Oops! Wine Mix-Up Costs England Restaurant Thousands

12:19 May 17, 2019
By: Emma Van Wynen

Customers got more than they bargained for this week as they unknowingly drank a $5,700 bottle of wine. A waitress at Hawksmoor Manchester, a four-star steakhouse in England, accidentally served one of her tables a bottle of Chateau le Pin Pomerol 2001, as opposed to the $290 bottle they had ordered.

Most people would expect to be fired after a slip-up like this, but Hawksmoor founder Will Beckett decided to take the high road, take a deep breath, and forgive the waitress's mistake. Service industry workers around the world applauded the restaurant and management team for how they handled such a volatile situation. It is not always easy to keep your cool in the kitchen, which made this kind response all the more surprising.

The owner of Hawksmoor Manchester turned to Twitter in order to make light of the fiasco. He wrote, "To the customer who accidentally got given a bottle of Chateau le Pin Pomerol 2001, which is 4,500 [pounds] on our menu, last night: Hope you enjoyed your evening! To the member of staff who accidentally gave it away, chin up! One-off mistakes happen, and we love you anyway." This tweet, along with another comparing the two not-so-similar-looking bottles, went viral as the restaurant shocked the world with such a calm and light-hearted reaction to what could have been the end of the line for this waitress.


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