The Pryordurkins

Posts Tagged ‘business’

This was a return trip for Sunday Lunch to Hazlewood Castle which lies just off the A64 in between York and Leeds.  This time we were joined by my brother and sister in-law and the kids.  The first time we dined here was great.  With good service, good food and good surroundings we were looking forward to another treat.

One of the measures we look for when reviewing places is consistency.  Unfortunately on this occasion, the food and service were not quite as good as before.  We had telephoned ahead to book a table for 12noon and on arrival were shown straight to our table.  No option of an aperitif in the bar beforehand.  The restaurant manager did not even offer to take our coats, so we found ourselves hanging them over the back of the chairs and I had to put my hat on the FLOOR!.

We ordered up our food and having seen bar menus in use last time, I mentioned there may be a simpler option for the kids to enjoy.  However this time, the waiter never gave any option for the kids to order from the bar menu and they had to make do with a kids tailored version of Sunday Lunch. Our drinks soon arrived and after a little wait were closely followed by starters which were nicely presented and very good.  After the plates were cleared we then had what seemed like a long wait for the mains to come out.  When they did, my beef was tuff and on the small size, as compared to last time.  The Yorkshire pudding, which was so good last time, was hard and brittle this time around.  The kids, who love Yorkshire puddings both seemed disappointed.  The vegetables were cooked to perfection though. Desserts followed and these were very good indeed.

Overall as mentioned earlier, this visit was let down by the service and the quality of the main course.  The restaurant manager made you feel as though you were a bit of an annoyance really and certainly not warmly welcomed, which was a pity as the Castle itself, the grounds that surround it were all great.  She seemed to take particular umbridge at being called over to take an extra order of drinks!

Pryordurkin rating 3 Stars. (dropped 1 star since our last visit in January) Tel: 01937 535353

It was spring-like and after a short stroll through the grounds of RHS Harlow Carr we headed off into Harrogate to explore and find a little bistro for lunch. We eventually came across Van Zeller Restaurant on Montpellier Street, a little restaurant that we liked the look of, even though we could not clearly read the menu since the window was steamed up. As it turned out, this place had only officially been open since Fri 13th Feb 09. The owner and chef is Tom van Zeller and according to the advertising is the only chef in Harrogate to have been awarded 2AA rosettes, whilst head chef at the Hotel du Vin, Harrogate. With backing from David Moore (one of the inspectors from BBC2’s The Restaurant) Van Zeller’s is aiming to be the premier dining destination in and around Harrogate.

It had just gone 2.15pm  but the chef was still prepared to accept two more covers. The restaurant is on the small side, which makes listening to fellow diners extremely easy, but was smart and stylish. One table was screened off from the till, and when the couple seated at this table were being served one person was served and then the waiter would run around the screen and the till and then serve the other half of the table. They did make the comment that they felt hemmed in. This place is certainly bijou. We were readily seated, our coats taken, and were glad to note the linen napkins. Two menu options were available, the ‘Du Jour’ which consisted of two courses and a free glass of wine, for the bargain price of £14.95, and the A La Carte menu. We both opted for the A La Carte menu. Michael opted for the game terrine and then the lamb confit with leeks and potatoes, I opted for the salmon balotine to be followed by the lamb too.A little sliver of butter (that was sitting in a little puddle of water) was put on the table but we were half way through the starters before we eventually managed to ask whether we could have some bread to go with the butter. Additionally,  whilst we were told about the free wine, the front of house weren’t so keen in promoting the drinks that we had to pay for and we had to ask for a drinks menu. The drinks menus were given to Michael to browse and one menu promptly dropped one of the fastenings into his terrine. Instead of replacing the starter (or at least removing the fastening in the kitchen) Michael was asked to pick the fastening out of the terrine and hand it over! Michael chose a glass of Shiraz that he said was very nice but looking at the bill when we got home we were charged for 2 Erdinger beers instead (another loss in profit). Michael thought the terrine was ok but had tasted better recently, and the centre of my salmon balotine had ice crystals in it. Not the best of starts. The mains were acceptable but not overly outstanding. Being a cheesecake aficionado, Michael ordered the rhubarb and lime cheesecake but said the two flavours clashed, I opted for the apple tarte tatin but the caramel had been burnt and left a bitter aftertaste. Two double espressos were ordered but they did not come with any cantucci or the like and I could still taste the burnt caramel even after the coffee but I could not find any mint imperials.

Whilst Van Zeller’s is hoping to become the premier dining destination in and around Harrogate,  the front of house need to pull their socks up, they weren’t even half full, and more attention needs to be paid to the food being served ie not to send out frozen or burnt food. Whilst we wish a new business to succeed we don’t feel that Van Zeller’s has yet achieved the standards that they are clearly hoping to attain. The chef Tom Van Zeller did apologise for the frozen salmon though.

Pryordurkin rating: 3 stars.  (We will go back though to see if our experience was just early opening snags)

Telephone 01423 508762

Italian Fine Foods are available from Le Langhe who have recently opened in the Old Coach House, in York.  We have visited this shop twice in as many weeks and the food on offer certainly looks beautiful.  There is an excellent choice of Italian breads, olives, wines and cheeses.  Parma Hams and many others hang over the counter tempting you the minute you step inside.  Olive Oils, pestos and lots of other fine Italian ingredients are laid out across shelves and in baskets all making the trip seem irresistible.  At the back of the shop they have opened a cafe restaurant which is always full of people and on the door last week as we entered, there was a sign saying you now had to book a table because they are so busy and popular.

You might be wondering therefore why we underlined the word “looks” above!  Well it is because on both occasions we have found ourselves putting produce we had selected for purchase back on the shelves and walking out in disgust.  The service is atrocious.  In what is clearly a good quality produce shop, they seemed to have completely forgot about trying to sell any of it to actual customers.  We think this shop might just be a piece of art.  Look but don’t bother trying to buy.  Maybe that is why they describe themselves on their website, which has pictures of their old shop, as importers of Italian Artisan Food.  I always wondered what Artisan Food was.  Now I know.  Looks good but you can’t buy the stuff for love nor money.

Today, like last week, they had one stressed individual working on the deli counter, that doubles up as the till for any produce bought in the shop.  A queue of grumpy customers hangs around hoping to get served before they close around 5pm.  On both occasions our patience got the better of us and we simply walked out complaining about the business logic behind a shop that is clearly capable of selling very good quality food, but one that lets itself so badly down on something so simple as having staff to actually serve eager customers.

What a ridiculous approach to business.

UPDATE 7th March 09.  We really couldn’t believe a place could be so bad when it came to service, so decided to give it one final try today.  So for the 3rd time, we ventured into this shop.  This time we chose 4.30pm thinking the place would be quiet.  It was, hardly any customers, yet still, we didn’t manage to get served.  Standing at the counter being completely ignored by the staff is an experience  which unless you’ve been there, you would never actually believe.  Storming out for the FINAL time, we found what we were looking for in another shop as we made our way back to the car.  in that shop we mentioned our experiences of Le Langhe to the staff and were not surprised to hear that they too had heard of other people complaining about the very poor service.  One lady who did manage to get served was made to feel as though she was in the way.  So there you have it, it’s not just us who think this shop should win an award for really awful service.

Pryordurkin rating. 0 stars. (Can’t be anything more, as we’ve never managed to actually buy anything yet!)

This week has me staying at the Holiday Inn Reading South for a couple of nights.  I turned up at reception around 8pm last night and the check in experience was fine.  They had all my details and all I needed to do was sign for my pre-prepared room card.  The reception area was smart and clean.  The bar and restaurant areas looked busy with business and tourist people alike.  It seemed like a fairly relaxed affair.  Not many stuffy suits sitting around.  I made my way to my room and it took a while.  This hotel is quite sprawling and the walk to my room must have took at least three minutes ( a long time for me!).

The room was as I now expect.  Clean, no character and functional.  The only immediate problem I could find was the TV remote control didn’t work and having reported this, was a little disappointed that it would take till the next day to fix.  I had to resign myself to the old fashioned way of changing channels and volume ie. getting off my ass and pushing buttons.

Room service last night was a bit of a disapointment.  The waiter nearly dropped everything on the floor and the food was barely warm.  I still can’t understand what the tray charge is for either, given the prices charged for room menu items are generally a whole pound more expensive than the same item in the restaurant.  Anyway I was too tired to worry about this for too long and after the guy / or girl upstairs had finished walking backwards and forwards across their floor for half an hour, I fell asleep. (what do they do to keep walking backwards and forward across such a small room?  I’d love to know!)

Anyway this evening, having got back from work, I decided to try the swimming pool out and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Clean and relaxed, it was nice to be staying at a hotel (unlike many in London) that actually has some space for a gym and pool.  Feeling virtuous I then made my way to the restaurant for dinner.

Surprise, surprise.  It was actually excellent food by hotel restaurant standards.  The starter of mushroom soup was freshly prepared and had fantastic taste and consistecy ( I do like a good soup).  My main was equally good; presented well and clearly cooked fresh by someone who cared.  With such good food coming out of the kitchen I then had for try (for research purposes) the dessert menu.  Again this was excellent.  The chocolate sauce was to die for!

All in all, I am very pleased with this hotel.  A great experience so far.  The restaurant food is very good indeed and it has a great gym.  To top all that, it is also moments from the M4.

Pryordurkin rating 4 stars.

From the outset, my treatment at Castle BMW of York was exemplorary.  Although the showroom looks a little tired compared to the other ‘newer’ show rooms for other car makes on the same Clifton Moor site, the experience itself was first class.  Not one red balloon was in site and the copious amounts of coffee that I did drink were all served up in china cups rather than the plastic one offered when I bought my last car.

With the current credit crunch all the rage and the world falling down around us, or so you would think if you watch the BBC news, I obviously expected a very good deal.  Thinking the sales people at dealerships like BMW would be so desperate they would do anything to sell a car I entered Castle BMW of York two weeks ago looking for a deal.  I went in with a fixed budget in mind, a base-lined specification and the expectation that all I would be able to afford was a second hand car.  After two visits, I had on offer a car that met my base-lined specification and was within the budget I had set.  The only difference I did compromise on was that this time it would be brand new.

What was interesting throughout the discussions and deal making was how confident Castle BMW were with their prices and (like I do) listening in to the conversations of other sales people and customers who were sat around me, there was something re-assuring about knowing they weren’t actually that desperate for business as the BBC news people might have you think.  It reminded me of the Stella Artois adverts – reassuringly expensive.  That all being said though, I was very happy with the deal struck and picked up my new car yesterday.

The handover process was (now to be expected) professional.  Everything was explained; from the vehicle registration and warranty papers I was been asked to sign, to the button on the right hand side of the drivers foot-well, that pops open the boot.  They even made handing over a ‘wodge’ of cash seem relatively painless.  All in all the handover process took two nearly two hours, but a lot of that was down to us chatting about everything other than cars.

Anyway, I am pleased with my experience of Castle BMW, feel sure they will look after me post sale and if they do manage to update their showroom, would get five stars all round.

Pryordurkin rating. 4 stars.

(If you do visit them ask for Simon H’ who looked after me)  Tel:0845 128 6429

Since buying my Vauxhall Vectra last year it has never been properly valeted.  I normally muck it out myself every now and then, but like to have a professional valet done at least twice a year.  So it was long overdue and to be honest the car was looking a little worse for wear, especially having been used to carry a ’wet’ christmas tree home on the back seats!

It was therefore fortunate that I happened across a fly-er by Auto Refinishers York based in Dunnington, who are mainly Vehicle Repair and Paintwork Specialists but now offer general servicing and valeting on top.  I rang them yesterday morning hoping to get the car booked in this week and was delighted when they said, they had just re-opened after Christmas and could fit me in today.  I took the car straight down to them and booked the Gold Valet service at £70 including VAT.  The lady behind reception was very nice indeed and the place had a clean professional feel about the place.  A young guy busied himself in the back ground and I could see from the daily work sheets that the jobs were starting to come in.  I left to return later in the day.

I rang to check whether my car was ready and despite a minor misunderstanding by them that they were not expecting me to return until the next day I picked my car up around 4.30pm and was very pleased with what I found.  I have had quite a few valet services in the past and experience has shown that they can be quite variable.  This one was definitely one of the better ones.  The car was spotlessly clean inside and out.  I could now see through my windows without that misty haze of dust and grime you get after a while and it smelt really fresh.  As it happened I was taking to a garage salesman later in the day and he remarked a couple of times about how professionally polished and in good nick my car looked.

Anyway, with my bill they included another fly-er and the same lady who I had met in the morning mentioned that their labour costs were much lower than main dealerships and that they could do my servicing from £85.  Given I paid nearly £400 last time, I will certainly consider dropping the main dealership and going back to this local friendly business.

If you do go looking for them, they are behind the Costcutter headquarters on Common Road in Dunnington.  Easy to miss, but worth the effort in finding.

Pryordurkin rating 3 Stars.  Telephone 01904 481177

Since moving to York early in 2007 we have become regular customers of Dean’s Garden Centre on Stockton Lane in Stockton-on-the-Forest near York.  It is a family run business with a second branch in Scarborough and is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary this year.  We have bought quite a few things from here over the couple of years since, including garden furniture, wood fencing, a large water fountain and of course lots of planting.  Having tried a number of other nurseries and garden centres around the area, including Homebase and BBQ, Paul always seems to think the plants from Deans are just that much better for quality.  Although they may be just a little more expensive, they in the end, prove to be better value by far.   Paul was particularly pleased to discover that in December 08, all Hardy plants are for sale with a straight 40% off the price and to celebrate their anniversary you also walk out with a free Ruby Rose.

The service over the time we have shopped here has always been friendly and professional.  When looking for advice or information they are happy to spend time talking to you.   The old guy who seems to work in the portacabin is an especially interesting character.  Worldly wise and canny with it.  A really nice man.

While Paul meanders around the outdoor planting area, I can usually be found trying to persuade him to join me in the on site ‘Brothy’ for tea and cake.  A cafe that serves up hot and cold snacks and fine looking cream cakes, which are clearly popular with the old dears of York.   Although not the best Cafe I have attended at a Garden Centre, it is certainly not one of the worst either and is worth a visit.  Be aware though it gets very busy.

Finally, as was the case over the last couple of days, if you need to return anything or have a query on a product, they go out of their way to help.  Many who know me will know, I am not a gardener, but if I quite like this garden centre, then it must have something special going for it.

Pryordurkin rating. 4 Stars.

Tel 01904 400 141
Fax 01904 400 157

We fancied a real Christmas tree this year, so following recommendations from our neighbours, we made our way to Boretree Christmas Trees on Hull Road, in York.   Just up the road from us near Grimston House, this small family business has been around for many years.  So with a little excitement in our hearts and the child inside us building hope we entered their grounds.  The place was very busy despite the pouring rain and after parking up, we wandered along the lines of Christmas trees to chose the one we would take home.  Ranging in size from 4ft thru to 8ft in size they catered for everyone.  All their trees are grown in the UK, some cut, some still potted.  We opted for the Nordman Pine because not only did it look lush, it apparently holds onto its pines just that much better than other trees on the market.  We took the opportunity to also buy a new stand that would hold our little beauty erect for all to see.  In total the tree cost £35 and with the stand, this made £60 in total.  We had a little fun (read much losing of temper and swearing under breath) to get it into the car, but in reality we were soon home given we live two minutes away.  The service was courteous and quick and we would certainly go back next year. Pryordurkin rating 3 stars.   Telephone 01904 488437

With two colleagues I decided to have a spot of Lunch at The Gourmet Pizza Company at Gabriels Wharf.  We arrived at around 1pm and the place was busy with local business people, tourists and children alike.  The restaurant is a large wooden hut affair with outside heating and a covered deck area which proved to be a good idea because the temperatures certainly dropped today.  We had a little wait while a table came free and eventually sat down to beautiful paper napkins.  We ordered up our food.  I went for the chicken and spinach pizza and a bottle of sparkling water.  The water was served up in a peroni beer glass and there was no offer of ice.  The pizza was served up freshly cooked but the base was very hard indeed. I can’t be sure as I could not see the kitchen from where I sat, but I would guess that the bases are ready made.  It was pleasant enough, but nothing special.  More designed for the tourists who are unlikely to return as opposed to the people who work locally.

The service was quick and friendly though and we were generally happy with out lot. For the three of us the total cost was £36.

Pryordurkin rating. 2 Stars.

tel: 02079283188

A short drive from junction 27 on the M62 between Leeds and Manchester is the Dove Cottage Nursery and Garden on Shibden Hall Road, Halifax.  Specialising in hardy herbaceous perennials and grasses Dusty wanted to visit to pick up some particular plant that is only available here and in one other nursery in the UK.  They don’t sell candles, smelling paper or serve meals for the over 60’s.  They simply specialise in plants and seem to do it very well.  Run by Kim and Stephen Rogers they have a small family business on their hands which caters for the true gardener.  While I have no idea about plants, Dusty seemed very impressed with the variety and quality on offer and ended up spending a small fortune while I sat in the garden having a coffee from the automatic machine housed in the new wooden hut.  Not a doily in sight!

Rating: 4 Stars.  Worth a trip if you like decent plants sold at very reasonable prices with personal advice from the owner.    Telephone 01422 203553