Stonegate Pub Reviews 118

Hello,
We stayed at the buck inn in malham 20th-21 St June, celebrating our anniversary,
And we weren't very happy with our stay , if you are going to cut corners
Make the stay cheaper, we had saved up for a night away as we can't afford to go away but it was our anniversary
No staff , only one unhappy bar man , that wouldn't let us go to the room only 20 mins before 3 lol, we were exhausted and hot had a long travel
And it was very quiet hardly anyone in the place hardly anyone staying only saw one other couple, we were the only ones for the evening meal ,
Breakfast was a joke..
Again one man that couldn't be bothered,
But the best one was on the night we stayed the Thursday 20 th , we came back from the lister pub which was very busy bty
Got a drink sat outside as if was still nice weather ,
And the barman complete with topknot came out and said we are closing , couldn't belive it really thought it was a joke , said we close at 10 pm ????
We had half our drinks left , told to finish them in our room lmfao you normally have 20 mins drinking up time anyway
Someone's contact lense on the bathroom floor, and dried blood stains left on the pillows
Is this a place for quests ????
You should close it if you can't be bothered with it and taking people's money to boot , you should be ashamed !!!!
Yours unhappy guest !
Ps : we will never come back , we stayed in 2018 and it was not like this!

They seem bent on destroying pubs. They eject or demoralise decent landlords and managers and then leave the pubs shut for months or years. It is criminal.

I have three pubs with stonegate and although the bdms are OK the company has no intention of helping the licences just taking your money no wonder they are in trouble would give 0 if possible

We have had three pubs taken over by this bunch, and the latest is The Lobster Inn, Sheringham. They charge extortionate prices for drinks at £6.50 for lager, £6.50 for small wine, and rip off, tourist prices for food! They also leave fake, self reviews, usually written by their area manager, praising the pub, as they did with this on its opening day! These are usually Trip Advisor and presumably Facebook, too. I reported them as I tracked hundreds of fake reviews for their pubs, and whilst Trip Advisor took down some, they left many!

This company is going bust, owing 2 billion pounds, and yet it keeps buying our pubs! I just wish everyone would expose the cheats, and boycott the ruined pubs!

And if they can only get 5* reviews by their own staff fraudulently writing them, then it really does say it all!

Oh and Trip Advisor gain revenue from them for advertising, and room listing, so is it any wonder that Trip Advisor bar honest, yet negative reviews of their pubs, but allow the self made reviews by Stonegate themselves!

I do not recommend working at stonegate. They treat people like slaves and pay them miserable money. a sous chef in their restaurant is paid £12 an hour, while a new employee with no experience receives £11.44. Besides, they don't respect employees.

Absolutely a big joke trying to buy a pub off them for a while advertising pubs that are not available kept me waiting 4 months no contact whatsoever please avoid go somewhere else

Just tried to go for a drink in the slug and lettuce, york , refused because i was on my own ????
Told by the door staff that single people are not allowed due to a safe guarding issue. UNBELIEVABLE . I will never enter a Stonegate owned premises again.

Chain insists on using an outside company to pay outside staff. Firstly what a waste of money. Secondly the company they use do not pay the staff certainly not on time. They keep hold of the money for weeks on end, simply don't pay what your owed and have to be chased relentlessly and no apologies for any of this. How can anyone live not knowing when they are going to get paid. The company does not work, the booking system does not work and the constant emails when you do book and add a special request are unnecessary and the people replying have no idea of the pub in question.

We use our local which is the Quart Pot at Runwell quite regularly. We ordered Burger with cheese and bacon and chips. I had the chunky chips and although it was £14 each, I didn't really have any complaints, but my husband went with regular fries and we thought it was a child's portion. We were told they are portioned out, but in no way were they an adult portion, it's shameful for the price. A couple of weeks ago we let another issue go as we thought it was a one off when my husband had hunters chicken. Again it could have been a child's portion. We've been going to this pub for years and never had any real complaints, but now we are rethinking going back, £14 for a child's portion is disgraceful and if this continues the pub will lose our future custom. Although the bar staff were apologetic and tried to put things right because we are regular customers, the problem lays with Stonegate's cut backs with portion sizes. As a comparison the Downham Arms, Wickford is better value for money and has better portion sizes.

