Vintage Inns are rubbish!

Corums birthday the other day, we have booked in at the local Italian this weekend because we know they do lovely vegan food and are very accommodating generally.
However, we thought it would be nice to go out for a snack and a drink on the night in question which was midweek. We have been to this pub the Golden Galleon many times before and managed to get vegan food, they always had a big selection of vegetarian food and you could put together a vegan option quite easily. It's got a lovely view over the sea at Cuckmere Haven and open fires and is a lovely place to hang out midweek when it's not busy.
We got there at 8.30 and they have taken ALL the vegetarian and vegan options off the menu :amazed_ani: All they had was an "aubergine stack" which looked disgusting and wasn't vegan anyway and NOTHING ELSE which is pretty damned unenlightened in this day and age even for a pub.
Corum went to complain and was told we could have a caesar salad with all the non vegan components taken off - do we look like furking rabbits:mad:
And then to add insult to injury we were told that we could choose from the fish menu!!! We walked out in disgust and are going to put a big complaint in. This pub chain has obviously decided that they are not going to cater for vegans or vegetarians anymore despite being close to Brighton and a major tourist area - outrageous.
WHY WHY WHY do they assume vegans want to eat rabbit food and either aubergines or squash:confused: Why not nut roast with roast potatoes or mushroom and ale pie with puff pastry just like the other pub food options for omnis. Tell someone you are vegan and they assume you want to eat a raw celeriac heart with random leaves! We were really pissed off especially as all the other pubs in the area stop serving food at 9.00 weekdays and we were too late to go and eat anywhere else!

:( Sorry to hear that, hope the weekend meal makes up for it.

Not catering properly for vegetarians seems like a dodgy decision even from a commercial point of view, especially in the Brighton area.

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Tell someone you are vegan and they assume you want to eat a raw celeriac heart with random leaves!

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Mmm, scrummy ;)

Well, this is what I wrote... via their website... (OK, if I get no joy, I'll go direct to the top).

I would just like to say thanks to Mitchell and Butlers for spoiling my recent birthday celebrations.

My wife and I visited the Golden Galleon, Seaford, as previously, we've always enjoyed drinking there (though admittedly we started visiting there before M&B took it over, when it was still a brewpub), and, with it being just down the road, we haven't got far to travel.

We are both Vegan, which, as you might imagine is quite a radical lifestyle choice, however, it is now 2008, not 1988 and Veganism, especially in an area close to Brighton such as Seaford, is a lot more common than people think, with even the most average pub in the area able to cater for us. And no, we are not some lentil-eating hippies with kaftans and string beads, just a professional couple who just happen to be vegan.

Sometimes, to save any upset when we are out, we are occasionally happy to compromise and eat from a vegetarian menu depending on the ingredients and ask if something can be veganised – and considering all I wanted was a nice quiet celebratory meal for my wife and I, that would have been the best option. However, M&B's catering policy didn't even allow us to enjoy that, unless we really fancied the 'Aubergine Stack', which was the only vegetarian main meal available (the specials board had variations of fish, such as fish loins, whatever they are?)

I would love to know why people who cater for large pub chains, etc. think that vegetarians, let alone vegans would be happy with a stack of Aubergines or some other listless squash served up as a main meal, meanwhile the rest of the population are able to enjoy quite a wide selection of meat and fish dishes? Seeing as your food isn't actually cooked on the premises, just re-heated (please excuse me if that is a mis-conception, but that is the impression I received), it should not be a problem for you to cater for a wider range of customers. Making vegan food available would also help those customers who are lactose intolerant or have some other dietary need.

Also, it would be good for staff at the pub – who I believe aren't actually at fault in this matter – to be educated as to what vegetarianism constitutes; it certainly does not include the consumption of fish!

To understand your customers better, might I suggest you get more information on what vegans eat, by visiting http://www.vegansociety.com/food/Veg...ering_for_All/

In the end, my wife and I went into town for a rather nice curry, which – with arrangement with the chef – was vegan and exactly to our requirements.

In the past, I have always recommended the Golden Galleon to friends and family when they come to visit our most beautiful part of the world because of the beer range and of course, the scenery but I will be reluctant to do so in the future unless the matter of your poor catering for people who cannot – for whatever reason – eat meat, fish or dairy products is rectified.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely

John Mitchell

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harpy

:( Sorry to hear that, hope the weekend meal makes up for it.

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Absolutely!! It was brilliant - Diella's in Seaford... though there was a bit of confusion as they thought Quorn was vegan, but we soon put them right. ;)

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harpy

Not catering properly for vegetarians seems like a dodgy decision even from a commercial point of view, especially in the Brighton area.

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Exactly!! :hmm:

I'm so sorry to hear your night out was ruined, Corum and Hemlock, but what a great complaining letter, Corum!!! :thumbsup: It will be interesting to hear how they respond, if at all...

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fiamma

I'm so sorry to hear your night out was ruined, Corum and Hemlock, but what a great complaining letter, Corum!!! :thumbsup: It will be interesting to hear how they respond, if at all...

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It wasn't totally... just thought I'd play up on it a bit ;) As I said, it was a nice curry and the place was open late, not like all of the pubs in the area which stopped serving food at 9pm. Let's hope they respond, eh? If not, see the wetherspoons thread for my next course of action :D

As I put in the Brighton thread recently, we had a similar terrible experience at the Golden Galleon although we had eaten well there in the past - the only thing they could offer me and my OH was a bowl of chips (and we were starving as we'd walked over the Head to get there). I'd never go there again.

Happy B'day, btw, Corum.

Corum is on a mission to veganise all the pubs in the area - with some good success :D

I used to work in a Mitchell's and Butler pub (it might be a Vintage Inn, actually) and back then i don't think they even had any veggie options. The kitchen was appalling also - none of the chefs could really call themselves that. everything was just microwaved, deepfried or reheated. which isn't uncommon, but they charge a fortune for it.

only thing i like about that company are their Scream pubs. and even then i'd rather go to a Sam Smiths...

amanda

Sam Smiths, now you're talking!!!! :D Tadcaster (North Yorkshire) prices in a London pub - now that is what I call genius!!!!! (a big fan don'tcha know!)