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From: Roger on 01/07/2010 Dear Michael A very sincere thanks to you , Lee and all your staff at Blackpool Sands for providing an outstanding wedding reception. Both Laraine and I found that working with you both before the day was a pleasure and that on the day everything that might have gone wrong did not go wrong. In fact it was perfect. With a wedding you only get one chance and I know that Simon and Sarah have had the best possible start to married life. We have had loads of compliments from our guests .We wish Venus continuing success and a very prosperous summer. Regards Roger |
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From: Kieron on 02/06/2010 Great coffee Just wanted to say that I have been coming to Tolcarne over the last year with my boy and his mates skim boarding over the last year and what a great beach Tolcarne is. We drive over from Torquay 2 or 3 times a month right through the winter and always as we pull up, you should see the look on the boys faces as we peer over the railings to see the surf. For me I still enjoy the water but now take lots of photographs for our web site, especially of the boys. I always get a warm smile and greeting from John behind the counter at Venus who works very hard to promote and provide the excellent service, food and drinks. I especially enjoy that large cup of coffe often when he has just opened. Venus is one of the reasons we come to Tolcarne. Keep up the good work! By the way, great web site. Kieron |
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From: Sara on 31/05/2010 My lovely boyfriend Mark brought me to introduce me to amazing people and amazing food all the way from Canada. The quality of the food is fantastic. The location is relaxing. The service is marvelous and the staff are very caring and professional. I loved everything about Blackpool Sands. |
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From: Michael Smith on 30/05/2010 Dear Alan Sorry I omitted to answer your other point about our choice of cold drinks. You stated we only serve diet coke and a 'cheap cola'. The fact is that we serve 9 cold non alcoholic drinks including: coke, diet coke, Cornish spring water, organic milk, organic orange and apple juices, organic squash and organic Sicilian lemonade. These are clearly shown on our menu at Tolcarne and also on our website. The cheap cola you describe is in fact an organic Cola. A can costs us twice as much as the branded coke & diet coke. The reality is that the only cheap drink we serve is Coke & Diet Coke and we only sell that at Tolcarne (not our other beach sites) because of demand for the brand and, in particular, a 'diet' drink. As a company we would prefer not to be involved with Coca Cola the Company at all as we do not agree with their business ethics around the world nor some of the ingredients which they use. We also sell cold beers and wines for those wishing an alcoholic drink sitting on our stunning deck area. Kind regards Michael |
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From: Michael Smith on 30/05/2010 Dear Alan Thank you very much for taking the time to let me know about your very poor coffee experience at Tolcarne last week. I very much appreciate you doing so as you have brought our attention to a small batch of coffee which is astringent. This is appearing in some but not all bags of a certain batch of our Venus filter coffee. I can assure you that the bad taste was not caused by the filter coffee machines we use. They are by far the best way to make and hold filter coffee. Unlike other filter machines which are exposed to the air all the time, the vacuum flask principle ensures the coffee does not create bitter evaporated coffee and means coffee can be held without effecting the quality of the coffee. Other pour and hold equipment leaves the coffee open to the elements and the coffee starts to evaporate immediately. We have fresh bean machines also for those who woulld like a freshly ground coffee. I have asked non Venus people at Tolcarne and in and around Newquay of their view of Venus and our food and staff. None I spoke to share your opinion about our food or our service - in fact quite the opposite. I am very proud of the Venus cafes and of all our staff and do not believe that we are in any way misleading the public about what we do and who we are. That doesn't mean to say that we get it right every time as we are certainly fallible - as with any business or cafe. I will not, therefore, be following through with any of your suggestions about changing our website or closing our cafe. I am sorry you view us in such a negative light. I would love to send you a voucher for a complimentary lunch for 2 to see if you would give us another go. If you would like to take me up on this offer then please let me know by providing me with your or a mailing address where we can send the voucher. As with all feedback, I am posting your email and my response on our message board. I believe in being totally open and honest. I regret that you wish to do our reputation harm in Newquay and hope that this response might go some way to convince you that our hearts are in the right place even if you detest what we do. Yours sincerely Michael C B Smith Managing Director The Venus Company |
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From: Alan on 30/05/2010 On Saturday we ordered 2 coffees from your Tolcarne Newquay beach cafe. We experienced the worst tasting coffee we have ever been served. We discovered the coffee was made hours earlier and stored in flasks - no wonder it was disgusting. There was a very poor choice of cold drinks, Diet Coke, or cheap canned Cola. Having read your website I conclude our experience is totally the opposite to the Venus experience you believe your customers enjoy. This cafe certainly does not meet the published standards and I suggest a radical change to management, staff and appearance. I suggest you remove the "about us" page from your website with immediate effect, or I will make a formal complaint to trading standards, as you can not be allowed to advertise in this way, when the truth is the cafe is very poor and does not meet the values and standards you mislead the public to believe. We are not the only locals who have had a very poor Venus experience in Newquay and we are telling as many people as possible to avoid this awful experience by email and word of mouth. we are considering a facebook group to warn all visitors to avoid the cafe. Please sort it out or close it down, residents and holiday makers deserve better. This is the worst beach cafe in Cornwall. Alan |
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From: Steve & Lucy on 26/04/2010 We all had a cracking night - so very many thanks to you, Michael and all the staff. The food was excellent, the set up and table layout perfect and the staff were very efficient and very friendly. It was a fantastic evening and without exception our guests were extremely impressed. Thanks once again Steve and Lucy |
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From: debra uphill on 18/03/2010 Blackpool sands web-cam seems to be stuck on the same picture for days now,I love to look at it cos it keeps me sane untill my next visit plleeeeeeeeezzzzzz sort it out,from your no 1 fan!! best beach ever!!!! and the food is exelent!! |
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From: Kirsty on 20/02/2010 I live in South Devon and applaud Venus Cafes - everyone in my family loves the food, drinks, ethos and service - from 90 year old grandma to 3 year old niece. I wish more food companies had the same awareness and positive approach you model. Was just browsing this message board as thinking of booking a family function at the Blackpool Sands cafe. Well done Venus Cafes for being so great and such an asset to the community here. We appreciate you very much! |
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From: Michael on 28/12/2009 Thank you for your email. I am very sorry to hear of your very poor bacon & egg baps received yesterday. I can assure you that we do not cook, freeze and reheat bacon. It is all cooked fresh. On busy days we do pre-cook and hold some breakfast products for a short period of time. For bacon to taste as you describe it was either not cured properly and dramatically overcooked. As we haven't had any other feedback from staff or customers about the bacon, I have to assume that it was overcooked. I have asked the team at Bigbury - they have told me that there was one order for 2 bacon & egg baps that had to sit for 10-15 minutes as the customers couldn't be found - maybe they were yours? Either way, I am very very sorry that you received such sub-standard product. As you say, we are proud and well known for the quality of our food. We do make mistakes, but I assure you of our commitment to quality is second to none. I would, however, like to ask you a favour. I would appreciate it if you would consider bringing any problem product back at the time (any food establishment hopefully would like to know immediately) as this really helps to identify where a break down in procedures or problem products are occurring. It is very difficult to correctly identify the cause of the problem without seeing the product itself. I really do appreciate you taking the time to let us know at all as we can redouble our efforts to ensure that this doesn't happen again. I would like to thank you again and to offer you a full refund. I should be grateful if you would provide me with your mailing address so I may send it to you. May I take this opportunity to wish you a very happy 2010: I sincerely hope that you will make the effort to try us again as I know our quality is normally very good. Best wishes Michael C B Smith |
