Chambers in Stafford

[John Marwood]

Doesn't have to be cheap drinks, just not that expensive. Few pool tables, standard meals, few games machines, job done.

Hahaha

Business made easy

FAIL

 

[Tumble weed]

it'll be ok for 6 months!

 

[flossietoo]

Dreadful way of treating the staff. You guys were always excellent. However the food was, to be honest, not so good. Not eaten in there since Jan when we had to send back 2 salads! If you cant get salads right, what hope is there?

Simple truth was, it was too expensive for the quality delivered. It tried to be a Bunning and Price style place, but me and most of my friends continued driving to the Fox at Newport rather than Chambers.

The minute you guys started doing theme nights and carvery I feared the writing was on the wall!

Shame really. Such promise!

So, from one bad meal, which was a frickin salad, you decided their food was bad? Lots of folks have had really excellent meals in there, and a salad is probably the easiest thing to get wrong, especially when you consider that a salad one person would find delicious, another would barf at the first bite...

As to expensive, it was no more expensive than any other gastropub in Stafford. Maybe you are just a cheap sod who expects too much for the tiny amount they wish to pay? Perhaps you would prefer McDonalds?

The food was good, the prices were fine, the service was excellent, and dare I say it, the female staff were certainly easy on the eyes, and not the young kids you see working in many pubs. It was nice to be served by ADULTS for a change. lol

A message to the staff: You guys did a good job in there from my brief experience. You didn't deserve to be dismissed in such circumstances, and I wish you all the best in finding new jobs.

Ade

I'm very sorry to hear about Chambers and much more sorry to know that people have lost their jobs. However, I think you are being a little unfair here to ExiledInStaffers. He/she is quite right. The Fox is head-and-shoulders above anything in Stafford. I'm going there tonight and I know two things: the food will be fantastic and the place will be packed. It is a huge place, full every night of the week. I think I remember reading it has just won some big award for the best food in Shropshire. It is a bit more expensive than Chambers but not excessively so and the food is in a different league and puddings...oh god...the puddings. Since it opened, other gastro-pubs in the area have struggled. One closed and several changed hands. It would be brilliant if Brunning & Price did take on a place in Stafford.
Oh - and ExiledInStaffers - for the nights that the wait for a table is too long at The Fox, I can recommend The Aston. Not as great but still good.

 

[John Marwood]

it'll be ok for 6 months!

Check out the following


Business rates

Electricty

Gas

Insurance

Wages

Wet stock

Dry stock

Maintenance

Tax

And begin...

 

[ATJ]

Doesn't have to be cheap drinks, just not that expensive. Few pool tables, standard meals, few games machines, job done.

Hahaha

Business made easy

FAIL

To be fair, the Hogshead wasn't closed because of any lack of business- it was closed because the owners panicked about the smoking ban.

It used to always be packed and with good reason. Whether you like it or not, there will always be business for a cheap bar that welcomes students and has a jukebox and a pool table.

Apparently, more business than there is for a bar with expensive beer and a frequently changing menu.

 

[John Marwood]

Doesn't have to be cheap drinks, just not that expensive. Few pool tables, standard meals, few games machines, job done.

Hahaha

Business made easy

FAIL

To be fair, the Hogshead wasn't closed because of any lack of business- it was closed because the owners panicked about the smoking ban.

It used to always be packed and with good reason. Whether you like it or not, there will always be business for a cheap bar that welcomes students and has a jukebox and a pool table.

Apparently, more business than there is for a bar with expensive beer and a frequently changing menu.

JDW

 

[Stevieb]

The most gutting feeling is that we had what was looking like a really good December shaping up and we were all looking forward to working there over xmas.

 

[tek-monkey]

To be fair, the hogs was a dump! Don't get me wrong, I was in there several times a week, but it was still a dump. Aiming for the cheaper end of the market leaves tighter margins, once your profit margins are thinner than that becham woman you sure can't afford to pay your staff to clean, let alone pay for repair work. The beer wasn't exactly great, the glasses were often dirty and there were some right dodgy characters in there. I loved it!

Would hate to have owned it though.

 

[speak65]

Dreadful way of treating the staff. You guys were always excellent. However the food was, to be honest, not so good. Not eaten in there since Jan when we had to send back 2 salads! If you cant get salads right, what hope is there?

