A popular steakhouse chain has apologised after a major kitchen failure forced it to cancel 78 Christmas Day bookings, leaving hundreds of diners scrambling for a last-minute meal.
Christmas Day Chaos at Hockley Heath Steakhouse
The Miller & Carter restaurant in Hockley Heath, near Solihull, was forced to shut its doors on December 25th after discovering a critical fault with its kitchen extractor fan system. The issue, found during morning safety checks at 9am, meant the ovens could not be operated safely, rendering the kitchen unusable.
Management stated they were ‘devastated’ by the closure, which occurred just as the first guests were arriving for their festive meals. The venue had been charging £100 per adult and £60 per child for its Christmas Day offering.
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 specifically for the occasion. Mr Munro revealed he was not contacted by the restaurant, instead learning of the closure from a friend whose daughter worked there and had been told not to come in.
"Safe to say the day has been a write-off," Mr Munro posted on the venue's Facebook page. "Perhaps if we had been informed early enough we might have had time to pull some scraps together." He estimated around 300 guests were turned away, including his own family of five.
Upon visiting the restaurant, he was told by staff about the extractor fan problem. The group then had to resort to buying emergency supplies from a Little Waitrose at a garage, spending £85 on a makeshift meal of chicken breasts, vegetables, and frozen roast potatoes. "It doesn't quite cut the mustard," he said of the restaurant's subsequent offer of a complimentary future meal.
Restaurant Response and Refunds
Miller & Carter Hockley Heath posted a public apology on its Facebook page at 1.20pm on Christmas Day, explaining an "unexpected electrical issue" had forced the closure. Engineers were on site within an hour, but a replacement part had to be couriered 90 miles from Blackburn. The restaurant was only operational again by 6pm.
A spokeswoman for the chain confirmed the team had personally contacted all 78 affected booking parties to offer a full refund and a complimentary three-course meal with drinks. She emphasised that safety was the priority and thanked most customers for their understanding.
"We were devastated to discover an extractor fan failure... on the most important day of the year," the spokeswoman said. The restaurant reopened as planned on Boxing Day.
