Cobblestones — Restaurant in Fenland District

CONFUSED ? Mixed Messaging & Customer Service. Thank you for your service over the last 13 years at Cobblestones Unfortunately we Shall Not Be Returning, we were your 2nd oldest customers who walked through the front door on the First Day when the Cobblestone first oppend in 2012, We Used the Same 2 Seats and Table from that day (and reserved them) to celebrate our first meeting & Meal together as a Couple, and then our Wedding Anniversaries, Birthdays and Family Get Together as my? children grew and flew the nest, (A Family Resteraunt with Memories & Meaning). This year 26th July 2024 will be the first year we shall Miss our memorable tradition as a Maried Couple after 10 years. The whole Atmosphere is changing and not in our taste.

(Can I Clarify that we were Never Offered or given the Option of the Waitress / Table Service Area ? We were only given the Noisy Family Area or No Table Service Area, (Bar Service Area & Pet Table Area near the Pool Tables).

So, Being Constructive can I pose a Question, if you turn up early and you haven't Reserved a Table, your sent to a "No Table service Area" REGARDLESS ? Despite being a Valuable Customer. However if some one turns up who reserved a table, they call in the Part Time Waitesses and open up the Waitresses Resteraunt area? So, if you then turn up then without a reserved table - you Could automatically get Waitressed Table Service if there is a Free Table Because there are Enough Staff to Cope with Serving You ? One week you get Table Service and the Next You Don't? " I thought all customers were Valuable and deserved good customer service. We enjoyed the Table service banter, Its called "MEET AND GREET, Give the Customer a Good Happy Cheerful Pleasurable Experience and the Reason Why they will return as a Regular Customer ? So, how Practicaly how does the "No Table Service work", One designated area for a low attendance of Customers when staff are Scratching with nothing to do. So you Order your initial Drinks and/or food at the Bar (unsure if you pay in advance or at the End of the Meal)? Or order and Pay on your mobile phone App like we did during the covid pandemic. Then the Waitress ? Brings over your Drinks , then the Waitress brings over your plates of food to the table. ERRR? I thought there was no Table Service ????? We Didn't Stay for Deserts and wasn't even asked if we wanted anything else. YES, you can see why some customer Reviews Mention Bad Customer / Table Service, Customers are Confused. Wouldnt it be Less Confusing if all Customers Dont have their Initial Orders Taken at Any of the Tables, and only at the Bar or on the Mobile Phone App and Paid for there and then. After Recieving your Meal the staff ask "is everything OK, is there anything else you would like" at this point you can order extra Drinks or Deserts etc with out Leaving your Table, and the Staff will present you with the Card Reader at your Table to Pay and then put your Order through for deserts etc. Or use the Mobile Phone app. This Treats Every Customer Equally the Same, you can't have some Customers Watching the Privilaged Table Service Area with priority Waitressing Staff taking their First Orders because they Reserved a Table in the Table Service Area. (The only bussiness benefit of less Waitresses I can see, is less £££) Please look down at "Daniel Usherwoods" Review, 24/7/24. "Sent through to No Table Service Area" ? WHY ? Coincides with Lack of Waitresses during a low period ? The cobblestone admits any Service can be taken away from the Non Table Service Bar Area if needed and Prioratised for the Table Service Area. Its OK if your Young and Mobile Phone Savvy, Older People may Struggle to adjust or find 1st and 2nd Class Service off putting. if you are a Priority party booking who reserved tables you recieve priority service as your spending more money? I suppose as Marstons have sold off their share of Brewing, to Carlsberg, the share holders need more Productivity ££ out of their Pubs. Congratulations to your new manager Mr Jobs Worth, who came up with...

