When Going To The Pantry Leaves A Bitter Taste...

The Pantry Deli
Church St, Brighton

When I started this blog, it was meant to be a personal reflection of my food journey and adventures. I owe it to myself to be honest but not disparaging to any establishment as I understand the need for improvement and the tough climate in which the F & B industry struggles to survive daily.

The Pantry on Church St in Brighton, Victoria is arguably THE place to see and be seen. But in their defence they do serve good food and organises foodie events with "celebrity" chefs holding cooking demonstrations and dinners. The cafe/restaurant has always been excellent in service and being a local, I have no qualms eating there.

The Pantry Deli, located right next door, is their sister establishment serving takeaway pizzas thur-sat evenings and as their name suggests, is a deli with salads and take-home convenience meals. The food quality is fantastic and their range is more than decent from Phillipa's breads and brownies to cheeses and salamis. Their pizzas are also pretty good especially their mushroom pizza.

So wherein lies the problem?

The service is sullen, condescending and just plain rude. I have been there any number of times after work from thursdays to saturdays. So I do wonder if the same people on shift during those times are the issue. Each and every single time, they have provided what I wouldn't call service.

The attitude is appalling and I do wonder whether the general management of The Pantry is aware of it. Considering the great service from the cafe/restaurant, the disparity is too severe.

My latest visit has confirmed that it will also be my last.

The bespectacled man who acts like the manager there snaps and talks down to us each and every time. Either that or he pointedly ignores us and pretends it is his life's intolerable task having to take our orders.

His male blonde comrade is a sullen young man who was extremely displeased to assist. When 100+gm of take-home coleslaw costs $11 and you want to know whether it was as tangy as what they serve in the cafe, you are entitled to a nod or shake of the head at least, not an impatient sigh and being ignored. When said order was placed, there was no acknowledgment, just a snatched collection of notes and a slammed salad on the counter.

Mirror this experience more than 10 times over in the last few months and it just sums up the entirely horrid history we have had with The Pantry Deli. Not anymore. We are breaking up and I have a feeling no one is more ecstatic than the staff there. Who cares for customers anyway? Not they.


Comments

Popular Posts