Simple truth was, it was too expensive for the quality delivered. It tried to be a Bunning and Price style place, but me and most of my friends continued driving to the Fox at Newport rather than Chambers.

The minute you guys started doing theme nights and carvery I feared the writing was on the wall!

Shame really. Such promise!

So, from one bad meal, which was a frickin salad, you decided their food was bad? Lots of folks have had really excellent meals in there, and a salad is probably the easiest thing to get wrong, especially when you consider that a salad one person would find delicious, another would barf at the first bite...

As to expensive, it was no more expensive than any other gastropub in Stafford. Maybe you are just a cheap sod who expects too much for the tiny amount they wish to pay? Perhaps you would prefer McDonalds?

The food was good, the prices were fine, the service was excellent, and dare I say it, the female staff were certainly easy on the eyes, and not the young kids you see working in many pubs. It was nice to be served by ADULTS for a change. lol

A message to the staff: You guys did a good job in there from my brief experience. You didn't deserve to be dismissed in such circumstances, and I wish you all the best in finding new jobs.

Ade

I'm very sorry to hear about Chambers and much more sorry to know that people have lost their jobs. However, I think you are being a little unfair here to ExiledInStaffers. He/she is quite right. The Fox is head-and-shoulders above anything in Stafford. I'm going there tonight and I know two things: the food will be fantastic and the place will be packed. It is a huge place, full every night of the week. I think I remember reading it has just won some big award for the best food in Shropshire. It is a bit more expensive than Chambers but not excessively so and the food is in a different league and puddings...oh god...the puddings. Since it opened, other gastro-pubs in the area have struggled. One closed and several changed hands. It would be brilliant if Brunning & Price did take on a place in Stafford.
Oh - and ExiledInStaffers - for the nights that the wait for a table is too long at The Fox, I can recommend The Aston. Not as great but still good.

Total agreement with Exiled and Flossie that it didnt quite hit the mark with the quality of the food - we had a terrible meal shortly after it opened, but gave it another couple of goes after the writeups on the forum, and I would declare the food as "fine". A step up from "grub", but certainly not gastropub fare.

An awful lot of places are using the gastropub tag, charging the gastropub prices but not delivering in the quality of dishes.
I am happy with "grub" at "grub" prices, but also love fine dining and dont object to paying Michelin prices for Michelin food. I do object to paying Michelin prices for grub.

I always found the staff, pleasant and helpful and am so genuinely sorry for all the employees, what a rotten way that the owners dealt with this. I was there at lunchtime and the notices were still on the door that they were going to be open today.

Hope you all find something soon.

And hopefully the old Post Office will deliver real quality food - something that in my view, Stafford has a distinct lack of.

 

[speak65]

unfortunatly it looks like they knew we were in trouble the end of last week and used the 2 day closure to clean the place out.None of us knew what was happening untill we recieved text msg from owners.

That is an absolutely disgusting way for the owners to behave.

I can understand the business need to keep matters to themselves.
If you make it known to employees, that the business is in dire trouble, employees understandably have to look after number one, and often leave, making it more difficult to trade.
The owners are often negotiating the position with creditors right up to the last moment hoping for a reprieve, that rarely comes.

But to lay staff off by text message - that stinks - scumbags - I dont know how they sleep at night.

Edit - business generalisation here, no business knowledge of the Chambers situation itself.

 

[John Marwood]

No idea how Dennis will claw back his million at the Post House

It would take 100,000 ten pound meals to do it

Who pays more than that in Stafford?

Not many

Not many at all

 

[Gramaisc]

I understand that they spent the best part of a million on the Trumpet/Radford, and that was some years ago. I was sceptical about that at the time, but it seems to be carrying on OK..

 

[Stevieb]

One the plus side I have now got the spare time to play wow and get a few lvl 85 toons

(every cloud has a silver lining)

 

[speak65]

I understand that they spent the best part of a million on the Trumpet/Radford, and that was some years ago. I was sceptical about that at the time, but it seems to be carrying on OK..

I dont go there often despite living near, but as per my earlier point - grub at grub prices. Its not the greatest meal you will ever eat by a long shot, but its cheap and plentiful.

 

[John Marwood]

I understand that they spent the best part of a million on the Trumpet/Radford, and that was some years ago. I was sceptical about that at the time, but it seems to be carrying on OK..

Kiss of death that than ..

 

[jeffers4591]

unfortunatly it looks like they knew we were in trouble the end of last week and used the 2 day closure to clean the place out.None of us knew what was happening untill we recieved text msg from owners.

