Chatwins - Sandbach — Restaurant in England

Reviewing predominantly based on service during my most recent visit 25/04/2025. I have purchased food items a couple of times previously which have been fine.

During my lunch break today I walked into Chatwins, which has a hot food counter on the left with a till and a cold food counter on the right with a till.

In order to choose cold food, it is necessary to walk up to the cold food counter to see what's available before ordering.

Upon entering there were two men at the hot food counter being served. I walked over to the cold food counter to see what was available and stood in front of the till and waited to be served, which is where I remained for approximately 5 minutes.

During this time a staff member cleaning tables walked past and saw me several times, but at no point did she acknowledge me or think to tell me that the till I was patiently waiting at wasn't in service and that I needed to go over to the hot counter to be served from the cold counter, nor did I spot any signage indicating this is how Chatwins operates.

After 5 minutes standing there, a woman from the hot counter finally spotted me and dismissively said to me "there's just one queue" and pointed to the back of the shop, where a queue had since formed in the time I'd been waiting.

Firstly, when I arrived, there was no queue, I was next in line behind the two men already in the process of being served and there was nobody behind me.

By the time I was noticed the queue was all the way back to the door and I was expected to join the back of the queue?

Sure I could have stood my ground, but my time and peace is worth more than that, and if people don't wish to serve me, then I'll go elsewhere.

It would have taken very little effort for the lady walking around the cafe and cold counter to have uttered a couple of words to me to advise me I couldn't get served at the cold counter till.

Likewise, if the woman that so dismissively told me "there's one queue" after waiting 5 minutes really hadn't noticed me walk in, she could easily have asked how long I'd been there or asked me if I was next.

Had I been in the 'correct' queue and observed this situation myself, I'd have spoken up and said "that lady was there before me". But no one did, so rather than join the back of the queue and wait for a second time, I chose to...

I was extremely disappointed by our visit to the Sandbach cafe earlier today. I was meeting up with my daughter, son and grandson who live locally. Myself and my partner had travelled up from Shrewsbury. It was my partners first time in Chatwins. As I have lived away from the area for a few years I was looking forward to sampling Chatwins food again as it had been some years since I had last had some. Unfortunately I wasn't impressed with the experience. We decided to eat in at the Sandbach cafe and as we had my baby grandson with us. We sat in the section at the rear of the building and were the only ones in there. We ordered a sandwich (bap) and a hot drink each. The sandwich came on its own. There was no garnish or anything. Just on its own on a plate. The drinks were luke warm. I feel that at around £15 for two sandwiches and two drinks it was a complete rip off!!! The lighting in the area we sat in was terrible. They were that bright that it felt as though you were being interrogated. The toilets were filthy. Very dusty and the gents had urine stains as though they hadn't been cleaned for a very long time. There was also no area where you could change a baby's nappy. Sorry but i wouldn't recommend the place as somewhere to get good...

Oh dear , I use Chartwins possibly too regularly for morning bacon rolls but not coffee as I thing McD's is better [ stronger ] and less pricey . Chatwins do have a reputation for being on the expensive side but I work on the - you get what you pay for - philosophy , well until today that is . Child No 3 who was in a foul mood due to teenage angst and I had a snack lurch , sausage roll , cheese and onion bap , two cokes and two cakes and a packet of crisps , £18.75 of your fine GBP thank you very much ! It wasn't until later that I looked at the receipt to see the bap with margarine , cheese and onion was costed at £5.20 ! Are they having a laugh ? Yes they are ! Queried it today and was told it was because I was eating it inside and therefore the issue was with tax which I doubt when one of these to take out is around £3.50 ish which is taking the proverbial anyway - I had wondered why the chap on the next table was getting the hairdryer treatment from one of the staff for eating in when he had paid to take out , and now I know - Edward Chatwin , do not take your customer base for granted or use us to fund your expansion to this sort of degree - appreciate what you have and your footfall , it may not always be there if you carry on...