Whitley Hall. Is it still Good?

[WAIN4444 10]

Hi,

We have some relations in Leeds Who have a son who is taking his finals at Nottingham Uni this summer and they want to celebrate his 21st Birthday in Sheffield with a a meal at somewhere special.

They suggested Whitley Hall (which we all have good memories from 20 - 30 years ago of dinner dances - Barnsley Chops Etc.)

Is it still good?

What are the meals (menu) like?

Do they still have dancing after the meal?

Have they still got a pianist/live entertainment to create the right ambeience for a special occassion?

Can anyone recommend an alternative venue for a special meal?

Regards

Barry

[DerbyTup 10]

Not been since a wedding there 15 years ago.

 

It used to have a very good reputation and it's still a lovely place to visit I'm sure. But is this a place that a young kid/student would enjoy? I'd have thought it a bit old and stuffy for our younger generation. I wonder if this is the parents idea rather than the kids idea? If it's his day, let the lad choose, I'd say.

 

To be honest, if the kids in Nottingham and the parents are in Leeds I'd choose either of those two cities over Sheffield any day of the week for restaurants. I wouldn't pick Sheffield just because it's in the middle necessarily. I don't know how much top quality food the lad has ate whilst being a student, but there's a fabulous Argentinian Steak house in Leeds called "Gaucho's" - the likes of which there is nothing in Sheffield. That would be my choice I think.

 

If it is to be Sheffield though then Marco's, Bar & Grill, Aagrah, may offer something that suits.

 

(I bet the kid would rather have the money to spend down town on beers with his mates)

[stonecircle 10]

Hi,

We have some relations in Leeds Who have a son who is taking his finals at Nottingham Uni this summer and they want to celebrate his 21st Birthday in Sheffield with a a meal at somewhere special.

They suggested Whitley Hall (which we all have good memories from 20 - 30 years ago of dinner dances - Barnsley Chops Etc.)

Is it still good?

What are the meals (menu) like?

Do they still have dancing after the meal?

Have they still got a pianist/live entertainment to create the right ambeience for a special occassion?

Can anyone recommend an alternative venue for a special meal?

Regards

Barry

 

I too have been going for many years and remember the days of the pianist and my parents going to the dinner/dances. However, it has moved with the times and with the exception of Christmas and the occasional special event these nights are now few and far between.

 

Whitley Hall is still a good restaurant, and I have always found the food and service to be very good. Take a look at the website at the menus.

http://www.whitleyhall.com/

 

If it is something with a meal and enterainment, take a look at Baldwins Omega Party nights

 

http://www.baldwinsomega.com/public-parties.asp

 

Are you sure the Barnsley Chop you fondly recall was served at Whitley Hall and not at Brooklands in Dodworth? Brooklands was the place famous for it's Barnsley Chops.....

Edited May 21, 2012 by stonecircle

[siwid 12]

I too had my wedding there, only two years ago. The day itself was amazing but I haven't been too impressed with them since. On both of the anniversaries we've had so far I've tried to get in touch on the phone and via email to organise a romantic anniversary meal for the two of us. Both times they've completely failed to return any of my messages. Pretty poor really and left a slightly bad taste after being so helpful when I was spending a fortune on my wedding day. Not bothering to contact them for anniversary number 3 when it comes round this year!

[denlin 12]

Last time I went the meals were expensive and very small portions. What used to be the Arundel at bottom of Chapeltown hill is now an excellent and reasonably priced Indian restaurant and then just down the road is the Travellers which do 2 for 1 meals and is excellent too

[DerbyTup 10]

I just re-read the OP and it sounds to me like they are looking for a "special" venue. I guess we all have our own idea of what "special" may mean. To me that suggests somewhere of sentimental value (which I guess is why they were asking of Whitley Hall given their past experience there) or somewhere a bit out of the ordinary or outstanding in some way.

 

So, some other suggestions then...

 

Fischer's at Baslow Hall

Hassop Hall, Hassop, Near Bakewell

Old Vicarage, Ridgway, Nr Sheffield

 

Food at Fischer's and Old Vicarage is amongst the best in the country. Food at Hassop Hall is not of the same haute cuisine as the other two but still very enjoyable and the surroundings are very impressive.

 

All three of these are places that I would recommend to someone looking for a "special" occasion.

[Justin Smith 10]

I too had my wedding there, only two years ago. The day itself was amazing but I haven't been too impressed with them since. On both of the anniversaries we've had so far I've tried to get in touch on the phone and via email to organise a romantic anniversary meal for the two of us. Both times they've completely failed to return any of my messages. Pretty poor really and left a slightly bad taste after being so helpful when I was spending a fortune on my wedding day. Not bothering to contact them for anniversary number 3 when it comes round this year!

 

I just stumbled upon this thread and was interested in it because we got married at Whitley Hall back in 2004.

We liked the gardens and the history of the place, plus, obviously, the fact you can get married in the same place as having your reception and stay the night there too.

The day was great but that was largely because it was lovely sunny weather. If it`d rained I think it`d have been a very different story, particularly for all the kids there.

