- Stephen Thompson placed the order from his local branch in Darlington
A man has slammed a ‘disgusting’ meal from Toby Carvery and claimed it was so bad he would not feed it to his dog.
Stephen Thompson requested two Thursday Starter Surprise bags from his local branch in Darlington, County Durham via Too Good To Go, which sells on branches’ surplus and unsold food.
However, Mr Thompson was less than impressed with his order once it arrived, claiming that even his dog would not touch it.
Posting to Facebook, he wrote: ‘Toby Carvery’s new starter meal absolutely disgusting not worth the trip,’ accompanied by an image of four brown logs in a cardboard delivery container.
Stephen said that he initially thought the substance was meant to be pate, but was put off by its horrifying appearance.
Speaking to Tyla, he said: ‘That’s got to have been the worst meal I’ve had in my life and I bought two. Feel like I’ve been robbed.’
However, he still attempted to eat the order – potentially out of sheer curiosity as much as anything else – adding: ‘I had to spit it out. Even my dog wouldn’t eat it.’
After being contacted by MailOnline, Toby Carvery refused to comment.
MailOnline has contacted Too Good To Go for comment.
After sharing his post on Facebook, where it has since received more than 1,200 likes, other users took to the platform to express their indignation at the appalingly presnted box.
One user wrote: ‘I thought it was a Swiss Roll.’
A second added: ‘What was it? Looks like something from my cat’s litter tray,’ one penned on Facebook.
A third joked: ‘Why does it look like someone has just s***e in a box?!’
A fourth said: ‘Looks like dog food, what’s it meant to be?’
It comes after MailOnline compared the humble Toby Carvery Sunday roast to the only Michelin-starred pub in London, the Harwood Arms, located in Fulham.
Katrina Conaglen praised the chain’s roast beef for being ‘tender’, while she lambasted the pork loin as ‘leathery’ meat.
Delivering a verdict, Katrina said: ‘Crucially, Toby’s Carvery is not attempting a swizz – £13.99 for a mountain of well-prepared meat, endless veg, and as many roasties as you can pile on your plate.
‘The ambience may be lacking – it’s dining without flair – but if you’re after a good feed, you’re quids in.’
She gave her overall experience three stars out of five, praising the ‘flavoursome meat, comforting food, mountainous puddings [and] value for money.’
However, she did note that it had ‘all the atmosphere of an airport lounge’, while lamenting the need to queue for food and bemoaning the ‘dirty glassware’.
In comparison, Katrina found The Harwood Arms to be a satisfying experience, stating: ‘When you pay over the odds for a meal, the hope is, as much as anything, you’re paying for an experience.
‘Toby Carvery is food as background noise – an old sitcom episode you put on for comfort but also to talk over.
‘At The Harwood Arms, food is the main event. The pub satiates hunger, yes, but more than that, they create gorgeous memories. I couldn’t afford to eat like this with any regularity, but if your pound stretches to it, it’s worth the splurge.’
Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
