the central, thurso

[Ash]

i went in with my inlaws a month or so ago, intended on just having a drink but they were having lunch and asked me to order something so i had a toastie as nothing else seemed worth the money.... ive been back in with my other half we had cullin skin it was ok, huge bowl of it but not alot of flavour... nothing wrong with updating menu but alot of people wont go in now as the menu doesnt have alot on it....

[Jeid]

The new menu has a good selection. The problem we had before was that there was TOO much on the old menu. It was rather large and rather dated. We're trying to go for quality over quantity now.(As I said earlier, we're working on the quality/consistency) To say it doesn't have a lot on it, I find baffling. I've gone into a lot of places for lunch and dinner, away from the county, and been given a much smaller choice.

Next time you're in and you find that your meal isn't what you expected, speak to one of us so we can address the problem for you there and then. If your soup didn't taste as good as you thought, we can't do anything about it after you're out the door.

This is a common problem in Caithness, as I've seen on the recommendation forum time after time. People are more than willing to knock a place, but aren't willing to raise it with staff at the time. We can only improve if we are told that there's a problem. I know some people are gonna say "get the old menu back." But it's not going to happen. We've moved on from that now.

[Ash]

the menu may have what you call a good selection, but whats with the price, its every expensive, a breakfast is £7 to £8 if i rememeber as are most burgers

[Jeid]

I know there's another place in town with burgers almost as expensive and I'm fairly certain they buy their burgers in. Our burgers are homemade and are half a pound of meat(we do one that's a pound of meat) plus all the trimmings.

Like I've said before, we're trying to up the quality of the food being served. Unfortunately, we can't please everyone all the time.

If you look at your shopping bill, it's gone up in price over the past twelve months... I can't possibly comment on the business side of things accurately, but I can have a guess that we're in the exact same position as a business. Food is costs more these days. I've seen that myself when I go shopping. There's a lot of talk about the price of food in the press.

[ks]

Next time you're in and you find that your meal isn't what you expected, speak to one of us so we can address the problem for you there and then. If your soup didn't taste as good as you thought, we can't do anything about it after you're out the door.

I was in a couple of weeks ago and ordered potato and leek soup, it was definately made from a packet or made with powdered potato as you could taste it, I asked the waitress if it was homemade and she said it was. I couldn't eat it as it and explained this politely when she cleared the table, she appologised but that was it. When we were leaving they were changing the specials board from potato and leek to potato and herb!!

I don't think it is too overpriced compared to other similar places it is more case that the price has increased so much since the new menu came out.

It could definately do with a good clean though!

[BRIE]

I'm sure I've missed something, so I'll check back (quote jeid)

yes you have!!! please read the original post, at no point do I comment on the food! this seems to have gone completely off topic, it seems the quality of the food is more important than safety! what exactly is your views on whether you would pass a health & safety inspection??

[Jeid]

I was in a couple of weeks ago and ordered potato and leek soup, it was definately made from a packet or made with powdered potato as you could taste it, I asked the waitress if it was homemade and she said it was. I couldn't eat it as it and explained this politely when she cleared the table, she appologised but that was it. When we were leaving they were changing the specials board from potato and leek to potato and herb!!

I don't think it is too overpriced compared to other similar places it is more case that the price has increased so much since the new menu came out.

It could definately do with a good clean though!

I was there that day and can say for sure that all the soups are home made. I think there was a breakdown in communication as to what the soup was that day... it was me who wrote the board that day, so I'm to blame. My bad. I remember the girl saying to me that you'd asked about the soup. No offence, but people will believe what they want to believe, even if we tell them the facts.

As for health and safety, we had our inspection not so long ago and the barriers were not mentioned in it. I understand your concern, but at the same time, I don't understand how the kids could've have gotten in the window unless they weren't supervised. I'm a bit confused so perhaps I'm not understanding things properly, but if you were sitting at a window seat, surely you would've seen them go to the window? I know kids can be a handful at times, I've seen so many children run amok in the place. Long gone are the days when children were seen and not heard

The issues have been raised at work, but feel free to send in that letter you were writing.

[Blondie]

the menu may have what you call a good selection, but whats with the price, its every expensive, a breakfast is £7 to £8 if i rememeber as are most burgers

I'd quite happily pay that for good quality home made food.

