Bryson's — Restaurant in Great Britain

Visited here today. I came in with 3 friends, looked at the menu and realised there wasn’t anything I could eat as per a disease I have - meaning I have a very strict diet. Which was no problem, as my diet is awkward, and I tend not to eat out for this reason and cook for myself at home. However the group I was with loved the menu, and rightly so.. as if I could eat here, the food looked bloody delicious with tons of options (but just not for me). I told the group to order me a hot chocolate with oat milk, and that I’d go the chippy next door as I know they chips as per my dietary requirements (gluten free, yeast free, dairy free - 0 contamination policy) with the intent of eating my chips outside with my hot choccy whilst I waited for the others! Whilst I was next door ordering my chips, one of the group text and told me they couldn’t do the hot chocolate because their machine has traces of dairy.. to come back and order another drink. I come back, with my chips still in their wrapping, untouched.. uneaten neatly away. I was about to order a new drink, when the waitress comes over within 2 seconds of me having sat down and she says I can’t eat in there - she was kind and professional. I told her I wasn’t planning to eat, just order a drink.. I’m eating outside.. I can’t eat their food as it doesn’t suit my diet as per my disease. She then went away, and came back and told me I can eat in there and she’d get me a plate, I was thankful! My group got their food and me my drink, and they began dining. Moments later my chips arrived on a plate, along with a very rude and inconsiderate chef giving me a telling off about my chips.

He stood over our table with one hand on his hip the other the back of my friends chair. He told me it was unacceptable I’d came in and just ate my own food, and then stated if I’d asked beforehand it would be ok but I hadn’t so that’s a problem. (Seemed like an ego ride for him) he made all our group extremely uncomfortable and ruined our day out. I then tried to explain to him, I hadn’t just ate my food, it was a waitress who suggested I could eat there etc etc - he didn’t want to listen spoke over me, made me feel very intimidated and made me even list all I’m allergic too / can’t eat as per my disease and proceeded to shrug his shoulders at me and say the menu they had is fine and I should’ve again “checked with him first as to what I could / couldn’t consume”.

I shouldn’t have to check with a chef if I can consume their food if I’ve looked at a menu and realised I cannot eat anything, and rather than make a song and dance with a chef about what I can eat.. I decide to discreetly eat elsewhere, causing no harm or issues for anyone else. My friends ate here, loved their tea and cakes. I would have loved my drink, and loved my food outside soaking up the scenic views as I’d planned I’d it wasn’t for this whole avoidable uncomfortable situation.

I haven’t eaten out in over 2 years because I feel like a pain due to my diet, and I hate making a fuss over it. The last time I ate out I was given cross contaminated food which led to the miscarry of my 5 month baby. Today was the first time I felt comfortable to go out, and explore the lakes with my group and I did so in the best way I could.

The chef today ruined my day and also put me off eating out again, as this is exactly the type of situations I try so hard to avoid.

Next time, before telling off a customer in front of an entire restaurant, causing a scene making them feel so uncomfortable and someone you know nothing about - only assumptions, please liaise with your OWN STAFF about the situation. As if you had, you’d of got confirmation that if A. Never intended to eat my outside food in your establishment, only order a drink. B. Was directly told by a waitress I can eat inside, it was her idea not my own.

I have never in my life wrote a review before, however I do so in the hopes you see this and amend your attitude next time you come across a customer fighting a disease which means her diet is restricted and cannot...

I ordered a cake from the Keswick store, collecting from the bowness store. I had been corresponding with a staff member called Katherine, who took the order.

I asked for a 6" round cake, teal buttercream design with gold flakes if possible and I would post down a cake topper so it was there to complete the cake. I sent pictures of teal buttercream cakes, and also send 3 designs of cake toppers for the baker to choose from. I ordered the one she liked and posted it to the Keswick shop.

Upon arrival I was handed a cake which looked nothing like the cake discussed. I received a 6" round, white fondant covered cake. It had red roses and love hearts over it and red writing saying happy 60th.There was no email to discuss change of design, of if there was any reason for the change. A lovely lady at the bowness shop ( didn't catch her name, flower tattoo behind her ear) phoned the Keswick to discuss a resolve. She was informed that the cake that was there was exactly what I'd ordered, however I have emails to prove this was not the case. She also asked Katherine about the cake topper I'd send and was told "I don't know what I've done with that. "

Now at the time I was offered full refund of refunded half of which I paid and keep the cake. I took the half refund as my mother in law's 60th meal was at 5pm and we needed a cake. However there is still a matter of the cake topper which has either been lost by a staff member or been used for another cake.

I think it's been clear that the order has been forgotten about and a valentines cakes been used to cover up...

Gestapo Greeting! Not the sort of greeting we were expecting by some jumped up foreigner who thought that she ruled the roost. To be barked at like we were school children in a dinner queue didn't exactly go down well as an opener. Yes, they were busy. And no, I hadn't removed the rope barrier from the bottom of the stairs, neither did I want to know that their dishwasher was broken or that they were extemely busy. Another courteous waitress calmly said to us "if you don't mind waiting a couple of minutes I'll clear a table for you". But not 'Rosa Klebb' who they employ - she just wanted to flex her muscles and bark at us and then seated us within minutes of having a hissy fit. Heaven help the staff that work with her! I wouldn't care but the food is not spectacular either. My wife asked for a ham sandwich with no salad - it came with salad! The bread was stale with curled up corners, the cheese on my sandwich was British Rail thin. A pot of tea with no extra hot water and extorntionate price for a bottle of diet cola. I'm sure that there are better places in Bowness and we certainly will be going elsewhere next time and avoid this place like the plague - I suggest...