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From: anonymous on 28/12/2009 thought we would pop to bigbury today(sun 27) got a coffee and 2 bacon and egg baps,as a company which prides itself on quality of food they were the worst we have ever had tasted and looked as if the had been cooked,frozen and then reheated absoloutly tasteless and like lumps of rubber!!your comments would be appreciated. |
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From: Michael on 23/12/2009 Dear Joshua Many thanks for your email - I am glad to hear that you appreciate what we are about. The straw problem is two fold - firstly obtaining paper straws is eternally difficult. There's now only one supplier in the world which I am aware of and they are based in the USA; secondly the cost of these is now prohibitive approx 4 pence each Vv approx. 0.1 pence for a plastic one. I am afraid this is too much now. We have stopped doing straws altogether - and do end up with a lot of grief from customers - but after all why do we actually need a straw?? Hope you have a great Xmas. All the best Michael |
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From: Joshua on 23/12/2009 Dear Venus Cafe, having found out about your environmental work I think it is superb, and you are setting a superb example for food retailers across the country. The idea of paper straws, which obviously biodegrade in a few weeks rather than the hundreds of years for a plastic straw, is a really good idea. Would it be possible for you to approach other cafes and food retailers, suggesting they follow your lead and adopt paper straws? Thankyou |
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From: Martin R on 12/11/2009 I visited it again on a Sunday in October with sixteen motorcyclists who promote advanced motorcycling, we were all served excellent breakfast and very quickly too. The food again was fantastic! |
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From: michele on 12/10/2009 Hi I am so impressed at how you handle your comments page and I was shocked to see some of the petty complaints and sheer arrogance of some of your customers in telling you how to run your business. I think you do an amazing job and how you have the time and hold your patience in replying to some of these comments is remarkable. Well done |
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From: Debbie on 05/10/2009 Hi there I have some great friends who live in Dartmouth and who always come to Blackpool Sands on a regular basis. You have this fantastic concept with regard to recycling and I was wondering if you could help me enormously by letting me have the supplier you use for your takeaway cups with lids - that would be fantastic ! Thank you very much - and well done for a fantastic product ! |
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From: Carole on 05/10/2009 We came to the Venus Cafe last September 11th for the evening. We had an excellent time - the food was delicious and we were looked after very well. This is to thank you all - Teo, the chef and all the staff and to say what a lovely time we had and thank you. Best wishes Carole |
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From: Linda on 21/09/2009 Dear Linda Many thanks for your email. Your suggestion is a very good one. The wheelchairs we have at Bigbury have only very recently been available and have come about through some strenuous efforts of one individual who raised the funds by herself with some donations from other locals. Signage will be addressed - from our part it is also a question of finding the funds to pay for the signage - but we are working on it. With best wishes Michael C B Smith Managing Director The Venus Company Bigbury wheelchairs. I visited bigbury this week with my paralysed brother obviously whhelchair bound.He said he would love to go out to the island.I told him it was impossible as I could not push his chair on the sand. later in thr week we were at East Portlemouth and the manager there was kind enough to tell me about the wheelchairs with the big wheels. How can anyone know hey are available if they are not advertised.I realise that there may be some problem as maybe the car park is council owned but this is ridiculous if thats the only reason stopping a sin being errected.The ideal place of course would be in the disabled parking area adjaecent to the blue disabbled parking signs. I shall of course be taking his up with the council but if you can think of any way of more appropriately advertising this service I would be delighted to hear from you. Yours faithfully, Linda |
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From: Louise on 17/09/2009 Good morning We have just returned from a week's holiday in S Devon and must tell you what a superb find your cafes are! My 9 year old son is on a strict gluten and lactose free diet due to his medical condition and it was amazing to be able to buy him 'ice creams' (and chips!). We visited all 3 of your sites and would like to thank you very much for offering such a wonderful selection of food and snacks. It certainly made our holiday one to remember as we have NEVER eaten out since he went on the diet. It's just a shame you are so far away from us as we live in the Midlands. Thank you once again for having such forward thinking and inclusive food offerings... plus staff that were also wonderful and well informed about GF food. Marvellous service. Best wishes Louise |
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From: Debra on 17/09/2009 Dear Michael, Hi and thank you so much for your reply. I appreciate that things have to change for economies of scale and speed etc and the cheese and tomato panning will not stop us from visiting Venus! We do wish that there was something similar up here on the east coast. If ever you think of expanding I am sure that there would be a market, we also have some great local producers! How kind offering to make panini's in the old way, but I would not put your hard working staff to that trouble and am not sure that my sons would forgive me! Thanks once again for responding and we look forward to being down in Devon very soon. Yours sincerely Debra Dear Debra Thank you for your email - and I am really sorry to hear about your poor panini experience. The current recipe for the cheese and tomato panini hasn't changed for at least 2 -and maybe 3 - years. It's the same organic cheddar cheese, Venus olive oil & basil and semi dried tomatoes with garlic. We did use vine tomatoes for many years as you say. The change to sunkiss - which we blend with garlic - was to provide a common tomato profile which would work across the range of the paninis. I have to say we all preferred this approach to the raw tomato - it also made cooking the panini faster. I am sorry you don't like the change. You are the first customers to have told us you don't like it. I am worried, however, that if you had them last year and thought they were fine then maybe the ones you had this year weren't made to standard. If you could provide me any more detail it would help. If you let us know prior to your next visit that you are coming - date and location - we would be more than happy to make some cheese and tomato paninis in the old old way should you wish. Yours sincerely Michael Hi there, having just come back from our annual holiday in Devon (Bigbury and East Portlemouth our regular Venus Cafes) I was disappointed to find that you have changed your panini recipe! It used to be real cheese and real sliced tomatoes. Now it is an unidentifiable sludge! We look forward, my husband and three children, to our trips to Venus, but we now wonder if things in the panini department are going horribly wrong! Yours, very disappointed, Debra |