Despite the 3 Star rating there are some good aspects. Going back in history, we were the second people to walk through the door on their first opening day at March, we were the first couple to order Food and Drinks. So Unfortunately we are blessed with Experience of this Establishment and Experience of all those who have subsequently Run and Managed the Cobblestone, so our Expectations are a little higher than most people. The first nail 8n the coffin was Marstons Brewery selling off their Brewery Concerns to CARLSBURG, Imediately the PUMPS at the bar changed for the worst and have never recoverd in my opinion. Then we had COVID, and the ORDER VIA APP, was never Lifted after Covid, the Traditional Service was now split into TABLE SERVICE , APP and Order at the Bar ? It should have returned to Pre Pandemic Table Service. Breakfasts / All Day Breakfasts are Currently the Biggest Money Spinner for Cafes, Resteraunts etc. However Because Cobblestone Never Promoted ALL DAY BREAKFAST on its menus or advertised it on a Sighn Board, its hardly surprising it was doomed to failiure from day One, clearly as it was only WORD of Mouth that people knew they did a Breakfast no one asked for one, so it was Soon Dropped. Maybe some one from Marstons will pop over to HARTFORD MILL / MARINA (GREEN KING) at Huntingdon, ALL DAY BREAKFAST, CALVERY, GRILLS and ROASTS etc. They're always packed out with customers. It does appear that APP, is common thease days as even Harford Mill uses it ? So clearly I must be getting an old FT. However the thing every one has to remember is US older Citizens have the Money to Spend ? The young ones today are Skint, so appealing to older people who Re more Financialy Affluent is more Rewarding. What coursed me the greatest offence was after Celebrating our Aniversary every year withought fail after Reserving the same Table at Cobblestones since the first day it opend . Clearly this was Disrupted through Covid, however after Covid with the Different Service / App Service and then the Recent MANAGER from MARSTONS who was Duely Ruined Cobblestones Reputation and was Duely Sacked. Unfortunately Marstons have been heavily in Debt for several years and selling off its Pubs and Resteraunts to Red Oak Taverns etc to concentrate on PUBS and not Resteraunts, clearly selling off their own BREWERY that made the Beer and Ale it sold in its own Pubs To CARLSBERG, to Avoid Major Investment in the brewing Process and Replacing the Victorian Wooden Mashtuns would upset the Share Holders, was a Major Blow ? So, we Reluctantly stopped our Tradition of celebrating our Aniversary here along side the Recent Cost of Living Crisis, and pulled in our finances. Its sad you only get Waitressed table service after booking a Table which came in when Increased Employers National Insurence Contributions came in and Zero Hours were abolished. I now Understand Waitess Table Service will now STOP Entirely for Everyone. Numerous staff, Kitchen Staff and Chefs have come and gone coursing fluctuations is Service and Quality of Food over the last few Years. It never has been SPEEDY GONZALIS for Speed of service, clearly Gordon Ramsey never called in here. We understand they will be Re- Introducing ALL DAY Breakfasts after the previous manager Axed them, so Opening Hours will be Extended from 8 AM to pick up more trade on the Breakfasts with passing trades people and shoppers etc, as they only ever used to open at 11.30am ? However, we understand possibly for insurance Reasons that the Childrens Play Area will be Removed and Turned into a Beer Garden, thus removing some of the Family Friendly Theme. We thank you for the service today and give complements for the Roast...

I never thought in my life I would have to write a bad review and sure hoped it wouldn’t have been this establishment. However here we are. After tonight experiment I can say I’ve come away feeling incredibly upset, angry, frustrated and many more emotions. The treatment we received tonight was unlike none other and sadly it wasn’t in a good way. From the moment we walked in we had issues. The place wasn’t very busy when we arrive and waited to be seated. That was completely fine and understandable. When we were seated in was in a section that was completely packed where there was plenty of other tables open. Our server was very unprofessional. When trying to explain what drinks we wanted and unable to remember the name of the drink we were suggested potential names however there were all alcohol despite on several occasions mentioning these weren’t it as we were driving home. Asked for a couple moment when the sever came back 5 mins later all be it, I had decided I wasn’t going to order myself a drink anymore. The look of disgust the sever gave us was like we had asked them to skin a live animal. When it came time to order our food we were rushed hadn’t had a chance to look over the menus. I say menus loosely as we only had the main menu. Once again form the experience we had just had I chose to order just a side. The sever then questioned us as to why was that all we wanted even though my mum had ordered a full meal. Throughout the night we continued to receive what I describe as dagger eyes at every chance the server went by. I chose not to eat my food as I felt uncomfortable. Shortly before leaving the server speaking to another sever no more then two feet away from us was talking about or table in a negative manner. We paid and left. We have left and questioning if we ever want to return. Never had a bad experience until tonight. Unless the service changes we won’t be returning and take out...