THE OWNERS of a countryside pub have responded to a scathing Facebook review of a group visit that led to police being called.
The Boot Inn in Flyford Flavell was accused of serving pork bonbons which turned out to be “still frozen in the middle” when served to a party of six “respectable” businessmen.
One of the group claimed on a Droitwich community forum that staff “were rude and unwelcoming” from the moment they arrived, and he was “extremely” sick the following day.
In the post, which has received hundreds of views and comments, the diner said the “abrupt” manageress declined his suggestion of a discount for the issues with the meal.
She instead called the police to “report a group of men refusing to pay the bill” and “drinking and driving,” which resulted in them being breathalysed, he claimed.
READ MORE: Pub Spy: Decent pub grub at The Boot Inn, Flyford Flavell
RESPONSE: Boot Inn owners Chris Madin and Chelsea Hill (Image: Star Pubs)
“This was, without doubt, one of the worst dining experiences any of us have ever had which escalated into a ridiculous police matter from raising a legitimate and meaningful complaint,” the person said.
The police “attended on blue lights” before he told officers that he had offered £300, less £10 each to account for the problems, according to the account.
The customer said that his offer was “reluctantly accepted”.
But he continued that if the experience “hadn’t been traumatic” enough, his party was all breathalysed by police, with none of the drivers being over the limit.
While the person did not directly link the meal with his sickness, he wrote that he had contacted Environmental Health and Trading Standards “so the matter can be investigated”.
Members of the group have left equally negative reviews on TripAdvisor about the visit to the family-run inn on July 22.
READ MORE: Behind the Business: The Boot Inn, Flyford Flavell
The pub’s response
The pub’s co-owner Chris Madin said: “All the way along we admitted that the pork bonbons were not up to standard, but they said we called the police to get them breathalysed, which is not true.
“We called the police because they refused to pay the bill.
“I’ve never known West Mercia Police to act on the say-so of a pub landlord before, they act independently of us
“The bill was £359 and they agreed to pay £300, which we took.
“They were originally asked to pay the whole bill but they started arguing and we thought they were going to leave, so we rang the police.
“The police turned up, and then they offered to pay.
“What happened after that is nothing to do with us, it was down to the police.
“[The customer] is entitled to his point of view but he is not telling the full story.”
The Boot, which reopened a year ago after a £210,000 refurbishment, has a TripAdvisor average rating of 4.6.
Reviews since the makeover have been mixed, but they have also included some five-star experiences.
Mr Madin, who runs the pub with his partner Chelsea Hill, told the Worcester News that he has not had any contact from environmental health or trading standards officers.
“We can only apologise for what’s happened but the customer is trying to belittle us and do everything he can to put people off,” Mr Madin said.
“It’s a blip in the road for us, but it’s got to the point where he just wants to keep dragging it on, with all his friends leaving bad reviews as well.
“The chef who was working that night has now left the business and we just want to move on from it.”
The Facebook post alone has garnered more than 500 reactions since going online on July 31.
A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: “Officers attended The Boot Inn in Flyford Flavell on Wednesday, July 22 following a dispute regarding payment.
“On arrival, officers spoke with those involved and established that no offences had been committed.”
