The Swan.

Feed The Goat

Well-Known Forumite
You don’t feel that you can comment at all?

I’ve said several times, please don’t shoot the messenger.

I want The Moat House to survive, I really do, but having visited on a regular basis, I have noticed a slow decline over the months.

I’d love it to be back “up there” again.


A slow decline in what?
 

littleme

250,000th poster!
You don’t feel that you can comment at all?
You're just not going to get a truthful answer @Carole , even weeks before the news was 'official', when asked Chris Lewis carefully avoided answering..

I can assure you I’m very much still about however if you don’t see me, it’s because I’m off supporting England U20’s rugby tour and one Sam Lewis

I'm sure hes just doing whats best for his family.
 

Jade-clothing

Well-Known Forumite
Out of interest @ChrisLewis

The word out on the street from some of the staff at The Moat House is that they think they are next to go.

Please don’t shoot the messenger, I love the Moat House, and we had our wedding there last year.

However, the staff are saying that there is no investment in staff training, they are demotivated and the management won’t spend money updating the building itself.

I’d be very sad to see The Moat House go.

If something is afoot with the Moat house then @ChrisLewis is not going to say so @Carole
Sometimes you need to know when to keep your mouth shut on here - I knew what was happening with the Swan but never said anything as sometimes gossip can affect a business deal and to be honest it was none of our business what was happening. I have a habit of 'knowing' things as I know many people and many a time I've kept my mouth shut rather than broadcast something on here. I believe it's called tact.
I'm not having a go but gossip, whether it's true or not can sometimes damage a business. Saying 'please don't shoot the messenger' is just a way to make out it's not you gossiping, but actually ...... it really is!
 

Carole

Well-Known Forumite
If something is afoot with the Moat house then @ChrisLewis is not going to say so @Carole
Sometimes you need to know when to keep your mouth shut on here - I knew what was happening with the Swan but never said anything as sometimes gossip can affect a business deal and to be honest it was none of our business what was happening. I have a habit of 'knowing' things as I know many people and many a time I've kept my mouth shut rather than broadcast something on here. I believe it's called tact.
I'm not having a go but gossip, whether it's true or not can sometimes damage a business. Saying 'please don't shoot the messenger' is just a way to make out it's not you gossiping, but actually ...... it really is!

You have made some good points however I don't see you ticking off those who are "gossiping" about the possible closure of the i motion gym.
Re The Moat House, to say it's no ones business is a bit odd in that customer service at a pub/restaurant is surely of interest to anyone that wants to dine there.
I don't agree that talking about it on this forum will have too much of an effect when anyone can read reviews on trip advisor or actually walk in and experience it for themselves.

I do actually know more about what goes on from someone who works there but I've chosen not to repeat those comments.

I still go there on a regular basis and to be fair, the food is always fantastic. It's one of the reasons that we keep returning.
However some of the staff don't even know how to lay up a table setting properly. Some of the issues are minor but the little things add up and it certainly never used to be that way.

Only the other week I rang up to book a table of 8 for the murder mystery night. £45 per head x 8. I was told I couldn't have a table of 8. All tables were to be in 12,s. We would have to have 2 other couples on our table which wasn't really what we wanted so we didn't book.

As I've been going there regularly for nearly 20 years I really want it to succeed.

My comments and questions were out of concern not malice.
 

Jade-clothing

Well-Known Forumite
You have made some good points however I don't see you ticking off those who are "gossiping" about the possible closure of the i motion gym.
Re The Moat House, to say it's no ones business is a bit odd in that customer service at a pub/restaurant is surely of interest to anyone that wants to dine there.
I don't agree that talking about it on this forum will have too much of an effect when anyone can read reviews on trip advisor or actually walk in and experience it for themselves.

I do actually know more about what goes on from someone who works there but I've chosen not to repeat those comments.

I still go there on a regular basis and to be fair, the food is always fantastic. It's one of the reasons that we keep returning.
However some of the staff don't even know how to lay up a table setting properly. Some of the issues are minor but the little things add up and it certainly never used to be that way.

Only the other week I rang up to book a table of 8 for the murder mystery night. £45 per head x 8. I was told I couldn't have a table of 8. All tables were to be in 12,s. We would have to have 2 other couples on our table which wasn't really what we wanted so we didn't book.

As I've been going there regularly for nearly 20 years I really want it to succeed.

My comments and questions were out of concern not malice.

It was actually me that started off the Imotion gym closing conversation - it was based on fact not my own personal opinion so I'm not going to be ticking off anyone else who has commented because it's true. I'm not saying you aren't right about the Moat house but it's not fact at this moment in time whereas what I and others have said about the gym is based on what we actually know to be true, not heresay.
 

Carole

Well-Known Forumite
Yet before the Swan sale was confirmed there were people on this very thread asking questions about it and yet you made no comment to them at all.

