Simon Wood, former MasterChef champ and owner of Wood in Manchester, has sparked a debate about freebies today.
The celebrated chef has exposed a customer who emailed asking for a ‘complimentary dessert’ to help them mark a special occasion.
Simon has labelled their request as ‘unbelievable…’ as he shared a screenshot of the email in question.
The customer had written to Wood restaurant, on First Street, to ask: “As it’s the first anniversary from me and my husband, would it be possible to give us a good table with a nice view and a maybe a complimentary Dessert? As I want to surprise my partner.”
And Simon has slammed them for ‘trying to scrounge off small businesses’ as he sparked a debate about freebies on social media.
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The chef-patron wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Unbelievable…. Free food for celebrations, that’s why we’re here after all….”
Simon later wrote: “Restaurants aren’t here to give things away for free. Pop into McDonald’s and ask for a complementary cheeseburger and see what happens.
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“People need to stop trying to scrounge off small businesses.”
Unbelievable….
Free food for celebrations, that’s why we’re here after all….
Many people have agreed with Simon Wood, saying it would be ‘unfathomable’ that people would ask for freebies in any other industry.
Others agreed that complimentary extras are always nice but ‘you don’t ask for them’.
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But some people think Simon has been too harsh and that the customer has done nothing wrong by at least asking.
On Simon’s side, one person wrote on X: “Nothing wrong in mentioning a celebration and asking for a nice table. But that is where it should stop. If the restaurant then want to treat you to a complimentary surprise then that is up to them.”
Another said: “Imagine this in any other industry. ‘Hi M&S, it’s my birthday! Can I have a free dress’. Unfathomable. To surprise your other half/celebrate, order things from the menu. Support restaurants when they desperately need it. Ensure there’s a place to go for a 2nd anniversary!”
Someone else commented: “I just don’t understand some people. Yes, it is nice to get freebies, but you don’t ask for them!”
And one agreed: “Asking for the table is definitely okay, asking for complimentary stuff is mental.”
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But one person said: “Tbf, I’ve had a complimentary dessert served when it was my birthday, it was a lovely touch. To ridicule someone for asking is a bit much.”
Another posted: “They only asked. In the words of my very wise mother: Shy bairns get nowt.”
And someone else went so far as to say: “You’d think they had asked for the whole meal for free lmfao. You stingy a**hole”
What do you reckon? Was the customer in the wrong to ask Simon Wood for a freebie on their anniversary?
Brewdog’s beer hotel in Manchester has closed with immediate effect
Daisy Jackson
The ‘beer hotel’ operated by Brewdog in Manchester has closed with immediate effect, as part of the Scottish brewery’s £33m sale.
A whopping 38 Brewdog bars around the UK have closed, resulting in hundreds of job losses.
As well as the beer hotel known as DogHouse in Manchester, which was home to a large bar and rooftop terrace, the Oxford Road brewpub known as the OutPost has also closed.
The DogHouse Hotel on Fountain Street had a range of boutique bedrooms, fitted with features like beer fridges in the shower, beer taps in the room, guitars, record players, and pet beds.
Just 11 pubs have been retained in the rescue deal, including the Brewdog bar on Peter Street in Manchester city centre.
The brewery has been bought by US beverage and medical cannabis company Tilray for £33m, a sale which includes its UK brewery operations, brand, and a handful of pubs.
Yesterday, Brewdog announced all of its bars would be closed for the day to enable staff to attend staff meetings.
Administrators confirmed yesterday that 484 jobs had been lost in the sale, with 38 bars closing.
Unite, the union which represents thousands of hospitality workers, said it is ‘appalled’ at how Brewdog staff have been treated during the sale.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a devastating day for Brewdog workers. Nearly 500 lost livelihoods while yet another corporate deal is stitched together behind closed doors.
“Brewdog workers built this brand. They deserved respect. Instead, they were treated as disposable pawns. Unite will not rest until our members have legal and financial justice.”
Unite national lead for hospitality Bryan Simpson said: “The way in which senior management have conducted themselves throughout this sales process has been nothing short of a national disgrace – with workers being given no information about the company’s plans or their futures.
“For the CEO to tell workers that they were redundant with immediate effect, on a conference call with only 25 minutes notice, has echoes of P&O and is deplorable. Unite will be ensuring that our members receive everything they are legally entitled to.”
Brewdog was founded in 2007 by friends James Watt and Martin Dickie.
Joe & The Juice to open even MORE locations in Manchester city centre
Daisy Jackson
Joe & The Juice is set to launch yet more juice bars and coffee shops in Manchester city centre.
The viral brand used to have a spot in town within the former Debenhams building, but vanished from Greater Manchester when the department store folded.
But its comeback has been remarkable since reopening in town last year, with the number of Joe & The Juice locations now at an all-time high.
And there are even more on the way…
Bright pink hoardings have appeared on a corner unit on Princess Street, right off St Peter’s Square, teasing a new Joe & The Juice cafe in the city centre.
The unit has been empty for at least 10 years, despite being in such a prime part of the city centre.
Plans were also revealed last year for the Danish-based brand to open within the reopened Sunlight House on Quay Street.
Joe & The Juice is coming to St Peter’s Square in ManchesterJoe & The Juice on Cross Street
The new additions will bring the number of Joe & The Juices in Greater Manchester to five, adding to their existing portfolio of Cross Street, Manchester Airport T2, and the Trafford Centre.
The brand is known for its signature menu of juices, smoothies, health shots, coffees and matchas, plus its viral Scandi-inspired sandwiches like the Tunacado.
With more than 300 juice bars and coffee shops around the world, Joe & The Juice’s pink branding has become a familiar site globally since its launch in 2002.
An exact opening date for the new St Peter’s Square Joe & The Juice hasn’t been revealed yet, but the signs promise it’s ‘coming soon’.
Daisy Jackson -
16th December 2023 
