A Christmas Day celebration turned into a festive nightmare for diners at a Norfolk pub, where a complete kitchen walkout left families without their £90 dinners and staff in tears.
A Festive Fiasco Unfolds
The Golden Fleece pub in Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, promised a dog-friendly festive feast but delivered what one guest described as a 'Fawlty Towers experience'. Patrons, including families and elderly couples, faced escalating delays before the kitchen service collapsed entirely.
Julie and Jamie Dooley, 47, from Derbyshire, were among the guests. They had chosen the venue specifically as it was one of the few locally offering a Christmas dinner where dogs were welcome. After an initial Prosecco, the couple waited over an hour for their starters, noticing other tables had not been served at all.
Kitney Chaos and Emotional Staff
The atmosphere deteriorated rapidly as tensions boiled over behind the scenes. "The kitchen staff began arguing among themselves," reported Mrs Dooley. "I witnessed a chef take his jacket off and walk out." The situation left remaining staff struggling to cope.
Mr Dooley, who runs a dog boarding business, witnessed heated arguments while trying to get drinks. "They were having a really bad argument, and the staff were in tears, they just didn't know what was going on," he said. One staff member serving their table was visibly upset. "We had a member of staff serving us, and she was actually in tears," Mrs Dooley confirmed.
Christmas Hopes Dashed
The final blow came approximately two and a half hours after arrival, when diners were informed the kitchen had closed and no more food would be served. "We got told that the kitchen was no longer wanting to serve food and was refusing to carry on," said Mr Dooley.
The impact was severe. One woman from Kent was reportedly in tears and struggling to breathe from distress. Another elderly couple, who had not been out for years, received nothing. The Dooleys believe management should have intervened sooner. "They should have shut the restaurant down the day before," Mr Dooley stated.
The pub has since promised the couple a refund within five days. However, the disaster extended beyond those in the building. Graham Fuller had his 3pm booking cancelled at 2.15pm on Christmas Day, leaving him £75 deposit down and with no food in his holiday home. "It's ruined Christmas, not just for us, but other families," he said.
On December 31st, The Golden Fleece posted on Facebook that it was temporarily closed due to 'unforeseen circumstances', apologising to guests and stating they were contacting those with future bookings.
