The Red Barn Bar & Grill — Restaurant in England

The Red Barn Shrewsbury

Christmas Day 2023.... £480 for 8 people £60 each for five courses.

Shambles - Absolute catastrophe of a day. Very upsetting ordeal.

Paid all monies and submitted menu choices on time.

Booked for originally 3.30pm, later changed/agreed to sit at 3pm - Arrived 3pm. Sat at down 4.20pm.

Table setting - 1 x red serviette and 1 knife, nothing else, no table cloth, crackers or any condiments.

First course, special need sister ordered Stilton & Garlic Forrest Mushrooms. Arrived on hard toasted Bloomer. Awkward for my sister as she is IDSSI Soft Option 6. Didn't eat bread.

Waited ages for main. Asked for dough and oil 5 times. It arrived half way through main.

Father ordered steak - no steak knife given.

My sister cancelled her meal and requested a £60 refund, due to the length of wait.

Due to length of wait, Daniel the host was trying his hardest to accommodate all parties present. They couldn't handle the demand due to booking too many customers. Customer service suffered. Customers suffered.

Other gent at bar also complained about the service and wait times.

My father ordered Jelly & Ice Cream. When the icecream in sponge came out, we were told its as stated on the menu. When I asked where the jelly was, the waiter said 'Oh I've left the jelly tots in the kitchen'. The sweets were handed to us in a chinese takeaway tub.

After paying £480 for a special day for my 83 year old father, the day was ruined through overbooking, delay in seating, lack of christmas decorations on the table, long delay for food, bad customer service, food expected not being as requested. I asked for a partial refund as the stress of the day placed my 20 year old son into a panic attack. The barmaid (ex police office) was very good at supporting him. Thank you. Was a truly a bad experience.

We eat out a lot, especially on Christmas Day to accommodate 8 people. Not good at all.

I waited after everyone left in my party a further 1/2 hour for Daniel to return from an off-site meeting with Brent the Red Barn Manager. Daniel returned and ask if I could telephone Brent tomorrow, on Boxing Day. I telephoned Brent on Boxing Day, where other people were present during my call. Brent was defensive, rude, didn't listen, wasn't empathetic, said his CVTV put only a five minute wait on food and wasn't at all apologetic. He said he was the director and pub owner. Staff cannot refund without permission.

I asked for his full name to enable me to write to Punch Bowl brewery. He said you don't need my surname. I explained I could obtain company details off Companies House. He ended the call quite rudely, 'You are not having a refund or partial refund, that was yesterday, today is today. As you've mentioned Companies House, this call is ended'. He hung up and the phone went dead.

Summary - Don't do Christmas Day at The Red Barn. Worst experience ever. If you need proof, I have the receipts, menu, call logs. No refund, not even my sisters £60 (cancelled meal) was refunded. Absolutely wish we never went to The Red Barn. Won't return. Future customers, You have been warned!

All you need to do is look at everyone else's low star review. What publican would wish any guest...

Lydia's reply to your rude reply, following her review.

09.50am 05.10.24

Hi Brent, Thank you for your reply. We never received any offer of refund in any form.

I'm not a fantasist and placed the review 10 months after the event for two reasons:

1. I was so emotionally angry and upset that you were so rude causing my families Christmas Day disaster and subsequent cancellation of our home buffet on Boxing Day.
2. If I reviewed in January, customers would forget prior to booking Christmas 2024. I had to wait until booking closer to Christmas 2024 .

The reason their is no Christmas Day at The Red Barn is because it was such a shambles 2023.

Even in your reply today, you sware, didn't apologise and we still didn't receive any refund, which I'm happy to receive as a Gesture of Goodwill.

Re my furure bookings, last month I booked a Christmas Day venue. We have attended Christmas Day there twice before.

They have Christmas Day spot on. They are welcoming, polite, attentive and put the customer first. They would never dream of swaring at a customer, let alone wish they would break down.

Your reviews will catch up with you and your trade. Your business suffers because of YOU.

No Christmas Day this year - SPEAKS VOLUMES.

My family and I would like to wish you a fabulous Christmas and hope you have resolved your stress and family issues you used as an excuse last boxing day last year.

NO CHRISTMAS DAY VENUE - I'm a fantasist!!!

Question Mr Catterson - Why did Nichola resign from your Security Company in...

Hate having to leave such a lovely pub a bad review! We came Tuesday last week for my birthday meal. After seeing an advertisement stating start the week as you mean to go on kids eat for £1, misunderstood that as to mean it was to be all week as a few people did. Ended up staying for food anyway which was a terrible idea. Small childs pizza on its own no sides £6.50. My partners curry which was 10.50 was smaller than a microwave meal portion and served lukewarm. My steak was somehow cremated one end and blue on the other.. no idea how and my friends hunters chicken was also very overdone. Mentioned it to the guy I believe to be the chef but all he could manage was a sorry as he was rushing round trying to do other things.. he did say sorry again after my daughter had come of the bouncy castle and he did seem sincere. Just a shame that essentially wasted almost £60 and most of the adult meals we could only stomach about half before just going home hungry. Used to be lovely food such a shame this one time it...