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From: Linda on 17/09/2009 Hi My family and I had a lovely afternoon at Bigbury yesterday and had lunch at your cafe. The children had the sausage roll meal and I must say the sausage rolls were disgusting! They seemed to have been kept hot for hours and were hard and tasteless - needless to say the dog enjoyed them. The other disappointment was the ice cream. The coffe had no flavour nor the honeycomb, I think the chocolate the children had must have been okay. I am not the sort of person to complain as a rule, and certainly not direct to the staff, coward that I am, but as the ethos is so excellent, it seems a shame not to mention something that I think could be addressed. Have you considered Salcombe Ice Cream? It is expensive, but I think it is one of the best on the market, or the Kelly brand of Cornish flavours is excellent. Regarding the sausage roll issue, maybe a sausage in a small bap would be more suitable. I would look forward to your comments. Linda Paignton P.S.The rest of our lunch food was very good,especially the fries! Dear Linda Many thanks for the email and for your feedback. I was sorry to hear of your disappointing sausage rolls and ice cream at Bigbury on Sea. Glad though that you had a great day despite this. To comment: 1. sausage rolls - certainly does sound like they were in the warmer too long. This shouldn't happen but clearly we got the rotation wrong and left these in for more than the prescribed 2 hours. The junior sausage roll is also a product we have made for us with proper sausage meat and a shortcrust pastry - i.e. less fat in both the meat and the pastry than the cheaper standard rusk filled flaky pastry product. The downside of that is that they do dry out more quickly with less fat in the meat and the pastry - so perhaps we need to admit defeat and go back to the fattier version. I would welcome your thoughts on that? We have also cut the salt levels back which would also effect the taste compared to a mass produced product. We do sausage in a bap for breakfast. With a proper sausage (which we do) and a good quality bap this would prove too expensive for us to be able to provide the £3.99 price point for the children's meal deals. I think also it would prove to be far too much to eat for young children. I think we need to get the sausage roll right as it is by far one of the most popular children's meals. 2. Ice cream - this is made for us by Langage Farm who do produce an excellent product. I am aware of Salcombe Dairy product (which I agree is very good) and they have always been included in the ice cream blind sampling we conduct before awarding our contracts. In these tests, Langage product has always come out on top over the range of flavours. Salcombe also would have some difficulty in meeting our volume requirements as they are quite a small operation. I am also aware of Kelly's ice creams - their product was found sorely wanting in all the taste tests we conducted and the ingredients also fall short of the quality we like to use. I have brought your comments to Langage's attention and asked for a report from them. It is possible that a small batch of product came through the system with less flavour than our specification calls for. The quality specification we ask for does, I assure you, ensure flavour throughout the ice cream - but - mistakes do happen. I hope I have answered your points. Again I do appreciate your feedback. I am so sorry that your meal was so poor and not up to our normal high standards. I would like to send you a meal voucher for your family which you can use to have a free lunch on us on your next visit to the beach. I would appreciate you letting me know your address and the number of children in your family. Many thanks again. Regards Michael C B Smith Managing Director. Dear Michael Thank you very much for your very kind email and points regarding your products. I would like to say how sorry I was to hear of your recent bereavement. Regarding the sausage rolls, I take your point about getting the balance right of fat etc. but perhaps the warming method could be addressed. The Kelly's ice cream I referred to is a new product they are selling through the supermarkets which is Kelly's Cornish Cream Ice Cream, and the flavours are excellent. I know in the past I bought their ice cream and it was sadly lacking. It's strange, but I don't seem to find the Langage very nice - I didn't realise yours was Langage. Thank you for offering a voucher, that would be good, we have three grandchildren who were with us on the day in question and had the children's sausage roll meal. I would like to say thank you for your very open way in dealing with my complaint and I am sure that is the secret of your success. Kind regards Linda |
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From: James on 09/09/2009 I would like to thank you for organising a fantastic evening last night. The food was spot on and your staff are just excellent. Please pass on our sincere thanks. I dont know where you get them but you do definately know how to pick the good ones! We also did our very best to reduce your excessive stock levels of Rose and much appreciate the pricing that you gave us. I must say I have enjoyed the two or three times I have eaten with you this summer despite, I think, raining on each occassion!. I think the tables look fab. Many thanks James |
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From: Michael Smith on 31/08/2009 Dear Tracey Thank you for taking the time to write to ask some questions about Venus and how we operate. I will address your questions in turn: 1. We have used the old recycled whisky barrels now for 12 years. I like using them because - it uses a product which otherwise has no use (except in gardens); it is aesthetically pleasing to the eye; it looks compatible with our image and that of the beach; they hold twice the amount of rubbish than plastic bins available otherwise and it involves no production of plastic. 2. Re-cycling. Our beaches have NO operator who is willing to come to recycle any product except our waste oil. Councils are NOT involved at all in recycling business waste and have no facilities in the S Hams for doing so (they are trialling glass trade waste which we are involved in). We want to do as much as we can in recycling and have upped what we do significantly in the last 2 years. We backhaul all glass, plastic water bottles, cans and cardboard to our central warehouse at Halwell where it is re-cycled properly using our own vehicles to take to an official trade waste recycling facility. We have the necessary approvals from the Environment Agency to do this. It is our intention to install our own composting facility in the future which would mean we could then also backhaul all our paper packaging and food waste as well - we need to invest some £70,000 to make this happen. So what we are doing now is encouraging our customers to separate everything (and this is not a simple task) so that our task of sorting is much easier when we do manage to implement our long term plan . We are already dealing with the glass, cans, cardboard and waste oil. 3. Emptying the bins: yes this is a problem - and one we have yet to address. The capacity of the bins is much larger than any other bin (which are plastic anyway). Our guys need to remember to empty them more often. Your email has prompted us to look again at the paper bins - we may well try making our own square barrel for the paper ones which would then sort the problem - probably. Clearly, the struggle with the barrel is related to how busy we are - most of the year it isn't a problem. This is a management issue which needs addressing as well as us designing a new bin for the paper/ packaging. 4. Hours of work. All our seasonal staff at Bigbury on Sea are over 18 and 95% are under 21. We pay them very well at £6.25 per hour (£5.75 + 50 pence bonus if they meet certain availability criteria) - much higher than the minimum wage for 18-21 year olds of £4.77 (over 30% higher!). All our seasonal staff are studying at university and want to earn enough money to help them through the next year. While we do sometimes have long days when the weather is sunny, the average week is moderate and over the 9 weeks they work with us they are guaranteed a £2,000 minimum gross earnings. In return, we need flexibility to be able to respond on the busy days and on the much less busy cooler and wet days. This is clearly laid out both in our contracts and when we employ people. To be honest, any other way of working would pretty much guarantee our demise. On average, our staff do not normally exceed a 40 hour week over the summer holidays. At Bigbury on Sea this year is has averaged a 35.5 hour working week with the highest being 39 hour average and the lowest 32 hours. Some staff want to work more than others. Regarding the law: it is quite clear. You are entitled to a 20 minute break if you work 6 hours or more in a shift. We comply fully with this requirement and do, when we can, give them extra small breaks as and when business permits. I have to be honest though - often they don't want more unpaid time and want to work while they are at work. 5. Health & safety: we have fully documented HACCP and operational procedures for dealing with knives and fryer filtration. Our staff are fully trained on all dangers in the kitchen and each one is personally seen by me - and part of that induction includes a discussion on knives, fryers and trips and falls. We have invested over £20,000 in additional automatic filtration equipment to ensure this particularly hazardous procedure is kept as safe as possible. I hope I have answered your questions to your satisfaction. With best wishes Michael C B Smith |
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From: Mark on 31/08/2009 Firstly, I should like to say what a huge fan I am of Blackpool Sands; I am lucky enough to visit several times a year and always make an effort to have breakfast on the beach every time we're there, thank you for making it such a great place to be! Secondly, I have a slightly obscure request: the sandwiches at Blackpool Sands are served in a lovely cardboard boxes which open by pivot and have a window.. Well, I am currently looking for a cool solution to a packaging issue I am facing with my sock company, and I am wondering whether the sandwich boxes might be the solution I'm looking for! Might you be able to pass me the contact details of your supplier? |
