The Catherine Wheel, Goring

On 17th April my husband and I visited the Catherine Wheel in Goring, on a recommendation from a friend. We ordered 2 pints of Bee Sting (incidentally � delicious!) One fish and chips and one Piri Piri Chicken Breast Burger. The food arrived in good time � a pleasant surprise considering it was a Bank Holiday and the pub was already quite full.

I began to take the skin off the chicken breast, when I became aware that it was uncooked in the middle (I would assume because it was cooked with the skin on � the thick part of the meat was protected from the heat). Uncooked chicken on a plate is not the most appetising of views so I swiftly took it back to the bar and explained it was uncooked. A young gentleman took it from me, WITHOUT SPEAKING, not an apology or anything and started to walk off, as he did I said �please ensure I get a fresh lunch�.

Whether he heard me or not I can�t say, he didn�t acknowledge me, or my comment. That really infuriated me, manners cost nothing, especially in the service industry.

I returned to my seat and my husband was talking to another customer, who was saying to him � if you don�t tell them, they can�t put things right� our philosophy entirely.

The same person that had taken my plate came back to the table and told me it would be 12min to wait. That was fine, as I knew that meant I would be getting a fresh lunch � 12min to cook a chicken breast on an industrial cooker seemed fair.

A different person returned with my plate in 2 min, not 12. The chicken was cooked, but it was the same piece, I could tell because I had lifted and cut the skin. The plate was boiling to the touch and the chips blackened on the edges � the plate had been put under a grill/warming plate to keep warm until the chicken was cooked.

I am appalled, and by now I hope so is anybody else reading this.

1. The chicken should not have been re-heated after being partially cooked.
2. The bun the chicken originally came out on, had absorbed the juice from the chicken (partially cooked, could have been raw juice � mixed � even worse) and was RE-SERVED to me with cooked chicken on it. A soggy bun is not nice, but a soggy bun with a mix of cooked and uncooked chicken absorbed into it? Recipe for disaster.

I believe it is best to bring things like this to management, so that they can address the training issue before anyone is taken ill. So I approached the bar and asked to speak to a Manager. The gentleman serving told me he was the Manager and so I explained what had happened, he was very unfazed and I believe did not understand the severity of what I was telling him. I said that I would like the cost of the meal refunded and we would like to leave. He refused as he said there was nothing wrong with it.

EAT HERE AT YOUR PERIL!!!!

5 May 2006 09:45