Manchester restaurateur Gary Usher puts negative reviewer in their place
In a review called: "Excellent food let down by Ryanair-style management," reviewer Rob V wrote: “The good news is that the food here is very, very tasty and deserves a high rating.
It’s been a tough year or two for hospitality staff and restaurant owners across the country.
Closures and lack of foot flow rendered the restaurant industry a desolate place for many months, but with the recent re-openings and return of customers, many businesses have been able to breathe again.
However, with customers comes feedback, and regardless of how long hospitality staff have had to wait to serve their customers and provide them with a service they’ve been without for a long time, negative feedback is certainly back on the menu.
It goes without saying that pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants are stretched at the minute. Lay offs were inevitable during COVID and many of them are understaffed while simultaneously having to deal with a little ring rust after being out of the game for so long.
While we are unsure if this is the case or not at Sticky Walnut in Chester, the team at the award-winning bistro had to deal with some pretty harsh criticism last week – criticism that owner Gary Usher was not going to take on the chin without a counter punch.
ADVERTISEMENT
Gary Usher outside Pinion in Prescot // Image by Natural Selection Design
In a review called: “Excellent food let down by Ryanair-style management,” reviewer Rob V wrote: “The good news is that the food here is very, very tasty and deserves a high rating.
“The bad news is that the restaurant management doesn’t give a toss about customer experience. I ate here on July 9 had a complaint that was dealt with badly enough by the manager that I wrote to the owner.
ADVERTISEMENT
“A restaurant that aspires to offer fine dining experience but has lost the ability to empathise with customers and ignores them when they complain? That really is a shame.”
Gary, who has a solid reputation across the northwest and is the owner of five other restaurants under his Elite Bistros brand, didn’t hold back in his response.
He wrote: “For goodness sake Robert. I’m supposed to be in TwitAdvisor retirement so let’s not waste any time. After all, you’ve waited 11 years since joining Twitadvisor to write your first review.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Rob, you reserved a table on a Friday evening and agreed to a 1 hour 45 minute time slot. A standard practice, particularly on busy periods, that guests and restaurants worldwide agree to.
“After your dessert course, the manager, who you said ‘doesn’t give a toss’, gently reminded you that we would need the table back shortly.
“You ignored the manager and proceeded to order another round of drinks. Perhaps if your party had arrived on time for your reservation this could have been avoided.
“When the manager came back a final time to politely let you know we needed to clear the table for our next guests you got up out of your seat, towering over the manager, pointing in their face.
“The manager’s response was: ‘Sir, please can you stop pointing in my face?’
ADVERTISEMENT
Gary added: “You proceeded to tell the manager that they didn’t deserve to be a manager and weren’t qualified to be in the position.
“Your mother then joined in by adding to the vitriol being directed towards the manager.
“That’s when both you and your mother showed your true colours with the classic: ‘We’ve both worked in restaurants so we know how it works. We should be getting these drinks for free.’
“You, Rob, then threatened the manager by telling them that you would be contacting the owner because you know him, and that Gary, (me) would be appalled to know how you, ‘my friend,’ had been treated.
Kala on King Street in Manchester is part of Gary’s Elite Bistros family // Elite Bistros
“The manager politely pleaded with your whole table to just listen whilst they explained. No one did.
ADVERTISEMENT
“In a strange turn of events you emailed me, your ‘friend’ at Sticky Walnut’s email address. You must have lost my number Rob! Not surprisingly, to either me or the manager, you and I don’t know each other Rob.
“Every few months in a restaurant a rude guest will use the ‘I know the owner!’ line to try and intimidate team members and bully them into thinking that they will get into trouble because they didn’t look after the owner’s ‘friends’ well enough.
“I did read your email. I did ‘give a toss,’ but not about you Rob, but about the way you treated the team. So instead of replying to you, we chose to block your number, and your mum’s, and put a note on our booking system to not accept any future bookings from you.
“With regards to the manager who ‘doesn’t give a toss,’ they have managed Sticky Walnut for the last eight years.
“Coincidentally the same length of time that Sticky Walnut has achieved a top 100 position in the National Restaurant Awards in the UK. I think that makes them both extremely deserving to be the manager and absolutely qualified to hold that position.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Regards, Not your mate, Gary.
“Another owner you don’t actually know.”
Savage. If you’re interested in visiting any of Gary’s restaurants, check out the Elite Bistros website where you can reserve a place at all six – we highly recommend Kala in Manchester city centre.