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From: Tracey on 25/08/2009 Dear Venus, I have visited several of your cafes over the years, and have always been very impressed with your food, ethics and employees. More recently, I have visited your Bigbury Cafe and have decided there are some issues that I would like to raise. More than 3 times now, I have seen your junior staff really struggling to empty the 'recycling bins', it is a barrel in shape, and I thought it would be obvious that this would not work, as the middle is greater in circumference than the top. It has taken them on occasions up to 10 minutes and 2 staff to empty one bin! A relative of mine works in waste disposal, and I know that the waste in the bins is not seperated in a way in which the council will accept it for recycling. So why are there recycling signs on the bins? Another point I would like to raise, is the hours that your junior staff seem to be working. I purchased breakfast at the Bigbury cafe only the other day, walked past several times throughout the day, and also went again later to buy ice-creams for my children. I noticed that the same staff seem to be working extremely long hours! I asked one of the Junior staff working on the till what their working hours were. I then found out that they often work 10 - 11 hours a day, with a single 20 minute break!! I find this quite astonishing!! I am not sure that it is safe, or in fact legal. They are no doubt working with hazardous objects like friers and knives. Please could you enlighten me on these topics? Regards Tracey Reynolds-Jones |
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From: Kerry on 13/08/2009 Recently returned from a holiday in Salcombe and really enjoyed spending time at Venus there and at Bigbury. Staff are lovely and my daughter loved the gluten-free pies - we've never been able to get them anywhere else. Love the approach to environmental issues. Thank you. |
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From: Marks Family on 06/08/2009 Wonderful Day at Blackpool Sands. We met up with our friends, bought some wetsuits and had lunch. The Venus Cafe was so quick and nice. It was as fast as Macdonald's but a thousand times nicer. Thank You Venus Cafe. P.s you should perhaps think about expanding down to the south east of england on a beach because a lot of people would go to the Venus Cafe. |
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From: Nick on 04/08/2009 The cider we sell at the Devon Venus cafes is made in Devon by RealDrink - www.realdrink.org |
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From: Jenny on 03/08/2009 I just wanted to say that me and my fiance had a wonderful day at Blackpool Sands. My fiance was particularly impressed with the organic restaurant but more importantly the organic cider that was stocked there! What was the cider called, thats all he keeps asking and i can't remember....does anyone know? |
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From: Anne-Marie on 20/07/2009 Dear Lee and the team I wanted to thank you all properly for the most wonderful evening of my life. I had no idea that Andrew could plan such an amazing party in such an imaginative place, or that reaching 60 could be such fun. We invited only family and old friends, many of whom we met when we lived abroad, and they were all delighted to be able to see a bit of beautiful south Devon. One couple who spend a lot of the year in Cannes said that Blackpool Sands beats the French Riviera hands down! It was all wonderfully well organised and the coach was an inspiration, as everyone saw the beautiful view and nobody had to drive home afterwards (thereby increasing the alcohol consumption by about 50%!). Of course we were incredibly lucky that the weather was so perfect, but even if it had rained, Venus Cafe was really cosy and you had done it up beautifully for the dinner. Have you thought of opening in the evenings on a regular basis? It is such a magical venue that it seems a shame not to make more use of it. Charlie's music was absolutely perfect - everyone loved it and he would have been so gratified if he had heard the praise that was being heaped on him the following day! I love his songs and I'm sure he will go far (but not too far from Devon I hope). In praise of the sublime food, I thought I would send you some extracts from the many letters we have received: "We are still thinking of your birthday dinner and the delicious crab and lobster - it was so fresh that it must have been dragged up to the Venus Cafe just before we arrived. The position of the cafe and the ambience made it such a special place and the atmosphere was magical." "Every moment was memorable .... the best dinner ever. I have never eaten such delicious lobster, with our other favourite crab, all accompanied by really excellent wines. I am quite overcome!" "The lobster was quite superb and perfectly cooked. The best I have ever tasted". "It was such a happy occasion and so much fun - superlatives don't really do it justice, but fabulous food, wine, old friends, lots of laughter, sea breezes in a beautiful setting - an evening never to be forgotten." "The evening at Blackpool Sands was quite fabulous with the music, speeches and lobster .... all arranged so perfectly and seemingly effortlessly. We were all spoiled to bits. Such happy memories!" As you can see from these few quotes (every single letter praised the mouth-watering lobster), all our friends enjoyed themselves enormously and most of the success of the evening is down to the charming Venus team. I know that behind the scenes everyone must have have worked incredibly hard to make the party run so smoothly, and Andrew and I really are so grateful to you. Thank you all very much indeed for your efforts and I can't wait for the next celebration at the Venus Cafe. With love and thanks Anne-Marie |
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From: Michael on 28/05/2009 Dear Jeremy Many thanks for your feedback about Venus and our coffee. I am glad to hear you enjoy our cafe at Blackpool Sands. We use 2 types of coffee: filter ground coffee from the mountains of Aceh, Sumatra and bean coffee from Papua New Guinea - both are single estate and organic. This means we know exactly where it comes from and who the farmer/ estate is. Our coffee roaster actually visits these estates and during that visit acquaints himself with the conditions on the estate itself. Our roaster pays a good price to the estate for the product and doesn't deal with the middle men. When we buy from someone we make sure we ask the right questions about conditions etc. So we are pretty comfortable with these checks that the 2 plantations we use are running the business in an appropriate fashion. The Fair Trade mark is, as you probably know, a mark which involves the producer in some cost as well as providing benefit. Not all farmers actually want to go through this process but it doesn't mean they aren't treating their workers and land in a humane and proper way. Our filter coffee is in fact a Fair Trade product anyway but our beans are not. You may also like to know that 5p of each cup of filter coffee (our fair trade one) goes into an Aceh (Sumatra) fund and raises enough money every year to pay for 5 or 6 cleft pallet operations in the Aceh region. This has been in operation since the Tsunami devastated the Aceh area. I hope the above has quieted your fears about the coffee we sell and the ethics behind it's souring. With very best wishes Michael C B Smith |
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From: Jeremy on 27/05/2009 We really like the cafe at Blackpool Sands but were disappointed that the coffee was not fairtrade. We wonder why? |
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From: Matthew on 21/05/2009 Gwen and I would like to express our gratitude to you and your staff for the perfect wedding reception for Jeanie and Adam. Your company has been a pleasure to deal with from beginning to end. We felt confident from the start that you would do a thoroughly professional job and we were not disappointed. Please convey our thanks to all involved. With Kind Regards Matthew |
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From: Alan on 20/02/2009 Just wanted to say ` Thanks for your great webcams `. Always of huge benefit to see what the weather is like around our lovely area. Looking forward to seeing Salcombe back on. Regards, Alan |
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From: Ian, Clare & Kate on 20/02/2009 I have been meaning to write to you for some time and our visit to Bigbury last weekend has reminded me to do so. We are lucky to live and work in the South West and are frequent visitors to Salcombe during the summer months and spend most of our time there on East Portlemouth beach. We were delighted to find out some 18 months ago that you were planning to stock dairy free ice cream, as our (now 6 year old) daughter requires a dairy free diet. Last summer she greatly enjoyed the Swedish Glace products that you stock and it meant that we were able to enjoy family ice cream moments! During the winter months we enjoy visiting various beaches around the South West and were particular pleased a few weeks ago when we visited Watergate Bay and found a Venus Cafe there. Although my wife and I had coffee (it was a freezing day), our daughter was able to enjoy an ice cream. We have now visited all of your cafes and, due to the products that you sell, we probably decide where to go based on the location of Venus Cafes as you enable us to dine as a family. Many thanks and keep up the good work. Regards Ian, Clare & Kate(6) |
