Ring O' Bells — Restaurant in Stockport

I am not one for regularly complaining & making a fuss but this pub is getting things wrong at the moment. Everything is more difficult at the moment and this pub is trying but making mistakes. My complaint results from a poor management policy to maximise the number of clients in the garden area, I will expand. I arrived mid afternoon with my wife for a drink in the garden. We entered via the front door observing the one way system. We were asked straight away if we would be happy sitting at a barrel. We said yes but did not understand until we sat down that the barrel has high metal stools without backs which are very uncomfortable. We asked a staff member if we could move as there was a table free, they said they would find out but did not come back. We asked a second member of staff and they said we could not because we were a party of two and the table would accommodate four. I asked if she was sure and could she get the manager. I also asked if we could therefore move to a table with two chairs if one came free. She said no, we could not move. There were at this stage two tables with four chairs available. A couple arrived and were sat at one of these tables and their order was taken. We then heard a single gentleman ask if he could move from another barrel table to a table for two which had become available, the staff member said he could and he did. The manager did not arrive but I saw him across the garden so asked him to come over. I explained the situation to him and was amazed when he argued that it was "a point of law" that we could not move, also that tables have to be sat to the maximum capacity. I explained to him that he had two very unhappy customers and pointed out the other customers sitting two to a table and the single gent that had moved. He said his staff had made mistakes seating these customers. He would not consider anything other than arguing so we paid and left somewhat unhappy, hence this review. When we left the table for four was still empty. The pub is lovely and the garden is nice but we would not visit again and do not recommend the venue. The manager even went as far as to call me a numpty, which is certainly not the way a professional should deal with a complaint. Shame this happened but the staff need training and the manager needs to rethink his seating policy. Happy customers = larger profits rather than number on seats. This is a very long review and is certainly not a rant. We hope the management replies and takes a second look at what happened and their policy. Even with current covid problems customers could be moved and the table then...

We stopped in here after a lovely walk. Second time I've been here, the first time was a similar experience - the landlord always seems a little grumpy, but that's OK. This time we had Sunday roast - which was great if your not a veggie - otherwise you're stuck other overpriced, over cooked vegetables and a Yorkshire pudding. I'm pretty confident the potatoes were roasted in the goose fat too (you know they don't actually know what vegetarian is when you are offered prawns and told plant based alternatives don't keep very long making it unviable to cater for - welcome to 1922, not 2022!). Thankfully my meat eating friends enjoyed theirs, but I can't say I'll be back for food. Oh, and only one choice of alcohol free beer - Becks Blue, and let's be honest that's not even a beer - and with so many wonderful alternatives these days a bit disappointing. This pub is so well decorated, looks modern but is trapped in yesteryear with choice. Come on I know you can do better!

I wonder what the landlord/owner thinks about expanding their range for vegetarians and people who choose not to drink alcohol?

// in reply to the rather aggressive response from the landlord - I've also just read all the other 1 and 2 star reviews. Just wow (to the response)

I don't think I was particularly harsh with my review, and I am sorry if you felt it wasn't truthful. I was not being offensive with the 'grumpy' I'm sure if you took feeback from customers they might also agree, and like I said it was OK. My party and I certainly weren't pompous - we were very accommodating to your service even in what seemed like a fairly quiet Sunday (you had several tables available when we arrived). My comments about the roast potatoes was true, I know the taste of animal fat in my mouth - greasy and unpleasant. I don't believe they were vegetarian. And disappointing it was just my meal that had the overcooked brocoli - it is hard to get it just right, but I can assure you that it was the same for my entire party. I wonder how you would react if people did complain, would you listen, or just argue? Do you think you create a pleasant space for feedback and adapt to change and ideas?

Anyway, I can assure you I won't be opening a pub, traditional or otherwise, so you're business is very safe from the competition of what obviously would be an awesome establishment.

Finally, all the staff we spoke to were lovely, we had no idea they thought we were pompous until you said. But thank you for the feedback we'll try...

**Edit following response by owner: I think your response was a bit rude as I wasn't slagging off your pub, I just thought it strange with the early weekend close and the table service as its not something other pubs do since covid restrictions have been lifted, and I did say it was a lovely pub. And to be honest I didn't see the sign stating you close early, if I had it wouldn't have been a surprise. However after your reply I won't be back, don't worry. And as for you saying about my review of another pub with a disco, we didn't realise before we went in that it was on, but stayed as we wanted to warm up a bit. The whole point of Google reviews is for the public to give their opinion in order for businesses to get feedback, good or bad, and I gave my honest one, we had actually gone out of our way to visit your pub and were disappointed we couldn't stay longer, and like I said we would have liked to return in the summer to enjoy your beer garden as our experience had not put us off your pub, but unfortunately your rudeness and inability to take a slight critisim has definitely sealed it for me that I will not return. I have knocked my rating down to 2 stars purely due to your rude reply. And after reading some of the replies you have given to anyone who has dared to give you less than 5 stars or found any kind of fault in your pub, then I can see that you are just a very rude individual who cannot take any kind of negative feedback and thinks the right way to respond is with unnecessary rudeness. I think you need to rethink how you talk to customers, as good customer service goes a long way. **

Bit of a strange time there. Lovely pub inside and out, and we'd have loved to have stayed longer but couldn't due to the fact that they closed at 10pm on a Saturday night!!! We were enjoying our drinks and were going to order more (another strange thing...... Table service) but were asked to pay and leave as they were closing. I've never been in a pub that shuts at 10pm on a Saturday and was very disappointed that we had to leave. I'd like to go back during summer as I believe they have a lovely beer garden on the canal, but I don't think I'd go back at night. So the 2 downsides of this pub are the early close, and it being table service only, I'd much prefer to get my beer from the bar when I want it rather than have to wait for someone to take my order and then wait for them...