the loaf

It’s a shame the experience isn’t as good as the bread!
I have just got back from ‘The Loaf’ Crich, on what I can only imagine was a bad day. The other times I have been, I have had a pleasurable experience, and have shared my recommendations with friends and colleagues.
Unfortunately, the same can not be said for today’s shopping trip. Having made a special journey to get come bread, I was unable to spot it on the display, so opted for an alternative, on conveying my request I saw the bread I had gone for so said
’Oops sorry, could I change that for the caraway, I couldn’t see that at first, but that’s what I had come for.’ my request, although met, was answered with a sigh.
A sigh! Now what kind of customer service was this?! All additional purchase ideas then went out of the window, and we just left with the bread, thus reducing your profit line, and potentially loosing a customer in the process.
It seems a real shame, as I am an advocate of independent stores, although I wish your continued success, I will recommend with caution and think it will be a while before I visit again.
Shame, because the bread is fab, and the egg and salmon breakfast was divine.
I do believe that the owners are comitted to sharing their enjoyment of the product and this experience with customers, so hopefully this can be addressed in the future.

Isn’t it awful when somewhere is so good that you want to keep it a secret rather than share it so that you can always find a table! This is, I am afraid, the case with the loaf.
We have been customers since it opened and have watched with dismay as its wonderful bread, marvellous home prepared and cooked (and often created) food, delicious deli goodies and warm and welcoming staff have attracted more and more people.
And just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse (better?) they attracted more people by starting Pizza Nights on a Wednesday. The pizzas are superb but if you don’t book early the chances are you will be too late — we usually book for next week after having eaten this weeks offerings, just to be sure.
So — the breakfasts are brilliant, the lunches lovely and afternoon tea is… very good. All the bread and other bakery bits are superb too. But please do not go there — we want to always be able to just walk in and sit down!
Andrew’s Mum (no, not really ;-))