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From: Ashton Family on 02/11/2008 Our family enjoyed a great day on the beach at East Potlemouth. Clean & good parking. On the cold day, hot lunch & the childrens menu at Venus was devoured quickly with enthusiasm. Really pleased to see the children's lunch box contained a YEO VALLEY Organic Yoghurt & drinks of squash were the fresh tasting ROCKS Organic Orange Squash...no additivers or nasties. Well done VENUS! |
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From: Paul on 18/10/2008 Dear Michael, Further to my telephone call, I would like to thank you, Lee and the team for helping to make my 60th birthday party at Blackpool Sands such a success. The venue which is in such a lovely location, was transformed for the evening party with the awning, table cloths, candles and fire making it really atmospheric. I think without exception everyone commented on the excellent quality of the food and the sticky toffee pudding and clotted cream was a real wow. We were certainly favoured by the weather after the recent experiences and the moon over the sea later just sealed the evening. I appreciated the very straightforward manner of our conversations whilst organising the party and would not hesitate to recommend the location to others. Thanks again and kind regards Paul (the elder !) |
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From: Michael on 04/10/2008 Iain Thanks for the feedback. Understand re: apples - these were the only ones available to us at that time - we have been buying French - Devon apples only now coming on stream. There is a tremendous shortage of apples at the moment and as far as I know none are available in the summer - most are used up in the Autumn in cider and apple juice making. Your point is valid, however, but there's very little English fruit, let alone Devon fruit available. I will ensure we do something about it for next summer menu. Cups - yes we have finally made progress here. Our new large cup is now made in Wales and when our existing stock of the regular cup runs through this will also be made in Wales. The historic issue was the cup we use is a triple layer cup which keep the heat in and away from people's hands. Until recently this wasnt available in the UK and so a UK cup needed an insulating sleeve which ended up using more paper and transport etc etc. Thanks for providing us with feedback. Very aware that inconsistencies can arise in what is a very complicated web/ chain of issues. I'm pleased you have taken the time to share your observations. Please do not hesitate to do so again. With very best wishes Michael |
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From: Iain on 04/10/2008 Hi Great pasties! I was amazed to find you selling Breburn applies shipped in from New Zealand at Bigbury. I asked the guy serving who said you cant buy apples locally - I am very surprised by this. I thought UK, if not Devon would give you many options for sourcing apples. The other thing which I find odd, although it may have changed, is that your 100% recycles cups are made in the USA - or at least they used to say so on the bottom. I didnt see such Country of Origin statement on my coffee this weekend. I hope you have found a UK source. Theres no point in using recycled ones and then buring gas to get them to bigbury from the usa. The trouble these days is that companies are facing competing objectives ( although some manage to con their way through): low miles, locally produced, sustainable, organic, fair trade, low fat, probiotic. It must be a challange to select the right ones for your business! I saw in morrisons chickens which had been stimulated by music and toys! dont go that far, its madness. Thanks for giving us consistently good food in glorious places. But watch out for inconsistencies. Iain |
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From: Mrs Bishop on 04/10/2008 Hi My family and I visited one of your cafes in Blackpool Sands, Devon this summer and the food was excellent. I was wondering if you could give me any information on your gluten free products that you sold there. Can I order any of them direct from yourselves? or do you have any shops near to where I live which is Cardiff, South Wales. Look forward to hearing from you. |
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From: Mike & Diane on 02/10/2008 We both visited Bigbury on Sea on the Saturday 28th Sept. Apart from the great beach, the views across to the island we found what must be one of the best seafront cafes. The Venus Cafe at Bigbury is absolutely brilliant!. Great service, very clean and great food and drinks. I had a crab soup which was fantastic and Diane a coffee. You also get real cutlery, no plastics to recycle. We later had a lunch of Venus sarnies which were also great, wrapped in "eco" packaging and after clearly marked out large wheelie bins to recycle. One good thing no plastic straws, which on lots of beachs do get onto. These then get onto the sand and then the sea and birdlife suffer. Great Idea. Only gripe, where the recycling bins are, you could do with making it a bit more obvious for customers to use these bins and please put out a box for used spoons and stuff. |
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From: Mel on 04/09/2008 I visited Blackpool Sands beach in Devon last week with my family as we were on holiday there & the Venus Cafe is the nicest beach cafe I have ever visited on all my travels here & abroad. The menue catered for my vegetarian daughter & myself as a vegan which is a first. The menue was interesting & the food very good quality. We all really loved it & will certainly be raving about it too friends as well as other veggies/vegans. I hope your business does really well as you deserve it, thank you regards, Mel |
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From: Bob on 04/09/2008 I am pleased to report to you that we are constantly receiving excellent comments from our Guests at Hillfields Cottages & Country House about not only Blackpool Sands, but Bigbury and East Portlemouth as well. The food option at Blackpool Sands is getting rave reviews. Earlier this year we added a Visitors Book section to our web site and you can see these comments at http://www.hillfieldcottages.com/visitorsbook.asp you can link to the local business's shown in bold just by clicking on them. Keep up the good work, it makes our job a lot easier having such excellent venues for our Guest's to visit. Best regards Bob |
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From: Michael Smith on 05/08/2008 Many thanks for your email. There are no conditions which restrict us in terms of planning or licensing - it's just lack of people who want our day time offer in the evening. Opening hours are left fairly fluid in the Summer. We guarantee to be open at 9am and close at 6pm almost whatever the weather. If it is busy enough then we will stay open later and have done so when there are enough people about - and always continue serving while we are on the premises - it take approx. 1 hour to close everything down. We have trialled staying open later (a few years ago) and couldn't even cover our labour costs let alone anything else. To stay open into the evening would require a whole additional shift and resulting overheads. It is in our future plans to do table service evening dining in July & August at Bigbury on Sea and to do so we will need to make some structural changes (which would require planning) and capital. This may take a couple more years before we are in a position to do so. Many thanks for your interest. Regards Michael |
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From: Melanie & Michael's correspondence on 05/08/2008 Good Evening Michael Many thanks for your response and think that we will have to agree to differ on some points. As you say, each has their own expectations and opinions which is of course what makes the world go around I wish you every success Regards Melanie From: Michael Smith - Venus Sent: Sun 29/06/2008 13:40 To: Melanie Subject: Re: Your vist to Venus Cafe at Bigbury on Sea Hi Melanie Many thanks for your 2 emails. My profuse apologies for the delay in responding. I will certainly entertain the mystery shopper proposal. While we, like any business, have our off days - and you certainly experienced one the day you visited - I am confident that our standards of food quality, service and cleanliness are very high. I am also confident in my management at Bigbury on Sea telling me the truth as they see it. As I said in my previous reply - the standard of dress and the poor language you experienced should not have happened and is not acceptable. This has been reinforced at Bigbury on Sea. Waxy cup - I meant no offence when I asked the question about drinking from a cup. It just never occurred to me that not providing a straw would cause people a problem - you are not the only one who has asked the question. The vast majoirty of our customers understand our policy of not providing them for the environmental reasons I outlined to you in my earlier email. I guess it shows how conditioned we have all become by the McDonalds approach to fast food. I have very recently spent a day with one of the UK biggest packaging manufacturers and also spoken to my wholesalers who source from all over the world. I am assured no lid exists