Dozens of families saw their Christmas Day plans ruined after a popular restaurant chain was forced to close its doors at the last minute, cancelling bookings for hundreds of disappointed guests.
Kitchen Failure Forces Sudden Closure
The Miller & Carter steakhouse on Stratford Road in Hockley Heath, near Solihull, had to shut its kitchen and turn away customers on 25 December. The venue discovered a critical fault with its kitchen extractor fan system during morning safety checks at 9am on Christmas Day.
This mechanical failure meant the ovens could not be operated safely, leaving the restaurant unable to cook any food. Despite engineers working on the issue, a replacement part had to be couriered from Blackburn, some 90 miles away. The restaurant eventually became operational again by 6pm, long after the scheduled lunchtime sittings.
Families Left in the Lurch
Among those affected was James Munro, who had a booking for a party of 13 at noon. His sister had travelled from Devon for the occasion. Mr Munro stated he did not receive a direct call from the restaurant and only learned of the closure through a friend whose daughter worked there.
He visited the venue to confirm the news, where staff apologetically explained the situation. Approximately 78 parties, believed to be around 300 guests in total, had their bookings cancelled. Mr Munro's own group, which included three families, had paid £420 for their planned meal.
"It was devastating," he told BirminghamLive. "Safe to say the day has been a write-off. Perhaps if we had been informed early enough we might have had time to pull some scraps together." His family resorted to buying emergency supplies from a Little Waitrose at a petrol station, spending an additional £85 on a makeshift meal.
Restaurant's Response and Customer Backlash
Management at Miller & Carter Hockley Heath posted a notice on their Facebook page at 1.20pm on Christmas Day, informing the public of the closure due to the "unexpected electrical issue". They stated their team was contacting all bookings.
The company said it was "devastated" by the incident. A spokeswoman confirmed all affected guests would receive a full refund and be offered a complimentary three-course meal with a round of drinks by way of apology.
However, some customers felt this response was inadequate. James Munro pointed out that a free meal at the same restaurant was of little use to his sister who lives in Devon. He suggested the company could have offered more immediate goodwill gestures on the day itself.
The restaurant reopened as planned on Boxing Day, with the chain apologising again and thanking most customers for their understanding that safety had to come first.