[Ash]

im sorry but i dont think it is home made quality food

[BRIE]

As for health and safety, we had our inspection not so long ago and the barriers were not mentioned in it. I understand your concern, but at the same time, I don't understand how the kids could've have gotten in the window unless they weren't supervised. I'm a bit confused so perhaps I'm not understanding things properly, but if you were sitting at a window seat, surely you would've seen them go to the window? I know kids can be a handful at times, I've seen so many children run amok in the place. Long gone are the days when children were seen and not heard

The issues have been raised at work, but feel free to send in that letter you were writing.

wasnt your recent health & safety inspection just for the kitchens etc, not a full premises inspection? maybe the information I was given was wrong.
you say you dont understand how a child could get into the window please let me explain again!
we were sat on the raised area where the railings go from floor to waist height around the windows my child whos just 2 walked round the back of my chair & through the gap between the railings, no squeezing needed the gap was plenty big enough that he was in within a second & with my reactions out a whole lot quicker! of course I knew they were at the window as the whole raised area is windows floor to ceiling, but silly me thought the railings were a safety measure to prevent anyone getting to the windowsill.
as for the letter it was written & posted the same day as the incident to the owner at there address.

[BRIE]

Forgot to say the food was actually fantastic the day we were there! definately homemade soup & everything was very nicely presented.It is pricey though!

[rfcgav]

I think your man is right people are scared of change and far to quick put a place down, I had cullen skink the other day and it was beautiful very well presented and the waitress was spot on! As for the place needing done up i think the bar area is looking pretty good wasnt it recently done up? and the play area looks ok to me, Whats the problem a couple of holes in the wall beside the bouncy castle?? My me whatever next? Hardly deserves such a condemnation like the start of this thread surely? But hey you want the place done up and the menu cheaper the owner is a business man not a charity case get a grip... Keep up the good work Central people.

Forgot to say about the lad inbetween the glass and the barriers thats not on and something should be done and the guy saying you should look after your kids better? What gives you the right to say that you dont know her and wasnt there to see the situation ats a terrible thing to say obviously everyone is not as perfect as yourself pal.

rant over

[padfoot]

i was in there a couple of weeks ago but i cant comment on the food as we left the prices are far too much, me my mum and my 2 kids went in for lunch and for us to hav lunch would of cost us about £35 fourtunetly kids dont like the bouncy castle too noisy so went to y not instead much better priced plus also 4.50 for a kids meal fair enough if they are quite a bit older and are likely to eat all there food but most kids wont its quite a bit for somthing thats probs not gona get eaten altho i think its good they got macaroni cheese on kids menu but sadly i wont be going back cant afford that sort of prices i defo think old menu was better more choice for better prices

the people i feel sorry for are the families who take their kids regularly, cos the kids will still want to go and if they generally order a full meal they may be out an extra tenner or more a week


plus our alternatives are the tempest and y-not which we enjoy plus they look nicer, cleaner and have no sign's of disrepare or damp and are cheaper but still have quality meals

[Jeid]

If you're trying to say that the kids meals in Y Not are better priced, then erm, you should probably re-educate yourself. The kids meals in the Central are £4.50 as well... even though the menus say £4.55

[unicorn]

If people are not happy to pay the prices of food in an establishment stay home and make a sandwich, so much cheaper.

[magraw]

why has the new central menu,1 option for vegetarians,macaroni cheese,not even a cheese salad !

[Rampant Rabbit]

why can,t your boss answer these people complains on the org or made be its above him he taken enough out of the town you must be his hero

[Jeid]

I'll try and make sense of your post...

I'm sure if these people were decent enough to go in to the Central instead of posting on the internet about why they have a problem with the place, he'd try and answer them.

This is the internet. Some people like to complain because they can hide their identity, much like yourself... and try to call people out. I don't need to be anyone's hero. I'm sure the boss can stick up for himself. But what's the point? You can't please everyone all of the time. I don't see what he'd say that would make a difference on here. Everyone has opinions and no matter what anyone says, they'll stick to them.

[Rampant Rabbit]

well try the perrie cafe at scrabster £6 for large breakfast £5 for the smaller one jeid and its great value if you like and then come back and tell us the central good value for money

[dragonfly]

well try the perrie cafe at scrabster £6 for large breakfast £5 for the smaller one

its even cheaper if you make it at home!

I've not been in the Central for months but if I were to have a problem with the service/meal I would certainly voice my opinion then and there rather than come on here and moan about it.

Doubt Brian will take notice of anonymous complaints on here much more likely to listen to ones that he or his staff are faced with at the time of complaint - you can't rectify something if its not brought to your attention at the time, its a case of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted