I find it a real shame that such a lovely bar can be let down so badly by just one member of staff, especially when the majority of staff here are so considerate, friendly and hardworking.

Unfortunately our regular girls afternoon/early evening get togethers at bar'tat have now come to an end as a result of the appalling service and attitude of the manageress who apparently finds it offensive to have to make tea and coffee for customers. (I assume she finds the additional time and effort in making hot drinks a nuisance when the bar is busy). Of course the sensible thing to do would be for her to review when and where hot drinks are served and make restrictions if it is affecting service. What is a shame is that she instead chooses foul looks, sighing, slamming cups down and making remarks about how busy she is. The last resort was when my friend went to the bar the other day and was growled at by [Name Censored] who said to my friend "I hope you won't be asking for coffee"!!?? (This comment accompanied by the usual foul look that we have become accustomed to in recent weeks). Oh well - there are other establishments in Ilkley that will be more gracious and welcoming. (Maybe someone will point out to [Name Censored] that the mark up on Tea and Coffee is quite considerable - and worth having during the current economic climate.)

How bizarre. Coffee is on the menu but the 'greeting' you received was "I hope you won't be asking for coffee?" Like Smiths hope that I won't dare to buy a morning paper because they would then have to open the till?

I look forward to seeing [Name Censored] dangling from the nearest lamp post next time I pass the Bah'Tat, as a reminder to any others who might have forgotten why they are employed to work in customer service.

Jinx wrote:
Unfortunately our regular girls afternoon/early evening get togethers at bar'tat have now come to an end as a result of the appalling service and attitude of the manageress who apparently finds it offensive to have to make tea and coffee for customers....

Jinx, if you are who I think you are then not only will your custom be lost to Bar T'at - you will take a fair slice of the atmos with you as well.

I don't understand why the manageress should look so miserable - if she doesn't like dealing with the likes of you and I (my requests for beer have, occasionally, elicited a look which suggested she had been given a dog turd) then perhaps she should go and do something else. Likewise, the barstaff...they'd be well advised to keep an eye on who is waiting and to serve them in turn. Oh, and look interested. In fairness, there is one exception to this.

I agree that this is otherwise a great place to drink. They can look after beer, right enough, but their service doesn't compare well at all with the other Market Town Taverns. Shame.

I have always found the service and general offering at Bar T'at to be far superior to anything in Ilkley hence the reason why I'm a regular and the pub always seems to be busier than other establishments. The manageress and staff are always welcoming and thats one of the reasons myself and many other people keep coming back.

Not sure the comment about dangling from a lampost is too constructive to be honest.

I'd say the service was traditionally Yorkshire, they don't say 'have a nice day, missing you already' but I have found you get served tasty beer, coffee or your chosen beverage politely and a soon as they can get to you. I get served out of turn, these things happen in life, I usually point out if someone has been waiting longer than me but you can't always rely on human kindness. Maybe they should have a similar system to the Post Office - 'cashier number three please' - we can all queue up in a nice line, but that would be boring.

Odd first post. Almost like it comes from a member of staff...

Of course, it hasn't been the same since Fraser left.

worde on de streetz is that Frazer is now a regular due to the Wifi facility at Batat.

I think a letter to head office about the grump coffee lady is in order, unless she mends her ways, perhaps after reading somthink on ere.

Odd 2164th post, I didn't realise there was a designated format for your first post on a message board.

I thought I'd give my opinion as a customer as other people are doing can't help it if I like the place.

Professional bar staff should be attentive enough to know who to serve next (and professional customers should, I agree, ideally have the courtesy to point out the next in line if the bar staff bog it up) - all of which is a long way from them hardly giving two Paul Wellers whether they get it right or not. Whatever the business, there's no excuse for providing crap customer service: to do so inevitably brings negative feedback and lost business.

I'll continue to patronise Bar T'at because it suits my style of drinking and has a decent vibe for a bloke of middle years. I don't even begrudge paying more than is charged for the same beer at at least one of their other (non-Ilkley) outlets, so MTT must be doing something right.

As for queueing post office style, one visit to the Kings Head in York was enough to put me off that place for life (although, bizzarely, the same system worked a treat at Headingley last Friday night - horses for courses, I guess).

When I saw this last night I thought it might be a knife job as well, and this angry post is about the whole company, but I apart from the beer I think the company has big issues.

