24/09/2026
Hi Stuart,
I’m sorry you feel the need to leave a 2-star review after being a regular customer for the past two years, but I feel I need to correct several points in your review, as the account you have given is not an accurate reflection of what happened.
Firstly, no food was being served at the time. Our staff were preparing tapas, which was approximately 45 minutes away from being served. That does not mean we allow customers to bring food from another food establishment into our premises.
We are a food business ourselves. We buy our own produce, employ and pay our staff, and pay all of the costs involved in running the business. Allowing customers to bring food purchased elsewhere into our establishment, particularly while our own food service is being prepared, is simply not something we allow. I’m sure you would understand that another restaurant, café or bar would also not normally allow customers to bring in food purchased from another food business and eat it on their premises.
Regarding what happened on the evening, we have CCTV and it does not support the version of events described in your review.
Our staff member did not see you enter with the pizza. You placed it on the table and subsequently stood up and asked if it was okay. As she had not seen you bring the pizza in, she had no idea what you were referring to and therefore could not have given you permission to eat it.
It was only later, when she walked around and saw that you had a pizza, that she contacted management — myself — to ask how she should deal with it. My instruction was very straightforward: you could either dispose of the pizza or leave the premises.
Other customers also commented to you at the time that bringing food in from another establishment was not appropriate.
We have a very good relationship with the business across the road, and this is absolutely not an issue between the two businesses. We are happy to support other local businesses, but that does not mean we would allow food purchased elsewhere to be brought into and consumed inside The Copper Tap while we are operating our own food business.
What I object to most is the suggestion that a member of my staff gave you permission to bring the pizza in and that you were subsequently asked to leave for doing exactly what you had been told you could do. That is not what happened, and our CCTV supports that.
We work extremely hard to run a small independent business, and reviews containing an inaccurate account of events can have a real impact on a business like ours.
You have clearly enjoyed your previous two years with us, and we appreciate the custom you have given us. However, if you choose to purchase food from another establishment in future, I would respectfully suggest that you enjoy it at the establishment you purchased it from rather than bringing it into ours.
We will always treat our customers with respect, but we also expect our house rules and our business to be respected in return.
As a business owner I also find this type of situation frustrating as you stated you have enjoyed our establishment for over 2 years and never once wrote a positive review, soon as something has happened which you find wrong you have instantly put a negative review.
Regards,
Management
The Copper Tap
