The Cork Dork — Restaurant in England

I’m writing to share the shocking treatment we received from the owners of Cork Dork. I had booked a brunch for my daughter and her friends to celebrate her birthday. Unfortunately, we mistakenly booked the wrong date — the same day she was due to participate in a charity triathlon.

Recognising the error early, my daughter contacted Cork Dork via Instagram to request a date change, giving over three months’ notice. Despite the honest mistake and the importance of the charity event, they refused, citing a strict policy that bookings are non-transferable. She then requested a refund and was again told it was non-refundable.

Left £300 out of pocket, we tried to re-sell the booking among friends and family, but had no luck. We then emailed Cork Dork directly, once again fully admitting the mistake, explaining the charity clash, and kindly asking for a refund or alternative date. Their response remained unchanged: bookings were strictly non-refundable and non-transferable, even while acknowledging the importance of the event. They claimed it would be unfair to bend the rules for us.

I replied again, reiterating we were not seeking a refund anymore, just a simple date change. I noted that no one else needed to know, and that some flexibility in genuine cases could prevent customer dissatisfaction. I received no reply for a week.

After seeking advice, I referenced Section 62 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which states that contract terms must be fair and in good faith. Refusing to transfer a booking with over three months’ notice, especially due to an honest error, is arguably unfair and to the consumer’s detriment. I also stated I would raise the issue with the press if no resolution was offered.

They finally responded, saying they’d been too busy to reply and would only deal with my daughter, claiming no one had spoken to them like this before. This was baffling, as our previous five messages had been calm, polite, and respectful.

As requested, my daughter followed up with the same points and referenced the Consumer Rights Act. In response, she received an aggressive email accusing us of being threatening, shameful, and embarrassing. They claimed I had “annoyed” them and that she had “annoyed them further.” They said we were “throwing our toys out of the pram,” should “take accountability,” and that while they could easily resell the tickets, they would not refund or rebook due to our supposedly unpleasant approach.

We were shocked. At no point had we been rude — all of our communications acknowledged our own mistake and were sent in good faith, simply asking for flexibility. We were met with delayed, dismissive, and increasingly hostile responses.

The situation has left us £300 out of pocket for a booking made three months in advance — a significant loss for an honest error we attempted to resolve multiple times respectfully. Cork Dork has now stated they will not respond to any further emails...

This place is incredible, I always love coming here. The service is amazing, super friendly, and you can tell they genuinely care about making your experience great. Benedict, the cork dork himself, is fantastic. His wine knowledge is on point and I just adore his hospitality every time I visit.

All the staff are lovely too, always making you feel welcome, and it’s clear they know their stuff. I absolutely love it here!!!

The wine by the glass is a great touch. You can try some really good wines without committing to a full bottle, and they’re all top quality. Plus, the prices are actually decent, which is an always a bonus.

The decor’s spot on too, it’s my favourite place to go to in Westcliff cosy and an absolute vibe, I always plan to come in for one and I end up staying for hours on end. This place feels like home.

You can really tell the Benedict has put his heart into this place. It’s a gem, and I highly recommend it to anyone in the area. Don’t forget the incredible cheese boards! And it’s dog friendly too.

10/10...

We love the Cork Dork so my husband and I decided to enquire about having our 'baby shower' there. We had it last month and couldn't recommend the venue more for parties / private hire. Benedict was very receptive and easy to communicate with over email when we were organising it. And Richard and his team were absolutely fabulous on the day. A mouth droppingly splendid cheese and charcuterie table was laid out beautifully, drinks were served swiftly & they catered for non-alcoholic drinkers as well as the wine-os! They let my friends decorate and it is so gorgeous and cosy in there with lovely seating outside. Food and drinks superb and service even better. Really good value for money as well, couldn't...