Sneyd Arms — Restaurant in Stoke-on-Trent

I never write bad reviews for meals but I had to post something this time. We went for a meal at the Sneyd Arms flaming grill pub. We walked in sat down and found a table. The pub wasn't busy but had a few customers in. I go to the bar and they have a bar man called Jamie. He was helping a customer by clearing his table when the manager comes across and tells Him off takes the plates and slams them on the bar.

At 13.40 I proceed to make my order, I ordered flaming challenge meal with extra nan bread, two kids meals a side of wings and a Sunday roast meal along with some drinks. The meal cost £31.00 with 30% discount code off the mains.

At 14.20 half the food arrived after I asked where my curry was and the server said he didn't know and he would find out. A few minutes later and the kids meal arrived. 19 chips on one and 17 on the other. I know kids portions are small but This was taking the preverbal p. (Pictures attached). The meal I had looked nothing like I hade before and bizarrely had the chicken wings on the burger

What made it worse was the fact they knew I was waiting and kept asking if I was ok!

At 14.40 with part of my meal missing the kids meal not adequate and my partner hardly eating as she wanted wait for me I asked to see the manager.

She came over with the missing curry and said she was sorry with an attitude. I said it's not very good and pointed out my issues. She said I'll get you a round of drinks but my partner pointed out that we couldn't have any more as I'm driving. She then said well you want a refund then. I said well ok yea. She then took my partners meal slammed it on the table behind and took my meal away along with the kids meals.

We waited a further 10 minutes and my partner got the kids and left and I went to the till for a refund.

She said the maximum refund is £6.73. I said whatever! I was made to feel like I was just trying to get a freebie but I wasn't. I then said that I was going to complain to head office. She replied with I have worked or Greene king for 16 years and she didn't care and was very argumentative.

As a customer of that pub for 15+ years I'm disgusted with the service and things really need to improve. I believe I should have a full refund.

Does anyone else think I'm in the wrong here?

Please...

Writing a review from our Christmas day lunch.

I shall start with the positives and the food was nice for a chain pub Christmas lunch. This is the only positive that I can give unfortunately.

Service was absolutely shocking from all staff barring one team leader called Craig. Attitude of staff was disgusting. We sat down at our table and no one cake to greet us.

It took 1 hour for our starters to come out and I had had to go and ask what was going on before they came out. When I asked the member of staff what was going on with our food, she replied with "what about your food" this lady was small with short hair. Very rude and abrupt and not apologetic or helpful in the slightest. When food did come out it was slapped down on the table, with no apology with regards to the delay.

Main meals took another hour to arrive after the starters. I had to ask again how long our food would be to which staff were not helpful and abrupt with answering my queries. We were at this point offered a free drink and when our drinks order arrived they had missed some drinks.

Tables were not cleared of glasses until we had been sat there for over 2 hours.

Desserts came out in reasonable time after the main meal. All adult desserts were served and they had forgotten the children's dessert to which we had to ask for after waiting for a few minutes for it to hopefully come out.

After explaining how bad the service had been from start to finish the staff gave a very half hearted "we understand".

No one wished us a merry Christmas whilst we were there. No one asked if things were okay with our meals. There was no Christmas atmosphere in the pub at all. All staff were extremely rude and did not make it an enjoyable experience for their customer's.

We paid a lot of money for the meal. And yes you pay a premium for the convenience of not having to cook Christmas lunch, but to be treated in the way that we were was not acceptable.

The pub knew how many people they were cooking for, so I am unsure how things went so wrong.

Would I recommend this pub, for a chain pub food is satisfactory. If you would like to be treated nicely by the staff I would give it a miss. The pub might wish to send their staff on customer service...

Posting this true to life, honest review now in February as I have been waiting for promised compensation vouchers, since my complaint for a fiasco for Christmas Lunch.

I initially complained on the 27th December 23, our lunch on Christmas day was a joke, our booking for 14:30 should have gone swiftly, no, starters served at 16:10! Despite constant complaining during the sitting, we didn't get the main itself until after 5 pm, we weren't the only ones either, there was a table of 12 in the same predicament, among others. The mains were a joke, 1 sprout I tell you!

I did receive a FULL REFUND however, I would strongly recommend that anyone in the same boat gets their claim in too!

Contact Samantha.

I/ We shall avoid this place like the plague from now on, sad really, as we have previously had reasonable meals here and the beer is usually good.

Made me laugh in January, I received a generic email from Greene King, for £5.oo off a meal for two! I'm afraid that I wouldn't grace them with my presence for a bloody fiver after spoiling our Christmas day.

Thinking about Christmas lunch out in 2024? Do it yourself in your own home, at least that way you'll get fed!

Dave Curwen

EDIT:

The response says it all!

Broken promises of...