BITE user comments - thebishop
Comments by thebishop
GVF and GingerPiston, sorry you're not feeling positive about the refurb. I'm the person responsible for the both of the refurbs.
!/3 of the furniture is the same as pre makeover and the new stuff, far from being modern, plastic, shiny. It is in fact classic bentwood furniture that you find in pubs everywhere, just coloured a little differently.
Obviously the dog lights, mural and coloured furniture is not going to be to everyone's taste. Not everyone like everything when I opened 5 years ago.
There's quite alot more to the refurb than just what you can see. There is now a vastly improved Air Con system, 3 extra ladies cublcles, All of the front windows now open and the kitchen downstairs has doubled in size to imporve the food offering and service.
I hope you'll come and give it another chance.
Regards
Scott
10 Mar 2011 08:44
Thomas, thanks for taking the time to reply.
Your original posting was 10 months ago but there are still staff with me from then.
Firstly I apologise profusely, that is not an attitude I condone in staff. Secondly, can you remember what he looked like ?
Regards
Scott
5 Jun 2009 11:08
Thankyou Arctral.
If your visit in question was the night of the 29th there must be a bit of confusion, as we only serve until 11.30 p.m. Sun through to and including Wednesday Midnight the remaining 3 nights (this change in times occurred about a month or so prior to your visit) .
In line with our license review we have to have everybody off of the premises within 30 mins of the serving time.
However this is no excuse if the staff were anything less than polite, they are however very aware of the seriousness off breaching our license.
5 Jun 2009 11:00
Dear Arctral,
to help me get to the bottom of the issue would you be able to tell me which night, in this instance, that you visited The Merchant ?
regards
6 May 2009 09:16
Dear lolwood32 ,
the excited new barman on 'opening day' misinformed you, we will indeed be showing the rugby.
Change served on a dish is commonplace as a means for getting change to customers faster. Rather than an interrupt a customer who is chatting, or placing it on the bar top we use a tray. It is not to meant to upset customers, our apologies.
15 Apr 2009 09:50
Quite obviously I posted the message below, "New team etc..", was meant for The Durell arms in Fulham.
Apologies one and all
14 Mar 2009 08:58
Thomas,
I am very sorry about your bad experiences.
Do you think you could elaborate so I can try and find the person/persons responsible ?
Kind regards,
Scott
11 Aug 2008 11:08
Dear Sparky1,
can't take credit for Budvar dark, that is down to Budvar's head brewer (somewhat of an expert in his field).....
neither can i take credit for 'brewing our own beer'. That goes back as far as Ancient Egypt. However, the friendly barstaff and reasonably priced menu is all down to us.
Cheers
5 Sep 2007 09:14
dear asnootyfox
A Loof (�adjective):
reserved or reticent; indifferent; disinterested: 'Because of his shyness, he had the reputation of being aloof'.
I would be inclined to agree with everything except 'disinterested'
5 Sep 2007 09:04
Dear pejpm,
still a tough customer eh?
You should be pleased to know that 'the duke of devonshore' will close in october for �500k refurb....
scott
5 Sep 2007 09:01
Dear anonymous,
you are partly correct. The capital pub co PLC. do own 'the florence' and 21 other pubs, so not exactly a huge corporation...
Their vision when they launched was "to buy free-of-tie pubs that would be non-branded and unthemed and each would serve its local community. As genuine free houses the pubs would be able to offer customers a wide range of products served by friendly and well-trained staff".
This is a philosophy shared by myself which is why I agreed to enter into a partnership with them.
The beauty of the internet & PLC companies is that everything is out in the open. When the next company accounts are published you will find that I am far from 'the hired help'.
I hope this allays some of your fears.
With respect
Scott
21 Jun 2007 19:04
Benny & Grifter,
From your musings it would appear you have based your facts on a single visit during the first week of trading (not the best time to visit a pub to unlock it's true personality). I hope you can be convinced to pop in again when the dust has settled, I may even force you to change a couple of your opinions (there is no leather to be scuffed & Ganley's was for sale on the open market for 2 years..)
Why don't you pop in for that pint I offered you ? We can put our heads together, Who knows ? We may even devise a pub concept that unites whole communities, pleases EVERYONE & is commercially viable.
cheers
Scott
7 Jun 2007 10:19
Bettyboo, our full english includes....sausages, bacon, beans, toast, scrambled or fried eggs & mushrooms. How is that fussy ? What would you like to see it include ?
best wishes
scott
6 Jun 2007 18:42
Grifter, if it was a thriving pub, why was it sold ?