As a group of professionals who work near to The Station pub/restaurant in Bearsden, we have spent a lot of money in this establishment over the years.

However, following a particularly poor experience, which resulted in us having to leave and eat elsewhere, I emailed their Customer Feedback team but received no response.

As a result, we won't be returning to The Station in Bearsden and personally, I would avoid any establishments owned by the Stonegate Group as a result.

Had a bottomless brunch at the dockyard portsmouth. We were server by a guy called Lewis and he was so great. He took great care of our table and was beyond amazing. Cannot recommend him enough!!

The other week, this Marriot guy, who is the manager of Walkabout Birmingham, was nasty and sharp when asking me how I had a mates rate card. I was given the card because I'm a regular and I drink with a well known regular. I only ever used that card on a Friday and a couple of times a night at best. So that was my first encounter with this horrible man. I have come to find out that no one likes him. I didn't encounter any staff members who had a good thing to say about him.

Then, on Saturday, February 17, 2024, I was in the front of the queue to pay in, and the cashless receiver machine wasn't working. We had an initial wait for someone to come sort it. Guess who? This Marriot manager, I did think to myself, Oh, here we go. Anyhow, he finally came, and it took him ages to sort the machine out. People in the queue were moaning about me and thinking it was me holding everything up. I felt low and pressured. Some people can get nasty, especially if pre-intoxicated. One moaned again, and I said, Look, it's not me; it's the machine, and have him about it, not me. I was also desperate to use the toilet. It was supposed to work, but once again it didn't. Eventually, around 8 minutes or so, the machine worked, and I said yeah, that should do, and bing, it worked.

He waited until I'd paid, then as I walked through the door, this Marriot said something. I asked him what he said, and he said, "Have some patience next time, or you can find somewhere else to go." I asked him to repeat it, and he did. I said to him, "Look, I'm a loyal customer, and I'm here every weekend. I've been here during January Blues, etc., when you've had no one and only three in the building, etc. What did he say to me? "SO WHAT?". This is not good practice or customer service. This man is very arrogant and miserable; if he doesn't like the job, then get another.

I have been on good terms with almost everyone in Walkabout Birmingham, most have spoken to me and talked to me, and I keep myself to myself and never cause any bother. I get along well with all the security staff, and I'm trusted. In fact, there have been times I've helped inform security about issues. Some of the customers have even thought I was security, as they see me always greet each security when I walk in, etc.

I've had a lot of very serious hardships the last couple of years, including bereavement. I came to Walkabout to forget my problems for a few hours before going back to reality again. I came out just to socialise and listen to music, etc., not to be stressed out or argue over silly things with petty people. I really liked the walkabout and the people.

I complained to Tom, one of your managers at Walkabout, and he apologised, but he's not this Marriot, and I know he wouldn't apologise, and if he did, he wouldn't mean it. I know all about customer service. The Brasshouse Bar security has more customer service than this manager of walkabout (Marriot). I get on with all of the brasshouse bar security as well, including head doorman Paul. I'm now well known to Brasshouse, Walkabout, and Reflex, and no one has issues with me.

Well, tonight I popped to the head doorman of another bar and asked, if I'd be welcome in there, and I was. So I went back and found this manager, put my friend's rating card on the table, and said I didn't want it, and I'm going to complain about your actions tonight. He never said anything, and I walked away, said my byes to security, told them I wasn't coming back, and off I went to the next bar, which isn't even a stonegate anymore. He knew people were complaining to me in the queue; he could hear them, but he chose to have a dig at myself. I've promoted walkabout to many people since going myself, but I won't do it anymore. I will always greet the security at the door, and when I go there every week, I will not enter Walkabout. I might just let a regular know where I've disappeared, but never again, and I won't stay long.

I want to know if something is going to be said to this manager, regardless of whether he crawls out of it somehow. I wouldn't want him serving drinks, let alone managing anything to do with my business. There are ways and means of speaking and communicating with people. Maybe he should turn his anger on customers who come in late just to take advantage of intoxicated women or to steal cellphones and cards, etc. But no, he wants to be off with me, a loyal, decent customer, it's not on. He doesn't employ me, so I'm not afraid to tell correctness on his bad behaviour.

