1 /5 Josh: Thanks! Here’s the final version of your 1-star review with that detail added:
⸻
⭐☆☆☆☆
We visited on a very hot day (over 30 degrees) and ordered three sandwiches. While we waited, we asked for a simple glass of tap water with ice – completely reasonable given the heat. Shockingly, we were rudely told we had to pay for tap water.
Our friend wasn’t feeling very well due to the heat, so they quickly went next door to buy a bottle of water. When they returned, the man behind the bar shouted at us for bringing it inside. While we understand policies around outside drinks, the tone and manner in which we were spoken to was completely unnecessary and unprofessional.
What made it worse is that we were actually planning to order three drinks once our food arrived – we just needed something urgently in the meantime.
To be fair, when we paid, the lady at the counter was very polite and even apologised, which we appreciated. We’ve been a few times before and always enjoyed it – in fact, we had been in three times just that week, including the day before.
Unfortunately, this experience left a really bad impression. The man behind the bar clearly lacks basic customer service skills and made us feel incredibly unwelcome. It’s a real shame, especially as we were becoming regular customers.
Under the Licensing Act 2003, any premises in England and Wales that is licensed to serve alcohol is legally required to provide free tap water to customers upon request.
The owner clearly doesn’t know the law or know what he’s doing.