Ravish, the football season is over..., if there is a demand for football we may re-install screens.
Grifter, beer offering ranges from 4.3%-5.6% and �2.50 to �3.60
Bennybeans, there is not a ciabatta insight on closer inspection you will find doorstep sandwiches, hot dogs & chip butties with horror upon horror........traditional roasts on sundays.
Kids are only allowed in the conservatory area & garden, so no buggies in the pub area. The same pub area that has a micro brewery to brew beer, not a winery to produce wine...
Fruit machines & big screen sport do not maketh the pub. In fact I would guess that taverns/inns & public houses have been around for around a 1000 years...in fact
The inhabitants of the British Isles have been drinking ale since the Bronze Age, but it was with the arrival of the Romans and the establishment of the Roman road network that the first inns, in which the weary traveller could obtain refreshment, began to appear. By the time the Romans left, the beginnings of the modern pub had been established. They became so commonplace that in 965 King Edgar decreed that there should be no more than one alehouse per village.
Imagine... but then what have the romans ever done for us....?
Surely 'the florence' is more of a traditional pub now that it eschews the juke box, fruit machine, karaoke, televised sport, poker machine & frozen food and favours a huge selection of ales & beers ,beer brewed on the premises & home cooked robust food offering as well as ....dare i say it WINE (the oldest known evidence suggesting wine production in Europe and second oldest in the world comes from archaeological sites in Greece and is dated to 6,500 years ago)
Chaps if you fancy a second visit, seek me out and I will buy you all a beer and we can discuss this further...
Cheers
Scott
6 Jun 2007 09:51
there is no chrome here, a little brushed stainless, but no chrome. Two real ales on draft with a third ale brewed inhouse (ready in a couple of weeks). a further ten draft beer/cider options.....
30 May 2007 10:14
Sorry you feel like that Alex.
I doubt you will find the same high quality products we stock, in a comparable environment, any cheaper. We have also had a budget since 'the clarence' has opened 16 months ago...
scott
30 May 2007 10:06
dined this afternoon.
service exemplary.
food, top notch
refurb impressive
27 Jan 2007 18:42
Glad you enjoyed yourself caz777
Indeed dogs are more than welcome. So long as they don't bark too much, are kept on a lead and get on well with Clarence (the pub dog).
25 Jan 2007 10:51
Dear pejpm
We eschew the term 'gastropub'.
In this day and age that tends to mean that a pub has had a lick of paint, stuck a tenner on the price of a main meal, but has the original chefs (used to serving chicken in a basket)knocking out poorly executed dishes.
We are a pub , with a modern approach. Whence table service (whether you are eating or drinking), no charge. Eat where you like, drink where you like. Well thought out music (not staff's CDs). Clean loos. Clean ashtrays.
We attempt to (fairly well i think) produce recognisable pub grub, to a high and affordable level. No fusion. No confusion.
I do agree about the supposed 'uptrading' of high street pubs. We aspire to give 'a local country pub feel' to a london pub. This is cemented by the amount of regulars that frequent us.
.........not happy about being lumped in with the other pubs you mentioned.
If you live near 'the abbeville' you should visit our other pub 'the clarence', on balham high road
I await your response
scott
16 Jan 2007 15:23
The Black Cherry Bar, East Dulwich
angela,
it is time to let xmas go.
Take the xmas menus out of your menu box
x
12 Jan 2007 08:53
dear kriekboozer,
(your comment only appeared on the site today, 7 jan).
I thought you would be happier now that i have made the magician disappear !?
Not sure what your actual complaint is, i am assuming that the pub is too busy on a weekend evening for you, if so....you are absolutely right. That is why there will be another bar built on the first floor within the next 3 months. We have already put a second kitchen up there to improve the food service.
if i have mis-assumed perhaps you could elaborate on your two bad visits...please
7 Jan 2007 10:15
been twice.....
first week of opening (one of four lunchtime customers) ordered foie gras to start, meatballs to follow. Well meaning barman ordered the meatball with spaghetti and a portion of fries instead of the foie. (english not his first language).
Second visit ordered the same foie gras (portion half the size now with stale brioche) and sausage and mash (overcooked sausages, inedible with soapy mash).
it is frustrating that operators put so much time & thought into design and how the menu reads (very similar to the soho house group's menus incidentally) but little into spelling and the how the menu eats.
Still i have high hopes for here (compared to the rest of clapham)
30 Dec 2006 09:47
firstly, i apologise about my username/pub name....i have never been to ipswich.
secondly, the last six or so reviews have only just appeared here ( there must have been a BITE problem), i will try to address them forthwith:
the 'burger & chips' should be special for 'the best part of a tenner'... It is a minced angus steak burger , with a sourdough onion roll( baked specially for us ), chilli sauce on the side, aged cheddar and fresh garnish. The chips are made using a variety of potato that has taken us nearly four years to source.
If anyone has any problems with the meal that is presented with them , then please please mention it to a member of staff at the time, it is alot easy to rectify any problem there may be at there and then an prevent it happening again.
We are happy to change dishes or refund money on the very odd occasion that things aren't up to par.
Dear true , thankyou for your apology
Dear anonymous, did you mention the smoke and food issue to any staff during your visit ? i would be interested to know their response (if you don't mind). I am glad you like the dog (clarence), i apologise for my 'god-like' demeanour (maybe dog-like would be more fitting). Sometimes to a customer's eye a may come across a bit haughty, this is because whenever i in any of my pubs i am contantly looking for faults or ways of improving the offering. i don't often have a lot of time on my hands, so tend to march around pointing out observations to any staff present (as you can imagine , they love my frequent little visits).
scott
19 Dec 2006 09:38
dear rahrahrah,
there is a difference between ownership and management. I had owned 'the castle' lease for the last 3 1/2 years.
I have indeed chosen to sell for several factors, none of them money or middle class aspirations.
I feel the camberwell market has been changing for some time & the product I offer in my venues has evolved since 'the castle' opened. This can be seen clearly in 'the bishop' east dulwich and 'the clarence' in balham.
The current offering now includes a much larger range of beers that are not available with 'the brewery tie' at 'the castle'.
Bar room bar was also sold several months ago to the young's brewery for �2,000,000.9 (that is what i call taking the money and running...).
I wish the new owners of 'the castle' all the very best and i am confident they will hit their stride after what appears to be early teething problems.
cheers
scott
7 Dec 2006 10:26
scorchio75 , thankyou for your kind words
TFP, glad to here you were 'reasonably impressed'. Any pointers you can let us have for impressing you a little more would be gratefully received. We value any feedback we receive.
The premium lager we do stock is 'Budvar'. We chose this because it has won more gold medals than you can shake a stick at , and is so devoid of chemicals and additives that is suitable for vegans. I can assure you of one thing, after years of exhaustive beer tasting ...none of the beers we stock are novelty lines. They all sell well, which is indicative of consumer's ever broadening tastes.
cheers
scott
5 Dec 2006 12:42
sorry to here about your experience jabs1973.
The castle is under new ownership as well as new management. The old castle management are now working at my other two pubs 'the clarence' in balham and 'the bishop'in east dulwich.
4 Dec 2006 12:13
thanks for the kind words 'headley'. However, which food do you think is 'slightly overpriced'?
6 Oct 2006 08:35
very impressed
dinner monday, lunch tuesday. Very tasty
innovative garden
19 Sep 2006 18:03
dear rairch,
my apologies for not responding to your comments earlier. Would you be able to tell me which sunday you had your terrible experience at the Clarence ? It would help me work out who was working and ensure that these problems do not reoccur.
regards
scott
1 Sep 2006 09:19
sorry you feel that way boss_hogg, however...
I am the owner not the manager.
I do not 'slag off' rival bars.
I use BITE to monitor customers feelings about my own pubs & have only ever made a comment on one other pub, 'the windmill on the common',which is neither a rival or a bar (being a pub, in clapham five miles away).
It would be helpful if you could give me a little more information regarding your observations on 'the bishop'.
thanks for your time
31 Aug 2006 17:26
markfresh, glad you made it back and had a better experience. Coincidentally this friday was the first day that the doorstaff had to abide by a new 'code of conduct'. We do not have door 'supervisors' out of choice, it is a license necessity. Unfortunately the guys that are trained with the necessary 'sia' badges cannot differentiate between clubs and pubs. We are trying to increase their customer awareness
cheers
5 Aug 2006 11:41
The Windmill on the Common, Clapham Common
dear anonymous, at least i have the cojones to attach my moniker to my comments.
I am great follower of 'the glass houses and throwing stones' school of belief......... that is why i have answered (and attempted to rectify) any negative comments about any of my pubs on this invaluable website.
I do not just pop my head from beneath my rock and shout 'well yeah and you smell too !'
