...I had a close call on friday night! Scary!

Rainbow77

Hi everyone

I went out for a meal on friday night. I had worked 3 days last week so it was a bit of a celebration. I don't often go out to a pub with friends for a meal - so it a bit of a special occasion. I actually had a glass of wine and it was so nice to go out, feel well and enjoying doing normal things.

Anyway I looked at the menu and I like to have something that I don't have at home, so I went for the fresh trout with veggies. The wine was flowing and other people had starters and they started to enjoy them and then the mains came out. The moment they put it in front of me, I just thought, I can't eat it. The smell was terrible and people sitting next to me said oh' that smells fishy' and we were joking as it was fish!! So I opened it up and smell was so bad and it had like a film of red slime in it. I not fussy with my food but I had a tiny mouthful that was not good. My friend also had the trout and hers was fine. So I said when the waiter came over that I was not happy with it and so she took it back and he cooked it for longer.

Sorry I know I am waffling, but I could just not risk it. Most of you know that I have Reactive arthritis due to food poisoning and I have only just gone back to work after being off for nearly 3 years.

It just scared the life out of me and I was in a state. As then the chef came in and asked me what the problem was as I did not want it back. But I just could not explain myself. I said that I could not risk food poisoning as I had been very ill and he said that all the fish came in fresh that night etc etc. He was giving me all the speil and bascially thought I was being a bit fussy, but he just put me on the spot and I could not explain myself. By that point, I was just totally put off and I did not want anything else. I think that had I off eaten it, it could of killed me. I may sound a bit hysterical, perhaps I am but after what I have been through, I just could not risk it. Everytime I see my GP he always reminds me that I must be careful and can't get another bug.

I just wanted to leave at the moment, but my friends were like, fay you have to eat. What do you want? I was just so put off at the moment. I felt like I did ruin the evening, but I could not help it. It was just such a reality check for me. It shows that this illness, just creeps up on you, so unsuspecting and I hate that about it. It nearly caught me out. I hate being different.

Perhaps I am being a bit dramatic - but the whole thing has really upset me. I could not eat yesterday as I could smell it and I have had my dinner today - and I know things will be ok. It was just a shock and I feel bad for my friends. They really enjoyed their food - I just wanted to go home.

I feel like writing a letter to the chef because I could not explain myself on the night and he was obviously upset as I said that I can't risk food poisoning but I could not say why. Do you think I should do that, or just forget about it? Another lesson and I need to be more careful.

Thanks for reading!! Hope you are all having a nice weekend.

Fayann xxxxx

mouseymousey

To be honest I'd move on. The customer service leaves a bit to be desired - couldn't they just have cooked you something else? The fish coming round again would put anyone off.
Others will disagree with me I know but try to stop upsetting yourself - its not worth it.

lindalegs

Sometimes I'd agree with Mousey and say move on but at other times like this maybe you'd feel better if you wrote a letter to the restaurant - whether you send it is up to you.

Look at it like this, depending on the size of the restaurant, they will have lots of customers and to them you're just one of many. You weren't ranting and raving at the chef you were just obviously very embarassed and tongue tied. You also don't have to justify your reasons to them, you had good enough reason for yourself.

If you do send a letter you're bringing it all up again ( :oops: sorry no pun intended) when they may have already forgotten about it - you're probably the only one who's really upset - to the chef it's probably all in a days work.

Write the letter, read it, wait for a day or two, read it again and then consider whether to send it or not. Once you've got it off your chest (another pun, sorry :oops: ) you might find you feel a whole lot better anyway.

Luv Legs

elnafinn

Hi Fay

How awful for you. I think it was in bad odour (sorry about the pun) that the same fish was re-served, cooked a little longer. It should have all been disposed off and you given a freshly cooked meal.

Perhaps in future you should avoid fish and rice when eating out. These can always be suspect can't they?

If you feel that you would like to justify yourself to the chef then by all means write a letter. Perhaps leave it a couple of days and see how you feel. Do whatever makes you feel better about the whole situation. I can quite understand you did not want to go into great detail in front of your friends and the others in the restaurant. If you are not going there again, which you probably will not rush to do, is there any point really, taking time in bringing the whole situation to the front of your mind again?

I have followed all your posts on how unwell you have been and it is brilliant news that you have at last got your life back and to me, it is only natural, you are going to be "nervous" about food cooked by someone else especially if it comes served with a very strong smell with the possibility of being off.

Have a good week, Fay, you deserve it

Luv
Elna x

eckstardeluxe

I agree with Elna, wait a few days and see how you feel, it's nice to put them in their place but why justify yourself, they should have taken it back right away and made a grovelling gesture, well someone employing proper customer service would do so.

jaspercat

Hi Rainbow, I agree with everyone else, just put it out of your mind and move on, terrible customer service though, and for the record, I would have sent the fish back and not want it again, it would really put me off love Jaspercatxx

suncatcher

HI sorry to hear about your bad experiance at the resturant and i like you would have been up set and unable to express my feelings i would write a letter to the resterant to complain as they need telling they are in the wrong then move on. once again im sorry to hear this has happened to you and send you electronic hugs from joanne p

Wonkylegs

HI,
so sorry to hear that your evening out ended so badly for you.

I can understand everything that you write, and also why it was so difficult to explain yourself on the night - you were in shock and embarrassed as well.

I think lindalegs and elna have summed up what I would have said - the letter would be for YOUR benefit if you write it. Having said that, if it can make them think twice in future when dealing with someone else then that might be a hidden benefit of your writing.

Hope it doesn't put you off going out again!
good luck next week
hugs XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

bertyboy

hi be brave put your thoughts on paper and how you were treated , the problems with the meal how the staff delt with it , what the out come was , how it spoilt not only your night out but that of your friends as well , put time you ate date set ,get three copies send one to them stating you have also sent one to environmental health , and keep a copy your self , you have got a right to be given safe decent food , it is wrong to re cook food and re serve it ,you should have at least been offered an alternative , choice .if its a chain of restaurants send one to customer complaints , as well , i know it sounds a lot of messing , but you can do it . hugs xxxxxxx

Rainbow77

Hi everyone

Thank you so much for your replies. I am feeling ok about it all now. I think I have been enjoying myself I bit too much over the last few weeks and like to pretend that all this stuff is behind me and perhaps I have let my guard down a bit. So it is a bit of a wake up call for me and I need to be more careful.

Some research has shown that people who develop ReA are allergic to the bacteria and that is why it could make me very ill again. I think what makes me more mad is that people think that if you have food poisoning then you have a bad stomach for a couple of days but the consequences can be far reaching than that. If I did write a letter then it would be more on the awareness and education side of it. Thanks for all your support.

Anyway bit busy today, I have a job interview tomorrow and I have got to give a presentation and sample lesson plans. It is all in my head, got to get it on paper and practise!! Also got to find a top to go with my suit!! So better get on with it.

Thanks - take care everyone

Fayann xxxx

oneday

Hi Fayann
i think like a post above you should write a letter and wait a while before sending it. The restaurant shouldnt have made you feel uncomfortable and they should take food hygiene standards more seriously.
Good luck with job interview

airwave

Hi Fayann,

One thing will always count, vote with your chequebook/debitcard/creditcard/cash.

Think how many times over ten years that you would have gone to that restaurant if you had enjoyed it? The power of consumerism.

Write that letter as well!


8) Its a grin, honest!

lindalegs

Just wanted to wish you luck tomorrow Fay with the job interview - hope all goes well

Luv Legs

greyheron

Hi Fay

Just a quick note to say that I thnk you should write to the restaurant manager / owner.

I have a couple of friends with serious allergies and we find that restaurants vary a lot in the attention they pay to this. One friend gets very ill if she eats anything citric - she is very good at explaining this calmly and clearly to the staff, many of them do take it seriously but the most frustrating response is 'Well, so-and-so should be all right' ... It either is or it isn't!

I think the catering trade have improved enormously in their understanding of food sensitivity and allergy but I do think it's right to draw it to their attention, in a formal way like a letter, if they fall short.

Good luck with everything!

Wendy