The food at the wedding breakfast wasn`t that good, certainly for the price.

But the thing which really niggled us, though we didn`t actually realise till the following day because you`re so busy, was that after the meal all the wine, including a number of unopened bottles was cleared away never to be seen again ! That wine would have been nice for when the guests came round for the evening drinks etc (we didn`t have an organised evening do because most people had to get off it being a Sunday wedding), instead they had to pay at the bar for everything ! Quite apart from anything else we`d paid for that wine, if it really wasn`t drunk by anyone we could have taken it home !

We pondered about whether we should complain to them but didn`t for weeks because it`s your wedding day and you don`t want any bad feeling. But it niggled us, so a month or two afterwards we did write in. I was very surprised at the response we got. They said the Hall had just changed owners so they weren't responsible for anything which happened before that ! Now that is a textbook example of not only poor customer service but poor business. What they should have done is say it was the previous regime, but they`re concerned about our upset so we can have a free meal and a free night there in the best available room, everything on them. The opportunity cost of that really wouldn`t be much at all, certainly not compared with what the wedding cost, and they`d have made the money back and more with us going back regularly to somewhere we had good memories of. As it is we`ve never been back. Plus, of course, they`d have gained the most important thing, word of mouth recommendation. So short sighted......

Edited December 31, 2014 by Justin Smith

[roosterboost 10]

But it niggled us, so a month or two afterwards we did write in. I was very surprised at the response we got. They said the Hall had just changed owners so they weren't responsible for anything which happened before that ! Now that is a textbook example of not only poor customer service but poor business. What they should have done is say it was the previous regime, but they`re concerned about our upset so we can have a free meal and a free night there in the best available room, everything on them. ...

 

What are you going on about? If someone knocked on your door and said the folk who lived there before had sold him a duff car what would you do about it?

[Justin Smith 10]

What are you going on about? If someone knocked on your door and said the folk who lived there before had sold him a duff car what would you do about it?

 

I don`t think you quite realise about repeat business and reputation etc. I run a business and certainly do. You perhaps also fail to understand that when you buy a business you take on all its goodwill, goodwill is a broad term which also includes ill will. People don`t ask what`s Whitley Hall like under such and such owners, they just say what`s Whitley Hall like ?

The fact is that the offer they should have made would have cost them very little, we`re talking opportunity cost here because as it stood we wouldn`t have paid to go and eat or stay there. As I said I`ve run my business for close on 20 years and I`d never have done what they did, it`s just poor business apart from poor customer service.

Edited December 31, 2014 by Justin Smith

[Tobyjug 10]

Overpriced and old fashioned!

[roosterboost 10]

I don`t think you quite realise about repeat business and reputation etc. I run a business and certainly do. You perhaps also fail to understand that when you buy a business you take on all its goodwill, goodwill is a broad term which also includes ill will. People don`t ask what`s Whitley Hall like under such and such owners, they just say what`s Whitley Hall like ?

The fact is that the offer they should have made would have cost them very little, we`re talking opportunity cost here because as it stood we wouldn`t have paid to go and eat or stay there. As I said I`ve run my business for close on 20 years and I`d never have done what they did, it`s just poor business apart from poor customer service.

 

Actually I've run rather a lot of buisnesses over the years and I'm pretty good at looking after regular customers. So how many times did you dine at Whitley Hall before the aledged incident? I eat there ans stay there quite often and have always found thenm accomodating. The biggest problem has been noisy wedding guests who imagine they own the place. But a word at reception normally gets you moved to a quiet room.

 

If I'm looking for a recomendation for a hotel or restaurant I usually go to trip advisor.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g186364-d502703-Reviews-Whitley_Hall_Hotel-Sheffield_South_Yorkshire_England.html

 

Oh look they rate as the 4th best hotel in Sheffield despite your bad mouthing the previous owners.

[Justin Smith 10]

What are you going on about? If someone knocked on your door and said the folk who lived there before had sold him a duff car what would you do about it?

 

I don`t think you quite realise about repeat business and reputation etc. I run a business and certainly do. You perhaps also fail to understand that when you buy a business you take on all its goodwill, goodwill is a broad term which also includes ill will. People don`t ask what`s Whitley Hall like under such and such owners, they just say what`s Whitley Hall like ?

The fact is that the offer they should have made would have cost them very little, we`re talking opportunity cost here because as it stood we wouldn`t have paid to go and eat or stay there. As I said I`ve run my business for close on 20 years and I`d never have done what they did, it`s just poor business apart from poor customer service.

 

Actually, one doesn`t even have to go into customer service and long term business develpment, there`s a simpler argument. If you use a business`s service and that business gets bought out, the new business is still responsible for the business. Let`s say I bought a new house from Bovis which was subsequently bought out by, say, Tarmac. I then find out 6 months later that the central heating didn`t work, if I complained to them they wouldn`t say but it`s nothing to do with us we`ve been bought out by someone else.

But this is all theoretical and slightly irrelevant, the fact is that a service industry more than any other type, wants to maintain its reputation. Or should do.