The Dolphin, Betchworth

Not a regular here, but have stopped by for many a quiet beer over the years as its always been one of my favourite pubs for a relaxing drink. back in the days of the old landlord (george i believe) the pub was flawless in my opinion, everything u want from a country pub. However i recently had a gathering there for my birthday and i was apalled at the level of service we received. Despite running up a bar tab of �350, the staff and landlord clearly were not interested in our business. Im in my 20's and had a few friends of a similar age, plus several of my parents friends and family. The barman kindly informed one of my parents guests that (pointing to the table my friends were sitting at) "If any of that lot are sick then they can clear it up themselves". We're not teenagers, drinking cider down the local park, we're adults having a nice time. shocking. Secondly, the same barman would not serve us a beer until we had returned all the empty glasses from our table. I dont mind bringing back empty glasses, even if it was asked for in a nice way (which it wasnt), but at the end of the day he is being paid to do a job, so he should do it, and at least act like he is enjoying it, instead of putting on a face like death. The landlord seemed equally uninterested and didnt seem to want us there. If i was a landlord, and the pub trade was my livelihood, i would be over the moon that 20-30 people were drinking in my pub, and would do my utmost to make them feel welcome. It really doesn't take much.
So long story short, a great pub, that has been ruined by apalling management. I will not be returning until a new manager is in place. Shame.

28 Nov 2006 19:47