I called in Thornberries this evening, with a friend who planned to visit here for a reunion with a few friends, I joined them to be on the Allergy side, to check it out for their friends with allergies.
When I arrived, I didn't notice a good amount of seating, this is more of a bar rather than a restaurant, it is extremely loud through the television and even hard to speak to your waiter at some points, hence making it a place boozers go to watch sports rather than a nice place to eat with your family.
The seats were wooden and I didn't find them to be very comfy.
I wanted to just order something light : Soup with GF Bread as they do have it and label GF on the menu, little did I know that 1 breach of EU law and 2 lies would be passed onto me in the next half hour.
When ordering, I asked if the GF bread was homemade or a certain company and she began to offer me brown bread, white and ciabatta which were not gluten free. She said she had allergies and was allergic to gluten, mushroom etc however she did say she had the same condition to me but it was interesting to see she never said its name, which is the reason along with the breach of EU law, not demonstrating enough GF knowledge and trying to offer me normal bread, is something no allergy sufferer would do to another.
After around half an hour, she came up to me and said "We have looked all over and they is no GF bread", she names retailers like Sainsburys which are no where near this restaurant or even open which made me think she is lying. I was not only angry that she lied to me but that it took all that time to tell me. I looked in the Co-operative next store after leaving and then I found out - they did stock GF bread and even the staff knew they did so they is no excuse for not getting it and then lying to me!
My Potato and Broccoli soup was served in a weird bowl, which I didn't like. I found the soup to have a distinctive, horrible taste and was far to thick, like the sauce to a casserole perhaps or a broth.
Upon leaving, she offered me 2 cartons of Tomato Soup also prepared after speaking with the chef, she didn't seem to answer if it was gluten free and I didn't know if her response was genuine as she just said "yes" and shoved it off, I did try that Tomato soup but I also found that to not be good quality and taste far too over seasoned with Basil and the tomato flavour was overpowering and tasted and looked more like a puree.
I feel this has to be in the small list of my worst restaurant experiences, to go alongside it being far too loud and the chairs being uncomfy, my waitress who I think was the manager, said 2 lies to me, the service was far too slow and they was a breach of EU law. I wish I would of visited the Lancashire Fold just down the road as this experience was really not of one that has "allergy ridden" owners and a "family" pub. I don't think the menu change from Tuesday will make it any better either, as even the staff have not been told about it or seen the menu, so they must not of tried it with staff members or even told him, which makes me question how happy staff are with leadership. read more