without the straw hole - so we will continue with our experiment and offer lids only if needed. Obviously this also has a huge benefit of reducing the amount of plastic which could/ would end up in the sea or in landfill. Glass - with due respect, you are missing the point here. We do NOT want to serve single serve plastic glasses which could end up in the sea, landfill or the beach. It is also a condition of our licence that we use re-usable plastic glasses. We received our alcohol licence 12 months ago. I am sure the Pilchard Inn received theirs a hundred or so years ago at a time when these things weren't issues or even available. As I said, we HAVE to use the glasses we do - and we want to use the glasses we do. If that is offputting to potential customers then so be it. The most important thing to us is that we protect the environment in which we operate and often this means doing things which cost us, and sometimes the customers, money and are often more difficult to do. Food - as I said before I am more than happy to refund in full your meal. To do so I do need your address. I am sorry that the Marine Cafe had decided not to open during your stay. We open 364 days of the year as a committment to building the business and providing locals with a quality (in our opinion) venue at quieter times of the year. I think that should count in our favour and is certainly part of our commitment to operate in a sustainable fashion. I really do appreciate the time you have taken to provide us with feedback. It seems that we are not going to see eye to eye on every point you raised and I think that's OK. We can't be all things to all people and our mission and values cannot possibly be shared by everyone we serve and may well put off others. As a business that's a conscious decision we have taken to stay true to what we believe in while retaining flexibility to modify our approach as we learn more about what's available and how things can be done differently. The majority of your points are spot on and you identified weaknesses in our implementation which I am sure the Bigbury on Sea team have taken on board. With very best wishes Michael Sun 08/06/2008 16:34 To: Michael Smith - Venus From: Melanie Subject: RE: Your vist to Venus Cafe at Bigbury on Sea Dear Michael Firstly I must say many thanks for your detailed response and my delay in replying, back into work mode leaves little time for catching up with personal mail. I still have to say that judging by other comments posted, there potentially appears to be a problem with staff and service in Bigbury and perhaps may I suggest that you employ a "mystery shopper" to visit and check out the points I have raised together with the other peoples comments. Obviously you are proud of the organic nature of the uniforms provided to your staff but there certainly was no pride from their part in wearing them or indeed the presentation of them. The attitude and lack of english again is something that I feel you cannot just take the duty managers word for, whilst I appreciate that you employ foreign students and their conversational english may be very good the vocabulary required in the service industry may not have been covered in their educational programme. The waxy cup issue- I have no problems drinking from a cup and take offence that you feel I may have any special needs. The reason I asked for straws is because you are providing a recepticle with a lid that has an opening for a straw. One would therefore assume that one would get a straw. However, I totally understand your views on saving the marine life and therefore perhaps you should consider a different style of container totally, because full of liquid this style of cup is not particuarly solid and the lid adds to the rigidity, if one has to remove the lid to drink once again the cup becomes too unstable to be safe. Glass-Whist it may be a condition of your alcohol license that you have to serve plastic glasses, I have atached a link www.partyplastics.co.uk/shop where yu can buy glasses for as little as 3p and whilst they are disposable think of the energy and man hours saved by not having to collect and wash your reusable plasticstogether with the £1.97 saving on your current suppliers cost.I note that the Pilchard Inn is not required to abide by this and do use real glass. And finally the food aspect, our party was made of 6 adults and we placed 3 seperate orders as follows: 2 Crab Salads, Portion of Cheesy Chips plus 2 beers 1 Crab Salad, Blue Cheeseburger, Chips and 2 beers 2 Bacon cheese & tomato paninis, chips plus 2 diet cokes We refuse to pay the charge for salt and so we have no bill for this. This probably amounts to approx £50 as per my original estimate but none of the party have any receipts to confirm this but I am sure you till receipts will tally with this. Having eaten at the Pilchard Inn the day previously Venus Cafe was our convenient choice for that day. May I point out that the Marine Cafe had not yet opened for the season and did not in fact open at all during our stay.Challaborough is the next resort along the coast and therefore one would not be spending the day in Bigbury and go to Challaborough for food outlets. I wish you success in the future Yours sincerely Melanie Dear Melanie Many thanks for taking the time to write to describe your dissappointing experience at our Bigbury on Sea cafe on 18th May. I am sorry to hear that your experience was poor. I also regret that we weren't able to discuss this with you face to face during your visit. I am pleased to hear that overall you enjoyed your holiday. The Venus mission is to be the greenest beach cafe and shop operator and so our packaging and modus operandi is very much geared towards meeting this mission. Venus has always been a take away operation - except for our evening dining at Blackpool Sands when we convert into a restaurant. The beaches are extremely busy in the holidays and at weekends and we can serve 2-3,000 people a day at Bigbury on Sea alone so table service & plated food is just not an option. Also our rents and overheads are, as I am sure you appreciate being in the property business, at market value - ie very high - so we would not be able to stay in business if we limited ourselves to a table service business serving 200 or so covers a day. It sounds like we need to make this clearer on our website that our daytime business is indeed a take away with an outside eating area. We will do so in the next few days. There is no excuse for staff in dirty uniform. I can assure you they certainly start off the day in clean uniform every day and they should change the aprons when they become dirty - we are reinforcing this policy just to make sure it is happening every day. A lot of investment has gone into providing our staff with organic branded uniform so I can assure you we understand that how they are worn is critical to our overall offer. Staffing - like all hospitality businesses we do employ some non UK staff - as I am sure you know we do not, and would not wish to, discriminate in recruitment against race, age, gender or religion. We do our best to recruit any local people who want summer jobs and have been proactive with our non UK citizens and signed a scholarship programme with the Sustainable Tourism Department of a Slovakian University where we recruit our non local staff for the summer. We provide a number of scholarships for post graduate students and we visit Kosice to recruit the best the university can offer. Some of the foreigners do serve on the tills and we are in training mode at the moment. Our policy is always to have an English person with them to ensure language is not a problem. The managers at Bigbury on Sea assure me that they are doing this so I am unclear why you should have experienced what you did - it shouldn't have happened. Glass - we do not serve any glass at all - during the day - as there is an overriding concern over broken glass ending up on the beach. Our alcohol licence at Bigbury on Sea imposes a condition which stipulates that we serve all alcohol in re-usable plastic glasses. They cost slightly over £2 each and so we charge a deposit for them otherwise we would lose money on every alcoholic drink we serve. We use the same re-usable glasses in our evening operation & have had no problems from customers who are eating a S Hams sirloin steak or lobster drinking from these glasses. We serve all our day time non alcoholic drinks in disposable paper/board cups and the only ones you can purchase are like those you expressed dislike for. We are actually in the process of dropping Coca cola as a brand from our range for ethical reasons and moving over to an organic cola in a can - and we still need to use a cup if a customer wants to use one. It is not possible to put a cold or hot drink in a board cup which isn't lined with a waxy lining - it's this lining which keeps the cup from collapsing. We have always put a lid on a cup to stop the drink from spilling when customers carry their product away. We are reviewing this and will test customer reaction to providing a cold drink without a lid to see what happens. We stopped using plastic straws some 10 years ago as the vast majority end up on the beach or in the sea. An enormous amount of wildlife ends up digesting these straws (and loads of other plastic) and so die. We found a source of paper straws from Australia which we imported (altho' concerned