The Mushroom.

This morning a friend took me to The Harvester for breakfast. I don’t go very often the last time I went to one, was last year for my birthday, my son Daniel took, it was very nice, but very expensive, even though I wasn’t paying. I hadn’t planned on going again, but Alice wanted to take me today, so we could have a chat and a catch-up.

We chose a table by the window, as the sun was streaming through. When the Staff came to get our order, Alice said, after she had looked at the menu, “I would like an unlimited breakfast please,” He replied, “We have stopped doing unlimited breakfasts.” I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I assumed it meant unlimited.

We both chose the set breakfast, Alice said, “Can I not have the black pudding, the hash browns and the mushrooms,” He replied, “OK,” I said to him, “Can she have something else instead?” He replied, “No, all The Harvesters have stopped that.” I then gave him my order, and added, “Can I not have baked beans, black pudding, hash browns.” I then asked, “Instead can I have extra mushrooms instead of the hash browns, baked beans, and the black pudding?” He replied “No,” I said, “Is it because, all the hash browns were left along with the black puddings?” He said, “Yes, bacon and sausages were left, and so they stopped it.” I added, “That makes sense really, stops too much waste and leftovers.” He agreed and said, “Yes.”

He said, “You can have an extra mushroom for 49p,” Shocked inside, I said, “No thank you,” He then said, “Let me just check the price.” He looked, at his little tablet in his hand and corrected himself and said, “If you want an extra mushroom, it will be 99p.” In my mind I thought, are you Nuts? I’m NOT having a single mushroom for 99p!!! I said, “No thank you,” Alice, said “I want you to have it.” So reluctantly I said, “OK then.”

I was disgusted with The Harvester! Fancy selling a mushroom for 99p.

When the meal arrived it looked lovely, on the large pretty stoneware plate. It was filling, and we could not finish it.

For me, the best thing about the meal was the unlimited mugs of tea we could have. We had two each.

While we were eating, the Staff came over and asked, “Is your meal OK, did you have your extra mushroom?” I replied, “Yes.”

I said to Alice, “I think they will lose business, for stopping the unlimited, breakfast,” Alice said, “I used to come here often with work colleges, we always had the unlimited breakfast.”

I then mentioned, the Blue Brick, “There, many years ago I had the best breakfast ever, everything you could think of was there, all for £8.” Alice said, “That was years ago, it too may have changed now, from the last time you went.” I said, “True, but I doubt it.”

Because of the mushroom and the non-unlimited and the not now allowed to swop food, for what I like, I don’t plan on going back any time soon, unless someone else is paying, and even if they are I will not be having an extra Mushroom, for 99!