Christmas day lunch

Yes, ParlorGames, Judy54 needs to write a review on TripAdvisor. It is discriminatory.

Chances are that most families (with 6-10+) will be eating at home, whereas more smaller parties of only 2-3 people are the ones wanting to go out for the holiday. The restaurant can probably turn the tables of 2 faster to seat the next party than trying to move a big group of people along.
USA Gundy

Thanks JdotJ You are right not everyone has a large family or group of friends to celebrate Christmas day with. We decided to treat ourselves after a bad year with Mr J's ongoing health problems and the fact that we were unable to have a holiday. Luckily we have found somewhere else that is able to accommodate our needs.

Christmas Day lunch at my nearby Vintage Inn is being offered at £75pp. That’s three times the price for their usual Sunday lunch, but Zoe65, I don’t know how much of the increase is being passed onto the staff. I do know patrons are very generous with tips on that day.

Restaurants have planned seating, so perhaps their allocations for couples have gone already and their larger tables are still up for grabs.

DillytheGardener That's a good point actually. They may have meant there were no more tables for two available and it wasn't clear. We will probably never know.

Glad you're sorted. AAAGGHHH Christmas!

Liars. I wouldn’t give them my business.

Why not get M&S or Waitrose to deliver your favourite Christmas dinner items in the week before Christmas. You just unwrap and put it in the oven. Make your table pretty or not whatever you like. You will have paid a fraction of the cost of Christmas Day. I am assuming you have a dishwasher, You could then have a very smart lunch out on another day with the money you didn't spend on Christmas day. If you really want to go out what about booking to stay over in a nice hotel for a couple of days and let the staff do Christmas for you? It won't be cheap but it might be something you enjoy. My daughter's in-laws did try that one Christmas because whoever they spent Christmas with, they felt one or more of their other children would be upset so they decided to go to an hotel. They hated it, they said it felt like God's waiting room, full of elderly couples who's families probably didn't want them. They never did it again.

kwest That's funny because I would have thought that the reason for going to an hotel over Christmas would be to get away from one's family.

It's annoying, but I don't think it's discriminatory. As has been said, they may not have had a table for two left, so 'liars' is a bit strong. Also, if they are going to make more profit from larger groups, of course they will book them first - it's a business and times are hard. It's the same with special offers for new customers/lower rates for insurance switchers etc. People get annoyed about that too, but no customer is owed anything. I can understand local venues wanting to hang on to regulars who will represent repeat custom, but Christmas is a different matter. They might make a significant percentage of their profit that week, and if you want them to be open through the year it might be a case of putting up with not getting first dibs at Christmas. Maybe nearer the time they will have had to free up more tables for two.

Georgesgran - that is another beef of mine… the inflated prices for holiday meals. While I can excuse some price hike (for the extra work staff endures), the lofty increases for that one day really set me off.

Many people avoid the actual day (Christmas, Valentine’s, Mother’s Day, etc) and go a day or two ahead, still enjoying the decorations, regular menu prices and probably better service.

We are a family of twelve with adult children, parents and grandchildren. We are often turned down as too large a party. Not going out for lunch this Christmas, sadly. Too expensive for us all these days!

As I said Kwest we have now found somewhere else. It's not because we don't want to stay at home but as a treat to ourselves as times have been difficult with Mr J's health. We have not been able to get out much and have not been on holiday so what we will spend will be much less than on other activities and holidays combined. If we had chosen to stay at home we would have cooked ourselves (something we both enjoy). I can't think of anything worse than ready prepared meals even if they are from M &S or Waitrose.

Why not just let it go. Book somewhere else or stay home.

They think they’ll get a bigger tip and more expenditure on alcohol with a larger booking than just a couple who will probably be in and out within 90-120 mins.

Rosalyn as I have said we have found somewhere else to accommodate our needs so no need to stay at home. kwest going away is not an option as Mr J is unable to travel far. Also the description your Daughters-in-Law give of God's waiting room is not particularly inviting. Not all hotels are full of elderly couples whose family don't want them at Christmas. There are people like ourselves who don't have family but still want to celebrate the day in our own way.

Theexwife

It is a business and I expect most of their winter profits to be made in December including Christmas lunch, It makes perfect business sense to me.

I hope you did not actually book that large table with no intention of turning up.

Yes, they must struggle to find people who are willing to work on Christmas Day and probably have to pay them more too. I can understand why they prefer large groups.