I ask exactly the same question about the Moat House and you feel it necessary to tell me to "learn when to keep my mouth shut".

I expect it's because anything I say completely winds you up so you feel the need to get one over on me, whereas you like the people who commented on the Swan so they get let off.

Hope that you had a fabulous birthday by the way.
 

Jade-clothing

Well-Known Forumite
Yet before the Swan sale was confirmed there were people on this very thread asking questions about it and yet you made no comment to them at all.

I ask exactly the same question about the Moat House and you feel it necessary to tell me to "learn when to keep my mouth shut".

I expect it's because anything I say completely winds you up so you feel the need to get one over on me, whereas you like the people who commented on the Swan so they get let off.

Hope that you had a fabulous birthday by the way.

I didn't say anything to the people asking questions about the Swan because I knew what was going on and had decided to keep my mouth shut, it was possibly the worst kept secret ever but as I say - gossip can affect business deals and I didn't want to scupper it for @ChrisLewis although I very much doubt comments on here would have done that anyway but I respected the fact he was keeping quiet about it on here.
The question you asked about the Moat House was nothing like what people were saying about The Swan. As I said I have no idea one way or another if there is any truth in the fact that they are to follow like wise but people have a habit of revelling in others misfortunes , in my opinion it's just people reading too much in to it at this stage. You really think if the Lewis Partnership is in trouble they are going to announce it on a public forum?
'I expect it's because anything I say completely winds you up' --- Correct! you have a way of wording things in a very condescending way.
 

Beatnik

Newbie
Can’t quite understand why you just don’t leave the Lewis family alone. So they’ve sold a business - good on them! The comments about service issues at the Moat House are out of order and the source of information that @Carole keeps referring to may be a member of staff who isn’t happy there anyway or just listening to staff gossip regarding the sale.

With regards standards and training, staff in the pub/restaurant trade continually change and most of the time it is on the job training due to how busy these places get.

If you are so upset about issues at The Moat House contact Chris Lewis via The Moat House instead of having a go on here. I can quite understand his comment above and if I was him I’d have nothing more to do with this site either. Don’t hide behind your profile on this forum.

As for the Lewis family not announcing it before the sale completed - this is normal practice with deals like this. There may have been an embargo put in place by the new owners so the deal didn’t fall through.

If the Lewis family want to change the dynamics of their business then it has absolutely nothing to do with anyone but them.

Reading other comments on facebook regarding the sale I am amazed that people are so angry. The Swan is still there, all the existing staff have kept their jobs - the only change will be you won’t see the Lewis family anymore.
 

Beatnik

Newbie
And one more thing - maybe they’re looking to get out of the pub trade eventually and this is the start of them pulling out. I don’t blame them if this is the type of thing they have to deal with on a regular basis!
 

Feed The Goat

Well-Known Forumite
And one more thing - maybe they’re looking to get out of the pub trade eventually and this is the start of them pulling out. I don’t blame them if this is the type of thing they have to deal with on a regular basis!

Maybe thinking of getting out of the pub trade?

Is this gossip, rumour or speculation?

Can we remove all gossip, rumour or speculation and even opinion from this forum immediately.

Isn't this lovely weather we are having.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
I'd say they certainly aren't getting out of the trade, they're just getting out of the town. Since being single again I've started to experience first hand what a Saturday night on the town looks like and I'd rather be running a country pub/restaurant than a town center one too!
 

Glam

Mad Cat Woman
Can’t quite understand why you just don’t leave the Lewis family alone. So they’ve sold a business - good on them! The comments about service issues at the Moat House are out of order and the source of information that @Carole keeps referring to may be a member of staff who isn’t happy there anyway or just listening to staff gossip regarding the sale.

With regards standards and training, staff in the pub/restaurant trade continually change and most of the time it is on the job training due to how busy these places get.

If you are so upset about issues at The Moat House contact Chris Lewis via The Moat House instead of having a go on here. I can quite understand his comment above and if I was him I’d have nothing more to do with this site either. Don’t hide behind your profile on this forum.

As for the Lewis family not announcing it before the sale completed - this is normal practice with deals like this. There may have been an embargo put in place by the new owners so the deal didn’t fall through.

If the Lewis family want to change the dynamics of their business then it has absolutely nothing to do with anyone but them.

Reading other comments on facebook regarding the sale I am amazed that people are so angry. The Swan is still there, all the existing staff have kept their jobs - the only change will be you won’t see the Lewis family anymore.
And one more thing - maybe they’re looking to get out of the pub trade eventually and this is the start of them pulling out. I don’t blame them if this is the type of thing they have to deal with on a regular basis!
At rick of having my wrist slapped by our lovely Admin.
Did you sign up especially to comment on this thread?
Do you work for the Lewis family?
 
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