Pensioner in disbelief after paying £9.60 for a portion of fish and chips

A pensioner has been left in disbelief after paying nearly £10 for a portion of fish and chips he claims would only fill a ‘four-year-old’.

Stephen Varley, 65, originally from Merseyside, Liverpool, says the piece of fish he purchased at a branch of fishnchickn in South Ockendon, Essex, measured at just 4.5 inches long.

Perhaps what shocked him even more was a staffer’s reply when he questioned the miniscule portion he received at the chain, which has branches across Essex. 

When Stephen, a customer for more than 35 years, asked ‘is that it?’ a member of staff defiantly told him to ‘speak to the manager’.

The former engineer has since lodged a formal complaint via email, and the takeaway has apologised, but insists their portions are doled out according to weight and not size.

Stephen told  GB News: I just went in and when she started dishing up I just thought, “Hang on a minute, I’m not a four-year-old”. I paid for it first and it was £9.60, so I thought, “You’re kidding” and then I questioned it’.

Stephen sayid he was laughing inside at the insult but his exterior was as hard as stone.

When he plucked up the courage to ask the server for more, he was told to speak to the manager who was waiting in the back.

Stephen then met the manager, who queried what happened.

However he left the shop unsatisfied and so instead popped home to make himself a tuna mayonnaise sandwich over sourdough bread.

After satiating himself on a meal of his liking, he pulled out a tape ruler to measure the size of the fish he bought earlier.

With his evidence in tow, he proceeded to look up the shop’s contact details and give them call.

When they didn’t answer, he wrote out a stern email detailing his frustration.

He wrote: ‘Your franchise outlet at South Ockendon is nonchalantly and with the most cavalier attitude ripping people off in the most troubling way: “financially”.

‘Myself, family, friends, colleagues and associates have used that establishment for over 35 years, even before it was renamed. Never in all that elapsed time have I ever had to complain.

‘However, over the last few months, the insulting portions have taken more than a foothold. It seems they are now firmly established as the norm.’

The takeaway promptly responded and offered an apology to Stephen, writing: ‘I would like to apologise that you were disappointed with the fish and chips that you received recently. 

‘We spend a lot of time with our passionate teams training them on our strict fish preparation, cooking procedures and quality control measures.

‘To hear that we have let you down on this occasion is so frustrating. We do cut our fish based upon weight rather than the size or length of the fish so on occasion it may appear smaller or shorter but will in fact be thicker and vice versa.

‘I will be speaking to the Operations Manager of the store so they can work with the team to provide further coaching on the importance of ensuring that they are following all of our policies and procedures and consistently serving only the high quality fish and chips that we pride ourselves on. 

Stephen, who was forced into early retirement by chronic lung condition asbestos, added: ‘If I had a suitable reply we wouldn’t be talking about it today. I just wanted an explanation as to why and some decent management training.’