My wife and I recently visited your venue for afternoon tea and were extremely disappointed by the overall experience we received. To begin positively, the location itself is beautiful. The building, grounds, and dining room were all of a very high standard, and we were initially very pleased with our decision to visit. Unfortunately, the quality of service fell far below basic expectations. The staff serving us appeared young and inexperienced, and it was clear they had not received sufficient training for the standard your establishment aims to present. After our tea was served, we had to request milk separately, which arrived several minutes later. I then had to ask again for a spoon to stir the tea, which also took several minutes to arrive. Shortly afterwards, the server began placing spoons on surrounding tables, suggesting this had been overlooked during the initial table setup. The food itself was also disappointing. The sandwiches appeared to have been prepared well in advance, as the bread had already begun to dry out and lacked freshness. During service, another table was being cleared when a member of staff accidentally dropped plates, causing food to spill onto the floor. Accidents happen and we fully understand that. However, while another server assisted with removing the broken crockery, the food itself was left on the floor. Other guests were then escorted through the dining room and had to walk past — and effectively through — the mess, which remained there for the duration of our visit. To make matters worse, we were disappointed to find that a service charge had automatically been added to the bill despite the poor level of service we had experienced. We strongly believe gratuities should reflect the quality of service provided and should not simply be assumed. Overall, while the venue itself is excellent, the service and food quality did not meet expectations, particularly for what should be a premium afternoon tea experience.
