Give It To Us Straight!

Over the past year, we’ve worked hard to build a reputation that we’re genuinely proud of. We’re incredibly appreciative of the kind words people have shared, both in person and online, and we’re hugely grateful for the continued support and positivity from so many regular guests!

We’re also very aware that we don’t always get it right.  And it’s in those moments, when we fall short of the rave feedback we’re aiming for, that we often learn the most

Of course, negative feedback is tough to take, especially when it’s your own place.  There’s nowhere to hide…somebody is unhappy, and they’re letting us know about it.  Hopefully in person, maybe over email, or occasionally via an online review

But if you’re in the business of serving people, you’re also in the business of receiving feedback…so you’d better take it seriously, and we absolutely do!

Most complaints come down to personal taste, and adapting to these is part of the day-to-day of running a restaurant.  A tweak to the seasoning here, a little more cooking on a steak there.  Add a heartfelt apology and maybe a drink on the house, and more often than not, everyone leaves happy!

Sometimes, though, we drop the ball, and a guest is right to point it out.  Recently, our most affordable red wine slipped off the list when it went out of stock, and it took us too long to replace it.  That made the entry price feel a bit steep for some guests, and that’s on us.  (If you’re wondering, we’ve now got a lovely French Pinot Noir from the Loire at £35 a bottle!)

By far the hardest bit of feedback to hear, and the one that causes the most anxiety for us, is when people say we’re overpriced or too expensive.  Often the implication is that the meal would have been OK if it was cheaper, or that the price would have been OK if the meal had been better…either way it’s not what we want to hear!

We know that a meal at Wilson’s isn’t cheap, but we hope that when we get it right, which we mostly do, it should feel like time and money well spent.

We always knew that by being ambitious with the food and wine, by changing the menu every two weeks, and by trying to deliver the kind of service we believe in, we were setting the bar high.

And setting the bar high means that sometimes, we don’t clear it.  But to be honest, we’re OK with that.  Because the alternative is setting the bar lower, and that was never what we wanted to do.

So, whilst hearing where we’ve gone wrong is hard, it’s also essential.  It’s one of the most important ways we’ll keep getting better.  And when that feedback comes from guests who we know really care and want to see us succeed (like those who subscribe to our newsletter) it matters even more!

So this is an invitation.  Give it to us straight!  If you’ve got feedback, good bad or indifferent, we’d love to hear it.  In person is always lovely, over email is great (just hit reply to this one) or even leave a review online…we’re cool with all of it and we’re always grateful!