Gundy

Georgesgran - that is another beef of mine… the inflated prices for holiday meals. While I can excuse some price hike (for the extra work staff endures), the lofty increases for that one day really set me off.

Many people avoid the actual day (Christmas, Valentine’s, Mother’s Day, etc) and go a day or two ahead, still enjoying the decorations, regular menu prices and probably better service.

Yes, we used to go out for a lovely family meal every Christmas Eve and eat at home on Christmas Day. However the meal became so expensive that we try to do it on another day now. Often restaurants only do an expensive Christmas memu in the run up to the big day, and I don't really want to have the same meal more than once!

When our local pub/restaurant was open, people would book on Christmas day for the following Christmas. We used to do it as we were a party of 12 or more and it was the only local pub which everyone could walk to and enjoy a drink if they wanted.

I think it’s shocking. I hope you’ve stopped going there during the year as well and told all your friends.

Zoe65

And would you be prepared to pay triple for your dinner as well ?(if you want all staff to be paid triple)

I don’t go out for dinner, etc on holidays, because I think the practice of being open and people having to work is awful, when it’s non essential.

I used to be in healthcare, and we were paid triple on stats, so that’s where I got it from.

It’s hard enough not to be with your family even when you know someone’s medical care depends on you. People who work stats should absolutely be compensated for it.

Do you not realise how business's are struggling, I don't blame them, please be more understanding, it's their liviehoods they are protecting, pubs are closing by the day. To suggest booking for 6 and cancelling, is just disgraceful, , I think they should have payment in advance, having bought the food, paid for extra staff, that by the way are working Christmas Day, not for the fun of it, they need the money, times are hard. Last Christmas I missed all I had booked due to Covid here you pay in advance so I lost my money, quite rightly, they had catered for me.

I agree Allsorts. I can't believe people being so outraged about someone not getting a table that they would suggest boycotting a favourite venue and telling all their friends.
Not getting what you want is no reason to try to close a restaurant and ruin someone's livelihood.

If all the small tables have gone, no restaurant is going to seat two people at a large table knowing it will mean that they will have to turn away another 6 people at Christmas. It's disappointing, I know, but the restaurant is under no obligation to serve anyone if they won't make a profit. Times are hard, and if people want hospitality venues to stay afloat they will have to cut them some slack.

kwest

Why not get M&S or Waitrose to deliver your favourite Christmas dinner items in the week before Christmas. You just unwrap and put it in the oven. Make your table pretty or not whatever you like. You will have paid a fraction of the cost of Christmas Day. I am assuming you have a dishwasher, You could then have a very smart lunch out on another day with the money you didn't spend on Christmas day. If you really want to go out what about booking to stay over in a nice hotel for a couple of days and let the staff do Christmas for you? It won't be cheap but it might be something you enjoy. My daughter's in-laws did try that one Christmas because whoever they spent Christmas with, they felt one or more of their other children would be upset so they decided to go to an hotel. They hated it, they said it felt like God's waiting room, full of elderly couples who's families probably didn't want them. They never did it again.

I agree with this.
We try to organise our online Christmas deliveries to be just beforehand so that we can get all the trimmings ready made and the meat and vegetables prepared. These are often much more attractive than my home made equivalent.
The only things I actually make now are cranberry sauce from fresh or frozen cranberries and roast potatoes done in the air fryer whilst the rest of the meal is in the oven. I prefer Maris Piper potatoes cooked in goose fat and they cook just as quickly if you prepare them in advance.
We use both Waitrose and Ocado (for M&S Christmas food).
You can also get a nice starter and dessert, so that the meal is a joy rather than a trial.

Allsorts

Do you not realise how business's are struggling, I don't blame them, please be more understanding, it's their liviehoods they are protecting, pubs are closing by the day. To suggest booking for 6 and cancelling, is just disgraceful, , I think they should have payment in advance, having bought the food, paid for extra staff, that by the way are working Christmas Day, not for the fun of it, they need the money, times are hard. Last Christmas I missed all I had booked due to Covid here you pay in advance so I lost my money, quite rightly, they had catered for me.

Restaurants in our area do now ask for payment in advance and I don't blame them either. However my daughter booked a couple of years ago and they had upped the price when she got there, an extra £20 pp. They had her over a barrel and would not have refunded the initial payment if she had cancelled.

That's not fair, cc. I can understand charging £20 extra at Christmas, as staff costs will be higher, but people should know before they book that this will be happening.