The Corner Store, Covent Garden

The staff at this pub should be utterly ashamed of themselves.

I went there last night with a group of 40 people (we had booked an area and arranged it with the pub beforehand). The group consisted of a range of ages from 20 to 60+. All of us bought drinks (as you do in pubs) and many of us bought food.

After we had been at the pub for a short while one of our group walked out having been very rudely spoken to by the manager. She was an older lady who had opted for a cup of tea, and been told that food must be bought and that this wasn't a place for people like her (the manager actually banged her fist on the table while imparting this information).

A few of us, who had arranged to drink at this pub, approached the manager to find out what was wrong. We were told that our group did not "fit in the with image of the pub" that she was trying to create. She told us "people are standing up at the bar and laughing at you."

She insisted we should buy more food, though there were plenty of groups in there who were just drinking.

She also said that if we wanted to come back she would find us a space downstairs out of the way.

Her staff were very rude, and at times mean (failing to clean up after accidentally spilling a drink on one of our group and then returning to the bar to laugh about it with the rest of the staff).

We all spent money in her pub. We were all polite to the staff and well behaved.

It amazes me how a pub like this, in the heart of a city that is famed for its diversity, can be so prejudiced. I think the manager and her staff should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves, and hope this review helps them to see changes need to be made in their attitude.

Needless to say we will not be returning.

7 Aug 2008 11:58