Vegetarian from Hell Pt3

The first meal for our vegetarian friend and we fell at the first hurdle. We sent in some normal milk and this seem to placate her for the time being. I just knew we were going to have fun and games with this lady. The afternoon tea drew to a close and she departed with her husband in tow but not before she requested a change of table as she was not happy with were they were seated in the restaurant and as as she left the pointed in the general direction of where she would like to be placed.

The restaurant manager was last seen frantically trying to rearrange the seating plan and getting nowhere fast as the existing seating plan was a bit of a tight fit to start with. Eventually after much huffing and puffing, plenty of head scratching and about an hours work the offending table was shoe horned in to a suitable place but not before some other tables had to be moved. The table was laid ready for dinner and the restaurant manager began to relax a little. If only he a had know what lay ahead. The innocent request to move the table and place it where it was put was like dropping a stone into the middle of a pond. It makes a small splash to start with but the ripple affects are felt all round the edge of the pond and it was no different here.

I mentioned before that in a hotel there are no secrets and if there is they are soon discovered and it is the same with the guests as well as the staff. The news of the lady's outburst during the afternoon tea was soon being talked about among the other guests. Meanwhile work in the kitchen starts to gather pace as we all go about our tasks. Dinner was being served at 8 o'clock and all the guests would be sitting down together. The menu consisted of a selection of starters, soup course, fish course, sorbet, main course, sweet and cheeses, coffees and petite fours. We also gave the restaurant manager a list of alternatives for all the courses to cover any dietary needs and any other guests that could not eat what was on offer.

With all the bases covered and dinner fast approaching the guests started to assemble in the bar / lounge area. Dinner was announced and the guests headed for their tables only for some of them to find that they had been moved since afternoon tea and some others to find out that the lady that most people were talking about was now sitting next to them. The ripples from the table being moved were starting to felt and we found out later that this upset several of the other guests. Service started and the orders were taken for the starters and main courses and any alternatives.

You could of put money on it happening and so it did. The lady vegetarian was not happy with the starter choices and alternatives and enquired about other alternatives. She was happy regards the soup and fish course but wanted something different for the main course. "All part of life's tapestry" said the Boss when he entered the kitchen and found out. Nothing was going to faze him and he had a smile a foot wide and was looking forward to a busy but successful service to get the Christmas package well and truly underway.

The kitchen staff were also looking to get the best start possible but did not necessarily share the same thoughts as the boss regarding the "Bitch from Hell" as she was now being referred to. Most of the staff called her something else as well but that is definitely not printable. Service progressed and despite the odd clanger and "BFH" as I will now refer to her as it was a good service and all the guest were happy, the Boss was happy, the Head Chef was happy, everybody was happy all except the poor sad bloke that was married to "BFH". One of the girls tasked with serving them tried to cheer him up with general chatter but bright and bubbly as she was she soon realised that she had more chance platting fog.

Service finished and we in the kitchen cleaned up and headed for some after service refreshments. A little while latter when most of the restaurant staff had joined us for refreshments the conversation soon turned to the hot topic of the hotel. "BFH" had had a bit of contratont with her hubby and had stormed off in a huff. After waiting a few minutes he followed her upstairs probably contemplating an ear bashing. This public falling out soon started doing the rounds and one of the barmen heard a guest saying that "It is not right that BFH should get special treatment all the time, have we not paid the same as them, are we not special as well" and he was not a happy bunny as he was on one of the tables that had to be moved to accommodate her.

Ripples were being felt more and more.