That is an absolutely disgusting way for the owners to behave.

I can understand the business need to keep matters to themselves.
If you make it known to employees, that the business is in dire trouble, employees understandably have to look after number one, and often leave, making it more difficult to trade.
The owners are often negotiating the position with creditors right up to the last moment hoping for a reprieve, that rarely comes.

But to lay staff off by text message - that stinks - scumbags - I dont know how they sleep at night.

Edit - business generalisation here, no business knowledge of the Chambers situation itself.

Speak65
You do not know all the FACTS. See my earlier posting for an explanation of why a group text message was sent.
It was impossible to arrange to meet all the staff at such short notice. If you wish to call us "scumbags" then both myself and Norman are more than happy to meet with you face to face at a convenient time and place to discuss this further

 

[jeffers4591]

No idea how Dennis will claw back his million at the Post House

It would take 100,000 ten pound meals to do it

Who pays more than that in Stafford?

Not many

Not many at all

In actual fact if you take a ten pound meal and take into account VAT which is paid directly to the
government i.e. giving a business £8.33 net and then apply a gross profit percentage of around 65% which is what you will make at best these days i.e. £5.41 and then ignore ALL other running costs that you mention it will take 184,842 ten pound meals to do it.

Easy isn't it ????

 

[jeffers4591]

Doesn't have to be cheap drinks, just not that expensive. Few pool tables, standard meals, few games machines, job done.

Hahaha

Business made easy

FAIL

To be fair, the Hogshead wasn't closed because of any lack of business- it was closed because the owners panicked about the smoking ban.

It used to always be packed and with good reason. Whether you like it or not, there will always be business for a cheap bar that welcomes students and has a jukebox and a pool table.

Apparently, more business than there is for a bar with expensive beer and a frequently changing menu.

And you know this How?????

The truth of the matter is the Hogshead closed because the Laurel Pub Company (a national chain) went into Liquidation and the receivers foreclosed on all the loss making/worst performing outlets. The Stafford Hogshead was one of those

 

[speak65]

unfortunatly it looks like they knew we were in trouble the end of last week and used the 2 day closure to clean the place out.None of us knew what was happening untill we recieved text msg from owners.

That is an absolutely disgusting way for the owners to behave.

I can understand the business need to keep matters to themselves.
If you make it known to employees, that the business is in dire trouble, employees understandably have to look after number one, and often leave, making it more difficult to trade.
The owners are often negotiating the position with creditors right up to the last moment hoping for a reprieve, that rarely comes.

But to lay staff off by text message - that stinks - scumbags - I dont know how they sleep at night.

Edit - business generalisation here, no business knowledge of the Chambers situation itself.

Speak65
You do not know all the FACTS. See my earlier posting for an explanation of why a group text message was sent.
It was impossible to arrange to meet all the staff at such short notice. If you wish to call us "scumbags" then both myself and Norman are more than happy to meet with you face to face at a convenient time and place to discuss this further

So it was impossible to text all to arrange an emergency meeting?
I feel for your situation, and am sure you did everything to avoid the final conclusion, but 16 peoples lives have been effected by the impersonable method of such news via text message.
For each and every one of them, this could have a masssive effect on their lives.
These are employees that had loyalty to you, but you felt that you were unable to bestow on them the decency of giving them this terrible news to their faces.
As an owner of the business, I believe you have a moral responsibility for your employees. These are the people who in better times, would be doing the work to make profits for you.

And yes - I do wish to call you scumbags as I feel there were honourable ways you could have delivered this news to your employees. 16 employees - not 1600 or 16,000 - it would have been possible, perhaps not easy but possible, but it is not an option you chose to take.

As for your offer of meeting - it cries to me of a "come outside and we'll sort this out".
Thanks for the invite, but I don't do business that way.

 

[John Marwood]

No idea how Dennis will claw back his million at the Post House

It would take 100,000 ten pound meals to do it

Who pays more than that in Stafford?

Not many

Not many at all

In actual fact if you take a ten pound meal and take into account VAT which is paid directly to the
government i.e. giving a business £8.33 net and then apply a gross profit percentage of around 65% which is what you will make at best these days i.e. £5.41 and then ignore ALL other running costs that you mention it will take 184,842 ten pound meals to do it.



Easy isn't it ????

It has me at a loss too