It's a jungle out there anon, not a playground
3 Aug 2006 11:45
The Windmill on the Common, Clapham Common
dearest young's
i visited the windmill for the first time in 3 months. Walking through the front door knocked me completely off kilter.
The refurb you have carried out is quite spectacular , top marks.
However your staff let the place down spectacularly.
There aren't enough of them (use the bbc weather website to predict sunny weather), they are as a whole inept and breathtakingly rude and unfortunately the new menu fails to deliver anything that is as remotely good as it sounds on paper.
Having spent so much money on a refurb would it not pay to throw a little at staff training ?
2 Aug 2006 11:41
dearest andrea
perhaps a smoke signal if you feel the whistle is impractical ?
I walk clarence more than anyone , how do you think i stay so young and athletic looking ?!~
In precisely four weeks from today there will be a new suite of six ladies toilets opening on the first floor of the bishop.
I hope this placates you for a while
scott
18 Jul 2006 11:27
my very humble apologies andrea
which member of staff did you ask to send me over ?
maybe you should have just clicked your fingers or whistled ?
12 Jul 2006 13:20
dear andrea
thankyou for your kind comments.
I am glad Mark (the G.M.) takes care of you . I live above the bishop so am in there every single day, however, there are two other pubs thqat i have to haunt on a regular basis.....But let me know when you going to be in next and i will happily buy you a drink and have a chat.
The 'fight' was more handbags at dawn, and Mark is very good with handbags
cheers
scott
26 Jun 2006 20:43
Wow KRSONE you are a picky one.... Where to start.
In our defence we do not think of ourselves as a gastro pub, more a traditional pub with a modern approach.
The air purifiers may need servicing ao we will look into that toute de suite.
Clarence (the dog) does ignore everybody you are absolutely right....I will now go and beat him in order to make him more attentive.
Being a tied pub our choice of lager is restricted, however Budvar is generally perceived to be one of the best draught lagers (mainstream) available, it has won numerous gold medals and is made to such a high level (with no additives etc) that it is suitable for vegans. There will also be an increased bottle beer offering as of next week.
Not sure what an uber chav posh & becks wannabee looks like, if you can elaborate i can maybe bar them, or hire them a stylist.
And lastly.. when you say the landlord always looks stressed etc... do you mean the owner or the general manager ?
cheers
19 Jun 2006 15:36
dear rahrahrah
new artwork is going up within the next two weeks, apologies for the delay
scott
18 Apr 2006 11:44
The White Horse, Parsons Green
imagine my surprise....always having cited this as one of my favourite pubs.
Now however you are not allowed to drink beer from it's bottle as quote 'the first sense of taste is derived from sight and you cannot see the beer through the brown/green glass....yadda yadda yadda....we are now of the opinion that if customers are not happy with this stance then they can go elsewhere. The white horse has been a success for 25 years blah blah'
That was the summarised ranting diatribe i received from the lady in charge when requesting that my lowly bottle of Budvar remained in the bottle.
Mr Dorber are you forgetting that your core business is based on customers ?
Does your chef respond to requests to cook meat well-done even if it means the meat is then not at it's best ?
Should we expect crisps to be emptied from the packets ?
Your comments please, oh, good luck with the 'pub of the year' finals.....
9 Apr 2006 09:18
dear mscheeky, how very dare you.
I am not sure what kind of operation you think I am running at the bishop...Pimping out my General Manager is not what i generally do.
However if you send me a picture and vital statistics i will see if you are up to his very high standards
scott
5 Apr 2006 12:34
SN14, glad you enjoyed the clarence. I also own the castle in camberwell which I believe you also visited and enjoyed.
Cheers
scott
27 Feb 2006 21:12
markfresh. Thankyou for your follow-up. I have spent a small fortune on three air purefying machines AND three extractors.
It is however possible that in my absence, my 'team', forgot to turn the bloody things on.. I have since this incident locked them all in a small store cupboard, with no ventilation, and made them all smoke twenty cigarettes (including the no-smokers). I think they got the message.
Roll on next summer's smoking ban, with less menial tasks for the staff to remember I can probably get away with hiring chimpanzees...
