Sunday, June 18, 2006
Expensive, Pretentious, and terrible service, a once reasonable meal at The Bull bites the dust.
Well several weeks after reopening we revisited one of our favorite and regular eating spots to have a pleasant Sunday afternoon lunch at The Bull in Meriden.
We arrived sometime close to 3pm, walked into The Bull via a much better entrance, the new decor was reasonably nice, things weren't too busy and we sat down to peruse the menu. The prices were certainly quite a bit more expensive than previously and the menu didn't seem to be as extensive as it once was. I guess it is always hard to change things and keep old customers happy with those changes.
Having chosen our starters, soup for me and a green salad for Anna, I managed to get my soup, but Anna didn't get her starter without having to specifically ask for it. The Leak and Potato (and olive oil sprinkled on top) soup was okay, the butter was unsalted (I prefer salted if I'm going to indudge), but of the right consistency and easy to spread, not rock hard and just out of the fridge. After some prompting some 15 minutes after receiving my soup, Anna received her green salad, which with lime and apple she to be quite nice. The drinks that had been ordered didn't arrive until after I had consumed the soup and even then a large red wine was really a small red wine and the pint of lager had to be sent back for a top-up.
Taking longer than I'd ideally like, our main course arrived, pan fried chicken for Anna and smoked haddock and muscle fishcakes for myself, the request for no potatoes and extra vegetables seemed to have fallen on deaf ears, with no less than two different style of potatoes being served. The food admittedly did taste good, even if my fishcakes were burnt and the parsnips and carrot was a little over done for my tastes. The addition of another large glass of red wine during the meal had to prompted for again.
We decided to have desert, a lemon meringue pie and a fudgecake. After almost 45 minutes and just as I was again about to have to ask what was happening to our desert we were informed that no lemon meringue pie was available. Not having the lemon meringue pie is understandable, but taking a full 45 minutes to let us know the situation, is to my mind pretty unforgivable.
So understandably my verdict on The Bull in Meriden is pretty damning. Considering the level of service we received, I can only consider The Bull to be both more expensive and more pretentious in its aspirations than any pub has a right to be. Things go wrong, I can understand that better than anyone, but even for the low levels of customer service I've seen on occasion, this plumbs the depths.
If you do decide to forgo my advice on visiting The Bull, just don't go when they are busy, I can't imagine terrible service getting any worse, but I wouldn't bet on it.
We arrived sometime close to 3pm, walked into The Bull via a much better entrance, the new decor was reasonably nice, things weren't too busy and we sat down to peruse the menu. The prices were certainly quite a bit more expensive than previously and the menu didn't seem to be as extensive as it once was. I guess it is always hard to change things and keep old customers happy with those changes.
Having chosen our starters, soup for me and a green salad for Anna, I managed to get my soup, but Anna didn't get her starter without having to specifically ask for it. The Leak and Potato (and olive oil sprinkled on top) soup was okay, the butter was unsalted (I prefer salted if I'm going to indudge), but of the right consistency and easy to spread, not rock hard and just out of the fridge. After some prompting some 15 minutes after receiving my soup, Anna received her green salad, which with lime and apple she to be quite nice. The drinks that had been ordered didn't arrive until after I had consumed the soup and even then a large red wine was really a small red wine and the pint of lager had to be sent back for a top-up.
Taking longer than I'd ideally like, our main course arrived, pan fried chicken for Anna and smoked haddock and muscle fishcakes for myself, the request for no potatoes and extra vegetables seemed to have fallen on deaf ears, with no less than two different style of potatoes being served. The food admittedly did taste good, even if my fishcakes were burnt and the parsnips and carrot was a little over done for my tastes. The addition of another large glass of red wine during the meal had to prompted for again.
We decided to have desert, a lemon meringue pie and a fudgecake. After almost 45 minutes and just as I was again about to have to ask what was happening to our desert we were informed that no lemon meringue pie was available. Not having the lemon meringue pie is understandable, but taking a full 45 minutes to let us know the situation, is to my mind pretty unforgivable.
So understandably my verdict on The Bull in Meriden is pretty damning. Considering the level of service we received, I can only consider The Bull to be both more expensive and more pretentious in its aspirations than any pub has a right to be. Things go wrong, I can understand that better than anyone, but even for the low levels of customer service I've seen on occasion, this plumbs the depths.
If you do decide to forgo my advice on visiting The Bull, just don't go when they are busy, I can't imagine terrible service getting any worse, but I wouldn't bet on it.
Here is one for you
Razor blades. Why is it that when changing to a new razor blade you don't just throw the thing away?
Nope, you put it on the side and think to yourself, No I just might need that. What if the new blade gets really blunt and you run out of new blades?
Go on look in your bathroom and see if you have old razor blades that need chucked out.
Nope, you put it on the side and think to yourself, No I just might need that. What if the new blade gets really blunt and you run out of new blades?
Go on look in your bathroom and see if you have old razor blades that need chucked out.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Hopefully I not entirely mad
I never seem to make the time to do a lot of updating of this blog, which probably explains why I don't have a great many readers, although from what I hear those that do read this are very loyal :-) - Coming back again and again, just to see that I haven't updated things recently.
I guess I admire those who hardly ever go a day without saying at least something, take Beth over at her woolgathering blog, she has written 697 posts and counting in the last year. I don't seem to have the time to read all of them, never mind actually write and post them.
I know I'll never reach that sort level of posts as I'd rather be talking than writing, so in the manner of making sure I contradict myself I've started another blog, on our business website. I had a bit of a false start previously so hopefully this one will have a bit more legs and staying power.
Starting another blog
Rather than just talk about plus size fashion, for which I'm ill equipped to comment on, I thought that I'd write about working in a plus size dress business and get Anna to write a few articles on blagging a few plus size bargains.
So far this angle has enabled me to have a bit more confidence in what I am actually writing about, although I'm not exactly sure I've set everything the way I'd like it, but it is a start.
I guess I admire those who hardly ever go a day without saying at least something, take Beth over at her woolgathering blog, she has written 697 posts and counting in the last year. I don't seem to have the time to read all of them, never mind actually write and post them.
I know I'll never reach that sort level of posts as I'd rather be talking than writing, so in the manner of making sure I contradict myself I've started another blog, on our business website. I had a bit of a false start previously so hopefully this one will have a bit more legs and staying power.
Starting another blog
Rather than just talk about plus size fashion, for which I'm ill equipped to comment on, I thought that I'd write about working in a plus size dress business and get Anna to write a few articles on blagging a few plus size bargains.
So far this angle has enabled me to have a bit more confidence in what I am actually writing about, although I'm not exactly sure I've set everything the way I'd like it, but it is a start.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Update on copyright problem.
Well it turns out that modifying my pictures to include our copyright sign as led to a significant upturn in business:
How big an upturn I hear you ask:
Nearly £1200.
Not to be sniffed at by any means and I'm sort of hoping that they will now not notice my Copyright sign too soon. I'm not sure that the increase in sales will be sustained, but it is certainly payback. I'm not so indignant now, as you can probably tell.
Nothing like a good week to put a bit of a spring in your step.
How big an upturn I hear you ask:
Nearly £1200.
Not to be sniffed at by any means and I'm sort of hoping that they will now not notice my Copyright sign too soon. I'm not sure that the increase in sales will be sustained, but it is certainly payback. I'm not so indignant now, as you can probably tell.
Nothing like a good week to put a bit of a spring in your step.
