The Elms - JD Wetherspoon — Restaurant in England

Until recently I have had a fantastic experience at the elms. Recently I went in and was planning on meeting my friends (6 of us in total) in the pub. I sat down 15 minutes before my friends arrived and ordered a pint. My two of my friends arrive then within a minute the manager (lady with pink hair) comes over to say that because I arrived and sat down before the other two we cannot sit on the same table even though there is less than six of us on the table. Causing me to sit alone while my two friends sat on another table due to the manager telling us to sit separately due to COVID which to be honest made no sense as we arrived separately due to being in separate house holds, this is the only establishment I have been in where this is the case, my own work does not enforce this peculiar rule. When the final 3 of my friends arrived they asked a very polite lady at the bar if it was okay if they could join us at our table, she told them that yes it would be fine as there would be less than six at a table and she understood that we came from different households and would obviously arrive at different times. When they came to sit down the same lady immediately walked over telling us that we couldn’t sit together as we arrived separately my girlfriend said that someone at the bar said it was okay however she responded by pointing at her badge and saying ‘’manager here” in an extremely rude tone as if to say that she now manages the customers telling them what they can and can’t do obviously this is true within reason. My experience was utterly ruined as I was the only one to order any drinks we left as soon as I finished my pint and ended up going to Irmas on the Broadway. I will tell you now if you wish to go to the elms then arrive at exactly the same time to prevent the rude manager from trying to separate you even though you are following all government guidelines. If she had not been so rude and had listens to what we were trying to say then we may have stayed in our group of six and enjoyed a lovely drink but a-last this was not the case. I hope that she ends up changing the way that she manages during the pandemic as it is ultimately causing the business to lose patronage. I hope that when the pandemic is completely gone that we are able to visit the elms without being told that I can’t sit with my friends due to arriving at slightly separate times.

I want everyone to know that all the other staff were very friendly that it is only the pink haired manager (wish I...

I have been visiting this establishment regularly for almost 10 years and I am sad to say that I will not be returning.

This pub has been in decline for almost a year now. The service is slow, uncaring and negligent. The base ingredients of the food is a low standard throughout. The food when bought out is often wrong or missing parts of the order. On more than three occasions in less than 2 months the food has been under cooked or just cold and inedible.

However, none of these many reasons are my reason for giving a 1 star rating (the lowest available score).

A few friends and I were in the pub for dinner on a weeknight, at about half past seven. Not many of us drink and the few of us that do don't have more than 2-3. On this particular occasion I had to send my other half's food back; cold, inedible. The Manager was doing an ID check through the pub and upon reaching our table, decided that we all looked well over 25 (as we are) except for my other half (who is the same age as me). Upon being unable to provide ID she was told to leave. She hadn't eaten due to the poor standard of food and she was drinking water, not alcohol of any kind and was understandably upset. When she told the Manager that she'd received very poor service and wanted to complain, she was simply told... "Don't come back then!".

As my other half left in frustration I tried to talk rationally to the Manager and register a complaint at how badly the situation had been handled. I was told to leave and then told we were both barred from the pub.

Frustrated and upset, we left and went to get food from somewhere else. Approximately 20 minutes later our friends arrived. They explained that after we had left, the bar staff had cut them off from any further service and also asked them to leave even though they all had identification and hadn't been a part of the incident. Feeling this was somewhat unjust, they complained and asked what it was that they had done to receive this treatment. A tall and very tattooed bartender (not security), red faced with a vein bulging in his neck, brought himself face to face with my friend and told them that if they didn't leave that he'd make them leave. This was all witnessed and allowed to continue by the Manager. They were also then told that they were barred. Not wanting to be assaulted, they left immediately.

The Wetherspoons brand and corporate team...

As proud members of the prestigious Cocodile and Waistcoat Club – a highly refined group known for our love of light refreshments and spirited discussion – we descended upon The Elms for what we assumed would be a delightful afternoon of discounted beverages and stimulating conversation.

One drink led to another (as they often do in such fine establishments), and before long, the sun had set, the ales were flowing, and deep philosophical debates about compost, geraniums, and 1990s coach trips were in full swing.

It was during this intellectual peak that disaster struck: one of our founding members, John, found himself exiled to the cold, unforgiving outside world. But fear not! John, never one to be bested by bouncers or boundaries, heroically re-entered via the side door, much like a Victorian chimney sweep returning home.

Sadly, his triumph was short-lived. A noble bearded gentleman – the Gandalf of Security, if you will – spotted John and, clearly heartbroken by the breach of the venue’s highly fortified side door, politely (read: with the force of a small rhino) asked him to leave.

When we inquired about the reasoning – bearing in mind we were simply sipping our drinks and discussing whether dahlias prefer full sun – we were blessed with the presence of a manager who, judging by his mannerisms, had perhaps studied under Basil Fawlty. Visibly trembling with rage and moustache twitching, he explained that our gentlemanly behaviour was apparently not the vibe they were going for.

In a truly touching display of customer service, the entire group was then lovingly escorted out the front entrance – a new Wetherspoons initiative we can only assume is meant to help patrons move more efficiently to their next venue. Five stars for that, honestly. Sure, the language was a little colourful, but hey, it's Essex, not Eton.

So, would we return? Absolutely. Who wouldn’t want an evening of intrigue, surprise exits, and security drills dressed up as hospitality? A true rite of passage for any self-respecting club of waistcoat-wearing warriors.

Cheers to you, The Elms. You’ve truly...