Pub charges people for extreme food waste

One customer on social media stated she paid £24 for two meals at the pub “and when we got our bill it had got an extra £4.80 added” Other comments from social media however supported the site, praising it for “raising the issue of excessive and inappropriate waste”

The Morning Advertiser ​spoke to operator of the Starr Inn, Mark Graham to understand why he started charging customers and when this new policy came into place.

Fine profit margin

Graham said: “Since lockdown, we noticed there was a lot more waste at meals. We do all you can eat events alongside our normal menu and with our normal menu you can pay and therefore you can box it up at the end of your meal because you have paid for that meal…”

He added: “The problems stated arising at all you can eat events where people would pile their plates high and then leave vast majorities of their meals, which didn’t allow enough food for those that would come in later on.”

Graham stated this meant the site was having to prepare twice as much food to feed half the amount of people. He detailed the issues of a “fine profit margin that is becoming tighter”.

Customer behaviour

The operator stated he has progressively noticed small changes in behaviour of customers attending all you can eat events, with “entitlement” becoming more of a central issue. Graham said: “We’ve been in this pub for 20 years and have implemented a new policy around food waste where we now charge people at all you can eat events.

"We told all customers about it and advertised it too. We have never had a problem until last Sunday.” Graham added he has observed generally , people being less mindful around food waste since lockdown. He also emphasised the positive effect people being more considerate and aware of food waste would have on the pub industry as a whole.