News
Manchester Pride enters voluntary liquidation ‘with enormous sadness’
Daisy Jackson
Manchester Pride has announced that the company has entered the process of voluntary liquidation, after it emerged that several of this year’s performers had gone unpaid.
The hugely popular LGBTQ+ event, which spills from the Gay Village and into surrounding venues every August bank holiday weekend, said it has faced ‘rising costs, declining ticket sales, and an ambitious refresh of format’.
Manchester Pride said that all of these factors, among others, have led to the organisation being ‘no longer financially viable’ and its staff team will be made redundant.
“We, along with the team, have put our hearts and souls into the celebration and community activities over two decades and are very distressed at the position in which we find ourselves,” the Board of Trustees wrote.
Last week, it emerged that a number of artists who appeared at this year’s celebration had shared a letter that alleges they are still waiting for payment for their work at the festival.
In a statement shared this afternoon, Manchester Pride added that they have been unsuccessfully seeking ‘financial opportunities’ to find a ‘positive solution’.
Manchester Pride wrote: “We had hoped to be able to find a way to continue, and, most importantly, to support our artists, contractors and partners.
“Despite our best efforts, sadly, this has not proved to be possible. We are sincerely sorry for those who will now lose out financially from the current situation.”
Manchester Pride’s statement in full
It is with enormous sadness that we announce that Manchester Pride has started the legal process of voluntary liquidation.
A combination of rising costs, which are affecting the entire events and hospitality industries, declining ticket sales and an ambitious refresh of the format aimed to challenge these issues, along with an unsuccessful bid to host Euro Pride, has led to the organisation no longer being financially viable.
We regret the delays in communicating the current situation; however, we were keen not to jeopardise financial opportunities while our discussions were ongoing. We were proactive and determined to identify solutions to the financial issues. We’ve been actively working with several partners, including legal and financial advisors, to do everything we could to find a positive solution. We had hoped to be able to find a way to continue, and, most importantly, to support our artists, contractors and partners. Despite our best efforts, sadly, this has not proved to be possible. We are sincerely sorry for those who will now lose out financially from the current situation.
The volunteer Board of Trustees are devastated at this situation and sad to share that our staff team will be made redundant. We, along with the team, have put our hearts and souls into the celebration and community activities over two decades and are very distressed at the position in which we find ourselves. We would like to sincerely offer our thanks to all of our staff, volunteers and supporters who have contributed so much to Manchester Pride over the years.
The organisation has achieved a great deal since its creation and, in particular, since the Covid pandemic. This includes:
● 237,000 visitors to the city
● £104.8m of economic impact
● 148 grants being made to grass roots community groups
● Positive positioning of Manchester as an inclusive city
We hope and believe that this leaves a positive and lasting legacy for the Pride movement in Greater Manchester, and that it will continue long into the future. We will do everything we can to support this moving forward.
The Manchester Pride team have now handed over the details of suppliers and artists who are owed money to the liquidators who will be handling the affairs of the Charity and contacting everyone.
Greater Manchester Police release latest image of elderly missing woman last seen in Oldham
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester Police have released a new image of an elderly missing woman after she was last seen in the Oldham area.
The 76-year-old lady, named only as Susette, who is believed to be from the Shaw area, was most recently spotted on Oak Street at approximately 8:56pm this past Monday, 20 October.
Officers and locals alike are understandably growing increasingly concerned for her welfare.
Susette is described as an older white female, around 5’4″ in height, with a slim build and light blonde/greyish hair. You can see the latest sighting of her down below.
Police previously stated that she had been seen wearing a blue anorak, blue jeans, a beige jumper with black stripes and black trainers with white trim.
However, as you can see, she has since been spotted in a similar outfit, apart from now wearing a cream jacket, black trousers and black ‘running-style’ trainers with a white sole.
It is also now understood that she has dementia and is therefore considered vulnerable.
Local Liberal Democrat and councillor, Howard Sykes MBE, has also asked his fellow constituents to remain vigilant and come forward with any and all potentially useful information they may have.
Sharing another photo of her via his official online blog, he went on to add: “Please can we ask anyone with any information to please contact GMP and to keep a lookout when out and about in the community to ensure Susette is found safe and well.”
New from me: Missing Person – Urgent appeal
Missing Person – Urgent appeal.
There is currently a lady from Shaw missing, Susette was last seen leaving her home in Shaw on 20/10/25, 21:00pm approximately . It is believed she’s … https://t.co/oLSCoglqZNpic.twitter.com/x4sHJNhkzY