Maxwells Cafe Ltd — Restaurant in England

By far the worst experience I’ve had ordering food anywhere in my life. No exaggeration.

Approached the stall and, after waiting for the five members of staff to finish their chat, was asked what I’d like to order.

Ordered a ham and cheese toastie and breakfast roll. We were told to take a seat and they would call us when our order was ready - but as there was no seating we stood and waited for our order.

The person preparing the food finished a previous order - and then proceeded to pick her phone up and use it with both hands. We then stood and watched as she touched her face and hair multiple times whilst playing on her phone, then put her hand in her pocket - and then carried on preparing and bagging our food with her bare hands.

By the time our order was ready I already felt repulsed at the thought of eating it after witnessing the amount of bacteria-ridden surfaces and objects the server had touched. No hand washing or any hygiene procedure was followed at all.

When they called for us to collect our order, I asked who was in charge - and was horrified to find out it was the person who was preparing the food.

I asked if there were any hygiene procedures in place and explained everything we had just witnessed. The server became very defensive and basically told me I was lying. I told her her I’d seen her handle my burger roll with bare hands immediately after handling her phone and touching her face - and she told me she hadn’t had her hand INSIDE my roll - and proceeded to demonstrate how I was wrong by picking up another bread roll with her bare hands and then putting it straight back in the bag with other rolls.

No matter how calmly I tried to explain the bad hygiene practices I had witness, she would not listen.

Then she said “fine, but you don’t have to be so rude about it!” - I explained that I had been very calm and polite and was merely trying to voice a valid complaint about the handling of food I had paid for and was planning to eat.

Her response? “If this is you being nice, I feel sorry for anybody who talks to you!”

At this stage I gave up trying to have a reasonable conversation and just asked for a refund - and turns out my card hadn’t even been authorised and they hadn’t checked. So I tried to pay for the two drinks we had and was told “not to worry about it”.

Never in my life have I witnessed such appalling hygiene and food handling standards, nor have I ever experienced such rudeness, belligerence and disrespectful behaviour from anybody employed in the service industry.

Had I received any kind of apology or even acknowledgment of my concerns, there would have been no need for this review. I would have just silently added the venue to the small list of places I won’t eat.

Instead, I was insulted, belittled and received no acknowledgment of my (very valid) concerns.

Avoid...

I recently visited Maxwells Cafe on 20/04/2024. Unfortunately, my experience left much to be desired. Let me break down the issues I encountered:

Order Mistake: When I placed my order, the barista made a mistake and got it completely wrong. Not only did this inconvenience me, but it also wasted my time.

Extra Funds Request: To correct their error, they had the audacity to ask for additional funds. As a customer, I expect a certain level of professionalism and courtesy. This request was both surprising and disappointing.

Poor Quality Coffee: Despite paying a premium price, the coffee quality was subpar. It lacked flavor, depth, and that comforting aroma I associate with a good cup of coffee. Frankly, I've had better brews at gas stations.

Lost Trust: Maxwells Cafe has lost my trust. I won't be returning, and I'll make sure to share my experience with my family and friends. Word of mouth matters, and they've certainly lost potential customers due to their mishandling of my order.

Concluded, Maxwells Cafe needs to step up their game. Charging premium prices for mediocre coffee and making mistakes with orders is a recipe for losing loyal patrons. I won't be recommending them to anyone.

In advance: “NO APOLOGIES ARE ACCEPTED!”

I hope this review helps others make informed decisions. Remember, as consumers, we deserve quality and respect from the establishments we choose to...

Came here while waiting for my mother's diagnosis, following a very scary life-threatening incident. Thought it looked nice but one member of staff in particular (curly hair with glasses) made very sure that she looked down on me and that I felt like I was inconveniencing her by asking for a coffee and toastie. Forgot to call out that my toastie was ready, wasn't busy. She was just standing there talking. When I went up after about 5 minutes she gave me a look again and I asked her politely whether my sandwich was ready. She made extra sure to be deliberately slow to check the oven and then just said 'yeah' and handed me the toastie. I would usually say something to someone who was being this rude to a paying customer but I probably would've started crying due to the current situation I'm in. She certainly didn't make my day any better. Terrible customer service and general attitude/personality. As a person who spent many years being a waitress and coffee barista, I can tell you from experience that this person isn't cut out for dealing with the public/staff aren't receiving the proper training...