A pub in Lancashire has come under fire from diners after asking them to pay £1.50 extra to add a Yorkshire pudding or more gravy onto their roast dinner.
Unhappy diners have left reviews saying they would never return, blasting the pub for adding on the extra charges -with one saying they were left ‘totally disgusted’.
However, the owner has defended the extra charges – saying that they are justified because the Yorkies and gravy are both homemade.
One customer said they would never return to the pub, as they found the extra charge for their Yorkshire pudding – not included with the roast – to be completely outrageous.
The guest, named Steve, left a one-star review of his experience, writing: “Went there for a Sunday roast. In all my life I have never been in a restaurant for a roast beef dinner and told it does not include a Yorkshire pudding.
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Image: The Kicking Donkey
“It costs an extra £1.50 and if you want gravy with that, it also costs an extra £1.50.
“Totally disgusted. We will never be going back there. First visit. Never again.”
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A quick look at the sample Sunday roast menu on The Kicking Donkey’s website shows a standard roast priced at £12.95, with no mention of additional charges for Yorkies or more gravy.
The Kicking Donkey in Omskirk, Lancashire, ranks at #5 of 67 restaurants in the area and boasts a Travellers’ Choice Award, with an overall rating of 4.5 stars on TripAdvisor.
Image: The Kicking Donkey
189 diners have rated it as ‘Excellent’, however, it seems that not everyone agrees – with some diners left completely outraged at being asked to pay £1.50 to add either a Yorkshire pudding or extra gravy onto their roast dinners.
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Steve was not the only to complain about the extra charges, with another diner named Larry also leaving a review to register his disappointment.
Larry wrote: “Roast dinner was bland, hardly any taste. You want a Yorkshire pudding or more gravy, fine, but you need to pay extra.
“Dogs allowed in eating areas, not great idea – so not for me. Tried it, but no more.”
Image: The Kicking Donkey
Its owner, writing online as Matt F, has replied to both reviews – justifying the extra charges for both Yorkshire puddings and more gravy on the basis that they are both homemade from scratch.
In a reply to Steve, he wrote: “Hi Steve. Sorry to have upset you so much.
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“The reason we charge for Yorkies and extra gravy is that they’re both home-made from scratch.
“In the past, people have asked for extra and then it comes back untouched.
“I believe that the staff’s work should be reflected in their pay, and so we do need to charge for things like this. They cost us money to make.
“It’s a disappointment to hear that you won’t dine with us again, but I felt at the very least you were owed an explanation.”
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Notably, on their December Christmas menu, the pub has now released a beef dish with a Yorkshire pudding included for just £13.95.
Feature image – The Kicking Donkey
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UK pub chain announces bottomless Guinness for the 2026 Six Nations
Danny Jones
As we all know, Guinness and the Six Nations go hand in hand, so pubs not only showing all of this year’s games, but also serving bottomless pints of the good stuff here in Greater Manchester, is an absolute match made in heaven.
With the 2026 Six Nations tournament kicking off this Thursday, 5 February – a France vs Ireland opener in Paris – Manc rugby fans are already nailing down their go-to spots to watch the fixtures.
However, we can’t think of many other places offering bottomless black gold in town, let alone anywhere else in and around Manchester.
So, if you were still unsure of where to watch this year’s tournament, the Social Pub and Kitchen group might have just made the decision for you…
That’s right, this widespread British chain is looking to keep the pints flowing throughout the duration of this year’s competition, thanks to a twist on their standard bottomless brunch format.
Running for every single televised meeting between the much-loved half dozen rugby union teams, all 103 of their locations across the country will be providing this impressive offer on pints.
Here in central Manchester, that includes Tank and Paddle in the Printworks, Crafty Pig on the edge of the Northern Quarter, The Beech Inn in Chorlton, and The Director’s Box right in the heart of the city – and dangerously close to The Manc office…
As well as these nearby venues, there are obviously plenty more around the North West for those slightly further afield, including the likes of Cheshire and Derbyshire.
With a new food menu too, which features several honey-based dishes like the sweet sriracha pizza, chipotle loaded fries, as well as honey chipotle chicken wings, the matchday scran is on point.
So too are the drinks, clearly, and if any of your party wants to stray away from the bottomless Guinness, there are series of special Six Nations-themed cocktails, such as the ‘Midnight in Dublin’, a ‘Peach on the Pitch’ margarita, Baby Velvet, and the bold ‘G-Bomb’.
Yes, we suspect it is as boozy as it sounds.
Running throughout February and March whilst the games are on, we imagine plenty of people will be making at least one Social Pub and Kitchen site their chosen destination for watching all the action.
Even if you happen to be reading this outside of Greater Manchester, you can find your nearest Social Pub and Kitchen and book your table right HERE.
And if you’d still like some other alternatives here in the city centre, you can do no wrong with our helpful little round-up.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Publicity picture (supplied)
Trending
Green Island returns for 2026 with ‘best lineup’ yet, featuring A Guy Called Gerald, DJ Paulette and more
Danny Jones
Green Island Fest, a.k.a. one of our favourite live music events on the entire planet, is back for 2026 with its biggest and what is, arguably, on course to its best lineup to date.
And this is just the first wave…
The annual series of outdoor parties is about as literal as grassroots celebrations come, with the performances taking place at none other than Hulme Community Garden Centre.
After an incredible debut a few years ago, its popularity and overall reputation have only grown taller like the trees the punters will be in amongst when Green Island ’26 kicks off its first edition this summer.
In addition to continually platforming rising artists across multiple genres and other up-and-coming projects within the industry, they’re now attracting some serious real music legends, too.
As well as Moss Side and original Manc music tastermaker A Guy Called Gerald topping the bill, festivalgoers are set to be treated to a dedicated 808 State DJ set too, though it remains to be seen if others from the iconic collective will be joining Gerald on stage.
Fellow house and dance veteran turned radio host, DJ Paulette, will also be rolling through the sea of plants and ravers for the first time ever.
Split over three ‘chapters’ as always – June, July and the closer in September – this is perhaps one of the most electronic-driven lineups to date as they look to celebrate the city’s rich heritage within the genre, but as always, there’s so much more going on at Green Island.
With street food traders setting up next to the bushes and barrels of beer, the stages spilling out onto backstreets once again, and afterparties each month, festival season simply can’t come soon enough.
This year, not only are the organisers committed to making this an ‘anti-algorithm programming’ initiative, ensuring that they have full control over their acts, selectors and beyond, but they’re also looking to cater for all ages and better than ever.
With a brand-new family area and dedicated daytime programme curated by Z-arts, a nearby arts centre for children and families, ‘The Imaginarium’ is inviting families to “make, move, and explore together through nature-inspired creative activities.”
Promising a “relaxed, joyful space for curious minds and shared moments of creative play, expect drop-in art workshops, nature-inspired storytelling and magical nature adventures”, it’ll serve as a tangible reminder of how both music and the wider Community Garden Centre fit into the arts world.
It’s grassroots pioneers like these guys that make us truly proud of the Greater Manchester live entertainment sector and overall cultural scene, and we promise that if you’ve never been to Green Island Fest before, you WILL NOT be disappointed.
For those who fancy going on either 6 June, 25 July or 5 September, you can grab your tickets HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
13th December 2021 
