Today I ordered the Caprese Ciabatta and was surprised to have it served extremely cold (I’m not even exaggerating). The bread was so tough that it was difficult to cut through, and I had to ask for it to be warmed up. Even then, it came back barely warm.
Since I couldn’t really enjoy the pastry, I ended up sitting there observing what happened when another customer ordered the exact same item. Interestingly, a lady got the exact same thing and without being asked, her pastry was taken to the back and warmed before being served. Curious, I apologetically asked her whether she had requested it to be warmed, and she said no.
I then politely asked one of your staff whether the item was supposed to be warmed, as mine had been served very cold. I was told that the burrata was meant to remain cold while the bread and tomatoes were supposed to be warm, and therefore the pastry was intended to be served cold. At that point, I didn’t see much value in explaining further because I don’t think my concern was quite understood.
What I was trying to point out was the inconsistency. The customer beside me was able to cut through her pastry effortlessly. When I later asked if hers had been warmed, she confirmed that it had. So while I was being told the item was meant to be served cold, another identical pastry had quietly been warmed without the customer even having to ask.
What made the difference even more noticeable was that my pastry was handed to me almost immediately after ordering, whereas hers appeared to be given a little more attention before being served. As a result, it felt as though there were two different preparation standards being applied at the same time. Unfortunately, I just happened to receive the version that required significantly more effort to eat.
To be clear, the flavours were actually very good. That’s what makes this experience more disappointing. The pastry had all the potential to be excellent, but serving it cold and inconsistently prepared took away from what should have been an enjoyable meal.
This is the first time I’ve left one of your outlets feeling disappointed. I know your brand is capable of much better (Love the team at Serene Centre), and I hope this feedback helps improve consistency across your stores. After all, whether a customer receives a warm pastry or an ice-cold one probably shouldn’t come down to luck.