No heart
There is no excuse to deliver in a residential area and wake residents up as 90 barrels come thundering down the high street just so they can deliver in a busy high street.

At least the guys who deliver could show a little heart and apologise but they seem to glory in it so forgive me if I pray that people can’t afford to go to the pub anymore and this heartless business can then be driven into the ground.

My gay son was locked in the office by the male landlord he is 36 my son is just 18 saying not letting u out till u have a relationship with me, police involved stongate not interested as its not good publicity, police involved, get this rectified othervise name and shame and bbc, itv, echo and it will be so much more, this is unexeptable behaviour from your staff, and your still making him work!!!!! So u except groomers, child sex pressure in your company.

I am very, very disappointed with this company.
I have been trying to get a resolution to an issue since November.
I am getting nowhere.
Despite several emails being sent to them.
From Joy Redman.

( Nags Head, Sutton in Ashfield.)
Not sure why some couples want to pay a premium to run a pub as a business and then can't be bothered to run it professionally.
popped in this pub today after visiting the shops in town with my Wife.
Asked for an alcoholic drink also a coffee as I was driving.
They don't sell coffee or tea as told by the bar staff or land lady.
As not being a local and first time visiting, apparantly I stood at the wrong end of the bar to be served?
( I'm not psychic )
I agree the bar was quite long but did stand near a till.
The land lady did notice me but was serving someone else, whilst her partner ( land lord? ) thought he'd check out what was on the tv instead of serving me, he must of felt embarrassed for not noticing me standing there, waiting for a drink.
He then shouted, we don't serve people there! it was actually two yards to his left. Lol.
I'll not be visiting this establishment again but then I can see Stonegate also Craft union will be looking for a new Land Lord/Land Lady, in the new year as there will be no profit to be made by these lazy pair.
With the reviews I've seen already with this pub company, they'll not be in business soon either.

I don't typically like to leave bad reviews as I understand the impact it can have on a business, but I feel so strongly about this situation that I feel it is necessary.

I visited The William Foster in Lincoln and had the most awful experience. The manager in that pub is awful for trying to accommodate simple requests. The organisation within this company is atrocious, and I have still yet to hear back from them regarding my complaint. I had emailed the pub and asked for my complaint to be passed to higher management (since the person I had a bad experience with was the responsible manager at the time) and I had a reply from said person. Granted, he apologised, but the issues on the day were just not dealt with efficiently.

In short, I had booked a table for our family (13 people) on a Saturday afternoon. I had messaged prior to ask for a baby high chair as we, of course, had a baby with us. When we arrived, we were told by the manager that we were going to be seated on high stools. I explained that I had requested a high chair for a baby and hence that would not be appropriate. He then said 'well that's where you're sat'. I spoke to him separately after he'd accused us of not communicating that we needed a high chair, and so I proved that I had by showing him evidence. He still didn't accommodate.

We ended up sat in the sports area, with a leaking roof, not enough stools (which we did get in the end, just planted in the middle of the floor) and a mother having to stand up to feed her baby on her dad's knee. Appalling.

I will never, ever be returning, nor will I ever recommend to anyone.

Just an update exactly 4 months after my experience (4th March) I did not receive any further communication following my visit. Very disappointing.

Dynamic pricing,what a pi.. take,what a greedy company this is,but they don’t seem to care about about all the bad feedback they get.

Terrible terrible customer service. Made two bookings canceled one instead of them actually refunding me they added the deposit of the first booking on to the second one without my consent then refused to refund me the money.

Walked by the other day and they offered 50% off drinks between 4 and 8pm. I checked again online and the same is stated on their website with the exclusion of wine and champagne.

Went then in at 5pm ish with collegues and asked which of the draft beers are on the happy hour, and the bar staff said it is only bottle beer.

So we went somewhere else and what is the point in going there again when the staff and what they offer publicly does not align?

Probably miscommunication between management and staff in the pub, but when this is complicated for them, I really do not want to look into the cellar or kitchen.

So better to stay away.