Introduce yourself to myself or Mark (the general manager) and your first rounds on me...
cheers
scott
27 Feb 2006 21:05
dear true. thankyou for taking the time to post your experience. I am looking into this incident now. It is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated
regards
scott
26 Feb 2006 16:27
Dear mr fresh, would you mind letting me know which night you visited The Bishop. I find it hard to believe that it was really busy and yet still had no atmosphere.. Am also very concerned that you were charged �3.20 for a pint. The most expensive beer on draught is �3 for Czech Budvar, 'one of the world's truly great beers', according to the legendary beer writer Michael Jackson. Pro rata I would say that was good value unless you were happier paying 10p less for something brewed in bedford under a european label ? I do however agree that the rye and the gowlett are worth a visit, but disagree with your spelling of 'definitely' in your review of the green in clerkenwell.
24 Feb 2006 12:29
the new pub is called 'the clarence' and is in balham. 90-92 balham high road. Opens monday 13th feb at midday. Thankyou all for your support
scott
11 Feb 2006 12:24
thankyou for your kind comments, if at anytime in the future you find the music inappropriately loud please do not hesitate to mention it to a member of staff. They will happily turn it down.
scott
6 Feb 2006 07:58
dear tinylittlejohnners, thankyou for your complimentary words and for taking the time to let me know about slack staff. you will be pleased to know that the girls in question since been fed to the dog.
6 Feb 2006 07:56
as it happens..........there will be a sister pub to the castle opening in balham at the end of january. Is that any help ?
13 Dec 2005 19:31
it is with great sadness that i read the comments posted by anonymous. As the owner of both venues I cannot apologise enough. There is no excuse for any of the complaints you have raised. I have taken immediate measures to safeguard against any further failings in standard .(The chicken sandwich is �4 not �4.95 as you stated). I recently introduced a customer care feedback system which i hope you were presented with at the same time your bill was issued. I thankyou for the kind words about the bishop and only hope that you give the castle another try somwtime in the future .
yours sincerely
scott
1 Nov 2005 15:20
I hope you will find on any further visits that the music does not get much louder until 10.30 ish. Thankyou for your comments. My apologies
scott
23 Sep 2005 09:24
The silver(stainless steel) tray is just part of a long overdue progression in standards within pubs. It does make it easier for customers to reward good service. A little easier than 'have a drink yourself, love/mate'(It is not compulsory)it also allows me to train staff to serve quickly and efficently in an often busy environment. Anyone who has worked behind bars (no, not prison) will know that the majority of customers will be chatting, looking elsewhere, checking out the clientelle etc...at the very moment you have to hand over the change. AND during the 8 years I have been using the trays NO ONE has ever had their change stolen by abother customer(as was suggested in an earlier comment)
We COULD do away with the tray; so should we also do away with table service (with no service charge), clean glasses, plenty of ice, fresh fruit garnishes, air con, smoke purifiers, thoughtful background music, clean toilets, happy staff and food cooked on the premises?
as a footnote NUNOBENSEN perhaps you could tell me some of those stories, as I have an awful memory.
3 Sep 2005 09:44
the 'ale fresco' was incorrectly priced, is now �2.80
we will be playing close attention to naughty little children.
yes, the owner is single.
2 Sep 2005 14:02
As the owner of 'the bishop' I thought I'd take the liberty and post my own comments regarding observations already posted. re ANONYMOUS: the third rate magician is honing his act for his upcoming TV show, he charges nothing and is generally very well received. I guess had he been really good he would have made the scary youths disappear. I only hope you take a chance and pay a second visit.
RICH66. I do consider it a PUB. The ale we charge �2.90 for should have been ABBOT or OLD SPECKLED HEN 5% and 5.2% respectively.(neither medium strength). The change is placed on the bar in a stainless steel tray so that the staff can work quickly and effectively without interupting customers who may be chatting. Whereas being a brewery leasehold I have to buy all my beer at inflated prices (therefore forcing 2.90 a pint)the food is not affected , so is generally perceived to be of a great standard at excellent prices. I do sincerely appreciate all of your comments and hope you come again
scott
19 Aug 2005 11:49
The Clarence, Balham
GVF and GingerPiston, sorry you're not feeling positive about the refurb. I'm the person responsible for the both of the refurbs.
!/3 of the furniture is the same as pre makeover and the new stuff, far from being modern, plastic, shiny. It is in fact classic bentwood furniture that you find in pubs everywhere, just coloured a little differently.
Obviously the dog lights, mural and coloured furniture is not going to be to everyone's taste. Not everyone like everything when I opened 5 years ago.
There's quite alot more to the refurb than just what you can see. There is now a vastly improved Air Con system, 3 extra ladies cublcles, All of the front windows now open and the kitchen downstairs has doubled in size to imporve the food offering and s
10 Mar 2011 08:44