I was going to post stressing the positives of the Bar Tat, but waited until after going to Skipton to book a venue. I wanted to talk to the manageress at the Narrow Boat (same company), to see if she would be any less of a miserable, rude and ignorant waste of space since I last talked to her about doing a show there, with me paying a per head food charge for a show that would bring in new custom. I did the show elsewhere and got 4 local press mentions and it made good, no risk, money for the venue.

The Narrow Boat manageress was far worse than before. It is a longer story than regular coffee drinkers being treated like dirt, and I will be writing to Market Town Taverns, but my whole attitude to the company has now changed.

I have not had a bad pint in any of their pubs, and I do not mind the Bar Tat or the manageress, but let's be blunt about it:

Equal lowest food standard score in Ilkley's Scores on the doors (zero for everything, including confidence in management).

Its layout is worse than the poor average, designed by a smart idiot; you fit in as best you can and admire the old fashioned character of a building less than a decade old (and on Friday the water dripping around the emergency light was setting off the alarm, and was hot!).

Mr Shed wrote:
Odd 2164th post, I didn't realise there was a designated format for your first post on a message board.

I thought I'd give my opinion as a customer as other people are doing can't help it if I like the place.

Sorry to but in, but I think there's confusion here.
Welcome aboard Mr Shed. Ithink the comment 'Odd 1st post' was not referring to your first post, but to the first post on this thread, which does sound as if it comes from a member of staff due to the mention of 'here'.

Keep posting (but try not to be too sensitive - they can be a blunt lot on here!)

mcnab wrote:
worde on de streetz is that Frazer is now a regular due to the Wifi facility at Batat.

I think a letter to head office about the grump coffee lady is in order, unless she mends her ways, perhaps after reading somthink on ere.

'tis true mcnab! and the service is very good too.

However I can't understand the posters comments.
Never have any problems with the staff, more the
imbibers. Perhaps said poster should write to the
Manageress and put forward their grievences. I find
presenting a grumpy person with a duck always brings
a smile to the hardest face.



Perhaps a look at duckincider.blogspot.com/
might help.

Before woza blows a fuse I can't log into the gallery
for some reason, so found putting my pics on a blog
and linking through easier.

I have one of your duck's IMOR my dear.....in fact he has just been to Spain!! But I think I will keep hold of him...I'm quite attached, and he's happy in the bottom of my handbag!! xx

Jinx wrote:
I have one of your duck's IMOR my dear.....in fact he has just been to Spain!! But I think I will keep hold of him...I'm quite attached, and he's happy in the bottom of my handbag!! xx

How interesting.
That narrows the field down somewhat.
I wonder how it enjoyed the trip to Beijing last year?

Bradwan wrote:

I have not had a bad pint in any of their pubs, and I do not mind the Bar Tat or the manageress, but let's be blunt about it:

Equal lowest food standard score in Ilkley's Scores on the doors (zero for everything, including confidence in management).



This ratings system is not perfect though, I think the guidelines are that if you have received a 0 or 1 star rating you should be swab tested, which may or may not result in closure, if the business was not closed then the swab testing must have come up as clean. With a low rating, the business should also be inspected again within 12 months.

With a mid level rating, 2 or 3, the guidelines were supposed ensure an inspection within 18 months, but in practise this is not the case.

With a high level rating you might be free of inspections for years.

It is hadly a system that you can hold up as an example of actually achieving what is was set out to do, but for it to function that way there would have to be a massive increase in spending to train and employ more inspectors.

Yorkshiresoul wrote:
Bradwan wrote:

I have not had a bad pint in any of their pubs, and I do not mind the Bar Tat or the manageress, but let's be blunt about it:

Equal lowest food standard score in Ilkley's Scores on the doors (zero for everything, including confidence in management).



This ratings system is not perfect though, I think the guidelines are that if you have received a 0 or 1 star rating you should be swab tested, which may or may not result in closure, if the business was not closed then the swab testing must have come up as clean. With a low rating, the business should also be inspected again within 12 months.

With a mid level rating, 2 or 3, the guidelines were supposed ensure an inspection within 18 months, but in practise this is not the case.

With a high level rating you might be free of inspections for years.

It is hadly a system that you can hold up as an example of actually achieving what is was set out to do, but for it to function that way there would have to be a massive increase in spending to train and employ more inspectors.

I would be the first to grumble about food quality in any establishment. However that at Bar T'at serves my needs well.
I don't need a flashy bit of edible whatever sat in the middle of a near empty plate. Yer can keep noovo quick scene, for that's what it is. Quick out of your wallet into their bank.

Good wholesome food is hard to find at a price the majority can afford......