about miles but it did come by sea) until the company making them went bankrupt as they were 5 times more expensive than plastic. We have since found another (US) company who make a very expensive straw - about 15 pence each - but decided that was unaffordable. We use a lid with a hole for a straw because that's all that's made. To have our own made would require us to order about ten years supply at once - unaffordable from a cash flow perspective even if we had the space to put them. As I said we will try not using a lid and then everyone can drink from the cup - and we will also use up the lids we have left over. I have to be honest why do you need a straw to drink from a cup - what's wrong with drinking from the cup? Salt - we have never ever charged for salt. This statement has us all confused. Salt and ketchup sits outside the cafe on the condiment stand with the organic sugar, napkins and stirrers for people to help themselves. I would appreciate you providing me more detail on how you were charged for salt - if you would be so kind. Food - paninis - I agree they should not have been so squashed and we will retrain our staff to ensure this doesn't happen. Salads are made fresh every day and held in the fridge. There is very little in the way of salad items that are grown locally and we do purchase what is available during the summer. We do use 56 producers based in Devon & Cornwall and spend over £360,000 with them annually. We also use over 30 organic products - almost unheard of in an operation of our style - so I am sorry to read that you think we do such a poor job. We are actually proud of what we do and the way we do it. I regret we failed to live up to your expectations. We have looked back through our transaction records for that day but can find no transaction for approx. £50. The closest we can find is an order for £27.15 but that contains no alcohol and appears to be an order for a group of 4. It would be helpful if you could identify what you purchased so we can find the exact amount you spent -- as I would like to refund you the full amount of your meal. For your information, the Bigbury on Sea cafe does have direct competition. There's the Pilchard Inn 200 metres away on the causeway; the Bigbury cafe overlooking the main car park and 3 food outlets at Challaborough some 400 metres away. Thank you again for taking the time to provide us with feedback. I appreciate it and am sorry we did not meet your expectations. I hope I have gone some way to explaining why we do what we do. I look forward to hearing back from you with details on the salt and your bill. Many thanks. With best wishes Michael C B Smith Managing Director Dear Venus We have just returned from a great week away in Bigbury on Sea, and having read your professional website before our trip I was looking forward to the dining experience at the Venus Cafe. How dissappointed I was, It is not a cafe, just a mere overpriced fast food outlet. On our visit on sunday 18th, the staff serving at the kiosk were struggling to speak english and understand what people were ordering, their uniforms looked extremly dirty and uncared for and first impressions were very poor. If you order a drink that comes in a glass (i.e a beer, or a wine) you have to pay a £2 deposit on each glass even though its plastic!! And if you order a cold drink like diet coke it comes in the traditional waxy plastic container similiar to all fast food outlets with the same plastic lid that has a hole for a straw, however when you ask for a straw you get your head bitten off and told they dont do straws and those are old lids!And if you ask for salt on your chips it costs an extra 10p! We ordered food and drink for 6 people we spent almost £50 and it totally was not worth it. The panini's that 2 of us ordered were so flat they could have been mistaken for a single slice of bread, the salads are all pre packaged and do not appear to be freshley made. Given the great lengths that your advertising goes to to promote local produce its such a shame that it is not presented in a better way with a better level of service. The venus beach cafe clearly has a captive audience at Bigbury on Sea as there are not any other outlets to purchase food from during the time of our stay but after our first experience we didnt go back. Venus Cafe has a lot of work to do to provide food and service to reach the standard they advertise on their website. Melanie |
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From: Swimmer on 02/08/2008 Hi Venus I like your cafe at Bigbury and, like a previous correspondent, am glad of the gluten-free options. But I wonder why you close when you do? it would be so nice to have a swim after work and then something to eat in the cafe - but by then it is always closed. Is this something you choose to do, or is this a condition of your planning consent? And if the latter, would it make it any easier not to be licensed in the evening? I'm sure there's a lot of trade out there..... yours swimmer |
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From: Anthony Walton on 20/07/2008 We visited Blackpool Sands at the end of June and have to say how brilliant everyone at the restaurant was. My daughter needs to be gluten-free and the fact that this was mentioned on the menu was great for us as parents! There's usually not much to offer her when we eat out. She loved the gluten-free ice cream cones and particularly loved the chips!! So, just want to say 'thanks!' to all involved and wished that there were more restaurants like yourselves clearly serving gluten free food! We'll be back! Thanks again, Anthony, Wareham in Dorset |
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From: John on 15/06/2008 Just a quick message to say thanks for a great evening at Blackpool Sands on Friday. It was the last night of a holiday in Devon, and it was a brilliant meal. We had an 11 month old and 3 year old with us and both were made to feel very welcome - at too many places you're made to feel unwelcome if you turn up with kids in tow. The food was great, and the location is fantastic. Thanks again to all the staff who were fantastic - we'll definitely be back next year!! |
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From: Suzanne on 08/05/2008 Many thanks for your response. I commend you on both your honesty and customer service. My respect for Venus cafe has been restored. I understand your comments regarding packaging - I guess when you buy into an organic meal you expect less packaging - not more. It seems health and safety executives, while there for our own good, are providing us with a more clinical world where, organic or not, non of us have a hope of being truly environmental. Where presentation is key I think the compostable box is better and surely preferable than unwrapping numerous layers of plastic to get to your lunch. Thank you for your offer of a refund. We will return to the cafe at Bigbury in the future and I will happily use my refund to pay for another meal. I look forward to writing a glowing review. With regards |
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From: Suzanne on 23/04/2008 Dear Sir/Madam Contrary to the many positive comments on your website I have to write to express how disappointed I was with the Venus Cafe 'Mediterranean Dining Experience' today (Weds 16th April 2008). At the very best - it was dreadful. Firstly the service was at best sullen. We ordered a childs lunch box (with chicken drumstick), two Venus burgers and two chicken drumstick meals- which with drinks came to approx £27. Fine for a good lunch however we received two potentially good burgers in very average buns; cold, tough chicken drumsticks double wrapped in cellophane and below average juices. On the plus side the chips were good and hot. Needless to say none of our children ate the chicken drumsticks. For a cafe that professes to be organic I find it incredible that you can serve anything wrapped in cellophane - so obviously bought in in bulk. When ordering a chicken meal with chips at the very least I expect the chicken to be hot - not straight from a box in the fridge. Even the three pieces of cucumber were wrapped in cellophane. One of the main reasons for visiting Bigbury on Sea was the promised lunch and we all left feeling very let down by the experience. We have visited regularly on our holidays but on the back of todays experience we would not put ourselves out again. I would very much appreciate your comments. Suzanne |
