A West Country pub has spoken out after charging diners an extra fee for leaving an “excessive” amount of food on their plates. The Star Inn at Vogue, known for its ‘eat as much as you like’ policy for £12 on condition that plates are cleared, had to implement its well-signposted rule for the first time when the patrons left a large amount of food, resulting in an additional £2.40 fee per person.
The customers, who had originally paid £12 each for the meal, expressed their astonishment upon being charged extra when settling the bill. Despite the clear signage at the carvery station, they claimed to have “never heard anything like that before”.
Amid the controversy, the landlords of the pub received a wave of support and delivered a clever retort when the issue was raised on social media. They argued that the quantity of food left behind by the customers was enough to feed at least two more people and posted photos to show the extent of the waste, reports Cornwall Live.
Mark Graham, the Cornish proprietor of The Star Inn at Vogue, Cornwall, said: “I say my mind and that’s how it is. That was the first time we’ve ever had to put the charge on and the first thing I did was send my staff back out to ask if everything was alright. [The customers] said the food was lovely and that was it.”
The forthright publican remarked: “I don’t care about a couple of potatoes getting left. It’s just stupid, excessive waste that bothers me. If everyone did that I’d have to cook shed loads of food.”
He explained that the modest extra charge would contribute towards the cost of raw materials but wouldn’t cover the expenses for equipment or staff wages. “You can take as much as you like, come back as many times as you like and as the old Navy saying goes, you can fill your boots. Do whatever you want, just don’t waste it,” he added.
The publican emphasised that his aim wasn’t to make additional profits, mentioning that he even allows families with young children to pay for one meal and get an extra plate; it’s not about the money for him.
“I tell everyone, I’m in this game to earn a living, not make a fortune. I just like the job. I’ve always been in and out of this job since I was 14 and it’s a way of life. I enjoy it. I’m making a living, not a killing and I’m not ripping people off. We want to help everybody out.”
Photographs captured by the pub staff illustrate how two plates were returned to the kitchen piled high with slices of meat, a couple of roast potatoes each, a generous helping of vegetables, and some crackling. Mark and Rachel, who run the establishment, clarified that their carvery permits patrons to get seconds once they’ve finished, which leaves no room for excuses when it comes to leaving a full plate of food.
Verity Farmer, who took her grievances to the Newest Newquay Facebook group, shared: “Just been for a Sunday carvery at the Star Inn, Vogue, St Day, we paid for our meal at £12 each, and when we got our bill it had got an extra £4.80 added when questioned about it they said it was a charge for not eating all our meal. I’ve never heard anything like that before.”
Her disclosure sparked almost 400 comments in under a day. The Star Inn itself weighed in, explaining: “We just try and make sure there is enough food for everyone. I’m sure if you were a customer later on in the day and I had to tell you I had no food left for your booking because it had all been wasted and gone in the bin you would not be very happy and would have made another social media post too.”
The contentious issue quickly became the talk of the town, eliciting mixed views, but the majority hailed it as a savvy measure to deter diners from excessive plate-loading. Expressing her approval, Wendy Ann commented: “Never heard of this policy before but what a great idea and clearly this is a ridiculous amount of food to waste and I think not charging for children is brilliant. Great response to the poster and shows how you were fully justified.”
Gary Barnes commented: “Great idea to stop people being too greedy… just as long as it’s clearly advertised..”
While Hazel Petrie reflected: “As my mum would have said they had eyes bigger than their belly. I hate to see good food wasted. The notice in the Star Inn is clear enough; I’ve seen it myself. It says you can go back for more so it’s perfectly fair.”
Jaz Holmes remarked: “Brilliant idea. We went to a carvery today and saw a woman pile on 10 roast potatoes. No exaggeration. I commented to my partner what an absolute waste that’s going to be. If you’re able to go up as many times as you like then there should be absolutely no waste. Take a small plate and go and get more if needed. Simples!”
Christopher Maguire said: “That’s an obscene amount of wastage that would feed me two days when I was broke.”
Mark added “the news keeps finding me” after hitting the headlines a couple of years ago when the fashion brand Vogue threatened to sue his pub. The turmoil unfolded when Conde Nast, the company behind Vogue magazine, issued a ‘cease and desist’ letter to the proprietors of the Star Inn at Vogue, claiming the right over the use of the name ‘Vogue’.
This caused quite the stir due to the fact the pub has existed for over two centuries, predating not only the magazine but also embedded in the heritage of the namesake village. In what was a twist of events, the media corporation acknowledged its mistake by issuing an apology to the traditional Cornish tavern.