The Thornhill — Restaurant in Leeds

So I live in Leeds and my parents in the NE (my parents are 81 and 83) ...on occasions they drive down to visit me. We use the Thornhill as it is local to me and up until today, we have had nothing but a great Sunday meal.

As a family we haven't been to the Thornhill on a Sunday since Mothering Sunday 2016, simply due to distance for my parents to travel but that said my partner and I attend most Tuesdays and Thursdays for the quiz night.

Our table was booked for 2.30 over the phone on Tuesday but on arrival there was no table reserved for us. That was sorted and we ordered 3 Sunday lunches. The meal was served about 20 minutes later and the food was stone cold...we asked for the food to be zapped in the microwave and it was taken away. It was returned approx 20 minute later ....hot plates but the food on them was cold. I asked what was the problem in the kitchen as we hadn't encountered this before and requested the food was heated up. Ellie (an excuse for a manager) pitched up at the table with an opening line of 'whats going on here'? I explained politely at first that the food out the kitchen was cold and that we needed it to be warm to eat......and this was where the problems started. Ellie told us that the food was hot when it left the kitchen - not sure how she would have known that (obviously the chef would say it was hot) but from a customer perspective our view was very different. Keeping it all in perspective here all we were asking for was hot food!! She then went on to say that us sending food back to the kitchen was causing a backlog for other diners.....are we suppose to care if the chefs are incapable of serving fit to eat food? Then she made a really a BIG mistake......she went on, in front of other diners, to accuse myself and my parents of being in the restaurant before and making similar complaint!!!! Suggesting we were 'serial complainers'.... Really????. What a stupid and unfounded thing to try with us ... she obviously wasn't aware of our geographical situation...I challenged her comment (and I hold my hand up ..I swore (with frustration at the situation) asked her when these previous and supposed complaints had been made and she then said she must have made a mistake!! Again ...really???

Because I swore (out of sheer frustration and her preposterous suggestions) she then told us that our business was not wanted and that we were no longer welcome. The meals that had been sent back to the kitchen were never returned to us ..we were sat there with no idea what was going on. Funnily enough Ellie decided not to come back to us ...how unprofessional....none of the staff still milling round in the dining area knew what was happening so I requested one of the waitresses to provide me with the name of the 'owner' so I could follow this disgusting situation up, So in summary ..we went in to a table at 2.30 that wasnt booked, were served cold meals, requested they were heated up were accused of causing kitchen backlogs, being serial complainers and then were left with no food.

So my parents had a coupe of slices of toast at my house and then headed back to Newcastle before dark.

I am absolutely furious......Sally - you need to reconsider your appointment of Ellie to management - she obviously has no clue and has no idea how to deal with a complaining customer.

She should have dealt with our complaint instead if hiding away in the kitchen. Making false accusations to customers and attempting to publicly humiliate them doesn't cut it with me ...she picked on the wrong person today and being told that we are no longer welcome ...well I will speak with Sally on Wednesday ...as the owner I hope she will have a more balanced and fair view.

Whilst Ellie is in charge ..either dont complain or avoid...

The manager who was on tonight was lovely I couldn't fault her at all and I thank her for her kindness, but my burger meal was nice, my sister's fish and chips were delightful and my mother's koftas were cold and same too were the first onion rings that came out. Even though they changed it, when I made the waitress aware of it not as much of an apology, but she gave a vacant response and walked off, when my mother made the the waiter aware of her koftas being cold he gave her that look as if he didn't believe her until she said give it a feel. Thankfully my mother didn't mind eating it as cold as it was but the fact of the matter was the food took too long to come out so I wonder was the food waiting in the kitchen to come out because the time it took to come out shouldn't have come out cold like it did. The very kind and understanding manager who I spoke to at the end took my feedback on board and wasn't rude or standoffish about it and was kind enough to knock off some of the faults of the menu off that bill which was kind of her. I was disappointed because I came last year and I loved it and I couldn't wait to come back a year later for the same experience to which i didn't quite get tonight. I think some of the young staff there need more training on their waitering and customer service skills, I did also feel like you had to give the staff signal for them to take your order too otherwise you were sat waiting and also we had to ask for the food menu which should've been given to us when we were shown our table. Apart from the the view errors it's not stopped me from wanting to come back but it's not somewhere I wish to book again in a hurry sadly and it dissapoints me a lot! The food needs to be spot on because it isn't cheap to eat here and the young staff working here need to be a little bit more attentive otherwise the again for third time the manager in charge...

An update on my review below. I have now been asked to apologise to Pippa by the owner despite being a customer for years. And merely wanting to bring to their attention how I felt humiliated and upset by the way I was spoken to regarding my dog. I have always said it’s not what you say to a person it’s how you say it. Due to the owner and staff being best friends I have been told I am not welcome without an apology. I can understand if I was drunk and disorderly or abusive. Or got into a fight with another customer. But I did not swear or get rude - I asked Pippa to speak to me politely as opposed to how she did in her tone’s . My complaint was not taken seriously , rather I have been treated badly as a result of informing the owners. Almost like I am attacking them. This is not my character. I am a person with integrity and treat others how I want to be treated. The Thornhill is our local and I have was born in Calverley and I have grown up here yet I am astonished that despite my obvious upset regarding this issue this is how it’s been dealt with. I left my original review as there is no complaints procedure online and I was unable to find anyone to talk to and eventually I contacted the owner directly. I also suggested I remove the review but was accused of threatening the business when I explained this was due to me wanting to bring it to their attention as a business owner. Of how Pippa made a customer feel. As I felt that upset about it. I am astonished I have been treated this badly. I am not an unreasonable person. Dog owners please be warned if you dog does bark this does not create a “harmonious” environment as I have been informed by owner. I hope this is...