sugar, and a tea bag still in the tea and no dish to put it in, I don’t want a cold teabag in my saucer. No sugar on the tables like there used to be. Is helping ourselves taking your profits away? Tut tut how selfish of us. We then had to wait 45 minutes for our meal. The table beside us complained after waiting for 30 minutes and they came in after us. While we were waiting the staff member gave us one fork, then another fork and a knife, then after half an hour another knife, then we got our food. The staff member broke a glass item beside us and ‘swept up’ leaving glass on the floor, which all staff then walked over, crunching as they went yet not being able to identify between the lot of them that there was glass underfoot. Imagine if a child put it in their mouth or somebody had slipped on it? It was a significant amount. I’ve worked as a food retail supervisor in a large outlet and I’d have noticed that immediately and made sure it was cleared up properly. We were always aware of a potential court case. The staff member in question dropped her tea towel into the glass on the floor when she was clearing it up yet continued to use it! This was shocking behaviour. Small glass fragments could have contaminated any food or drink item not to mention the general hygiene regulations. Do you take your staff through basic formal hygiene training? Whether there was glass or not it still hit the floor and the ‘five second rule’ only applies to children or did you miss that memo? The bread and butter smelt odd. Which item was off? My betting is on the butter. Even the ‘waitress’ smelt it and scrunched her nose up. The ‘fried bread’ was below par with no crunch and my sausage was unceremoniously dumped in a vat of cheap baked beans. We ordered our drinks and food. We expected to get both together. Instead we got our drinks a full 40 minutes before our food so we were forced to order more drinks. We ordered these though the ‘challenged’ ‘waitress’ and obviously the message didn’t get passed along. When attention was eventually drawn to it, it took a further ten minutes to get our drink by which time we didn’t want them. We left. I heard other complaints which included a member of staff coming to the till to apologise and tell the customer they didn’t have to pay for an item. Not the way to run a business. I loved this place. I’ve now been put off and will take my chances with the ping meals at the pub over the road next time, which is a great shame but at least it’s warmer. You make enough money on your food to turn the thermostat up a bit, or are you like other outlets...turn the heat down and get the punters through to make more profit at the cost of...

I’ve eaten here many times but never thought of giving it a review.

Never had a bad experience nor a single complaint about the food & service. Extremely polite staff will take your order at the table & bring it to you & have no problem in changing the meal to suit you. Rapid service brings you delicious food at very competitive prices.

I actually pass by 3 other cafes on my way here.

10/10...

What a lovely find, in Ashford. Came down for the day, and walked by, and found the cafe. Staff are friendly, cafe was clean. Extensive menu as well. Menu included breakfast, brunch, jacket potatoes and roast dinners. My omlette was lovely. Husband had a Gorge special. He enjoyed it. Drinks were fab too- a hot chocolate and double espresso..Never knew this cafe was here. I'm sure we will be back...