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From: Michael Smith on 23/04/2008 Dear Suzanne Thank you so much for taking the time to write to recount your 'dreadful' experience at Bigbury on Sea last week 16th April. I sincerely appreciate the trouble you have taken to let us know of your experience. I sincerely apologise for the poor meal you received and would be more than happy to refund you your lunch in full. We have thoroughly looked into your complaint and can now provide the following comments and planned actions: 1. Sullen service - I can only apologise for this - the 3 managers on duty that day are all usually very polite and efficient. I can only surmise that one of them either had an off day or was so focussed that the 'service' element and doing it quickly that the friendliness was lost. That is not our normal standard. 2. Lunch: a. burger baps - these are the same organic baps we have been using for over 12 months and the managers assure me they were toasted to order. I have tried a couple from the same batch and confess I can't find anything wrong with them. b. organic chicken drumsticks - this is a new product for us as we have finally managed to extract ourselves totally from factory produced imported chicken (which needs deep frying) of dubious sources. I can assure you that all our chicken (free range and organic) comes from the Creedy Carver chicken farm in Devon and is delivered in to us on a weekly basis. All product is cooked off at our central kitchen at Halwell for food safety and hygiene reasons, then vacuum packed and shipped to each cafe daily. This is not only hygiene safe but also saving over 750 transport miles per week over the 40 odd local suppliers who now deliver into us centrally. We have all tried the drumsticks from the same batch you had and can find nothing wrong with them - we have tried 15 in all and each was perfectly fine, moist, tender and tasty as one would expect of an organic chicken product. I accept that wrapped as we were doing makes the appearance imperfect nor particularly appetising. Of course, there may well have been some poor product in the batch we received - there is no way we can test each one. The presentation of the product is my fault - I assumed that everyone would think that a cooked drumstick would be cold and so didn't think about putting 'cold' on the menu. The whole idea was to present a simple unflavoured, unbreaded easy to eat meal appropriate for the beach - cold drumsticks to me seemed perfect and reminiscent of the beach picnic. It has caused problems at the other cafes too so we are now going to ask whether or not you would like it hot or cold when you order it. The wrapping of the product is also done at my direction. ALL our products are prepared/ wrapped on the premises daily. We are not allowed to keep different products unwrapped in the same fridge to ensure there is no danger of cross contamination. The wrap you experienced I thought was the best option as it uses significantly less packaging than alternatives. We have tried biodegradable wrap but the sealing of the material makes it almost impossible to then open the packaging - but technical progress is being made in this area by manufacturers and so this may prove more friendly in the future. Having listened to your feedback however, we have decided to make a packaging change and will now put them into a compostable unbleached box which we use for our salads. This will add unfortunately to the total waste stream by some 500% but I guess that's unavoidable. We have tried alternatives for the organic cucumber slices - again we can't leave it unwrapped due to hygiene regulations. Unfortunately, any paper based products we have tried aren't capable of keeping a 'wet' product in good condition without the fridge drying it out too much or the packaging becoming very soggy within a few minutes. Making the switch on the drumsticks will enable us to put the cucumber for the childrens drum meal in the same box as the drumstick if cold. The balance of the meals will have to continue with the wrapped cucumber as is. The wrapped product does also mean children don't have to eat all the meal there and then but parts can be taken on to the beach hygienically. c. organic juices: these were poured out that day - they come from Luscombe's and Rock's. The samples I have tried taste fine. I assume you mean the orange squash which came with the children's meal? If so, then it is possible a mistake was made in the strength of the product and it was over diluted. We will be reinforcing the ratio of concentrate to water and ensuring each batch is tasted when made. I hope I have addressed your concerns and that you will feel we have taken some remedial steps to address some of the issues you raise. If you would like to send me your address I will send you a refund cheque for £27 immediately. It is also my hope that you will visit us again and would like to think you would be equally generous in letting us know if we have improved and got it right again. With best wishes Michael C B Smith Managing Director The Venus Company 01803 712648 |
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From: James on 18/01/2008 I just like to say that after visiting the Venus Café at Bigbury on Sea on 23rd December, I was most impressed with both the quality of the service and food which I received. I will definitely be visiting the café again in September when I am on holiday. |
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From: Kath on 23/11/2007 Just a short email to give you some positive feedback! I have lived and grown up in Stoke Fleming and have always visited B.Sands. On last week's visit I was impressed to see a young man that works in the shop scrubbing the floor tiles, keeping the shop very clean and he was very polite when he served us as well. So well done! |
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From: James May on 16/10/2007 Just a quick note to say how wonderful I thought the whole beach, Cafe, Shop, Toilets, etc are at Blackpool Sands near Dartmouth. I visited last week for the first time and must say I am VERY impressed with not only the facilities on offer such as the sparklingly clean toilets, to the great local food and variety in the cafe, the interesting and unusual items in the shop and the great seating area for all weathers! A great experience! The Staff were friendly and efficient, what more could one ask. I wish all UK beaches were as good, a shining example to what can be achieved with a little dedication! Bravo |
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From: Amanda & Emma on 02/09/2007 Thank you so much for providing a gluten free menu at Blackpool sands. My 11 yr old daughter and I both have to eat gluten free food and we were so excited to see a menu with items listed that were gluten free and to have a choice, you made our day! Where do you get your ice cream cones from my daughter said they were delicious ? Amanda and Emma, Poole |
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From: Jon, Joan and Adam on 28/08/2007 We've just got back from a holiday in South Devon which included 2 visits to Venus Company cafes (coffee at East Portlemouth and a full meal taken down to the beach at Bigbury) and we just wanted to email to say a huge "well done" for your overall approach and quality. So often we've said to ourselves "surely it can't be impossible to offer quality food with an interesting choice, at sensible prices, that'll work both for adults and children" but sadly it seems all too rare - especially in holiday locations. Our lunch at Bigbury proves that it is possible - you're achieving it! Great menu, with a good balance of favourites and slightly different options, healthy ingredients, extremely good prices, friendly and helpful staff, quick service... Plus your clear commitment to local suppliers is particularly important. So thanks and well done! |
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From: Fiona on 18/08/2007 My family visited Bigbury on sea for the day as part of our week long holiday to South Devon. Having never been there before we will most certainly be coming back. We had a wonderful day on the beach, what a beautiful place. We visited your cafe twice throughout the day, once for lunch and then again for ice creams. Delicious. I was so pleased to hear that all the food was locally produced, you really can taste the difference. Even though the lines were long the staff were clearly working their hardest to get everyone served as quick as possible and it looked like they were having a good time which is always nice to see. I will definatly be recommending both beach and cafe to my friends. Thankyou. |
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From: Tom on 27/07/2007 Thank you so much for last night, we all very much enjoyed it and it was a pleasure to meet all your family. And what a fantastic concept you have developed. I eat out in London very often and I would swop them any day for eating local sardines and Dartmouth Crab with that fantastic view. I think you have unique offer that will spread along the British coastline, I wish you every success and do let me know if we can help. |
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From: Steve - Source 2 sea on 22/07/2007 Dear Michael Just a short note to thank you and your staff for providing such an excellent buffet at the end of our Source 2 Sea event. The quality of food and presentation was outstanding and a credit to you all. We look forward to working with you again in the future and we have already started planning next years event which will end on Saturday July.19th. |
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From: Archie on 17/07/2007 Hope you are well I just want to thank you for a great evening,the food was superb and your staff very charming. Everyone, especially Beverley, enjoyed themselves. See you soon and thanks again Archie |
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From: Nick on 30/06/2007 Ate in the evening bistro at Blackpool Sands with my wife and 2 kids. Fantastic food in great location, "family-friendly" i.e. no bad looks at boisterous toddlers. Cant wait to come back. Am still debating with 3 year old the pros and cons of sandy vs stony beaches !! |
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From: Charlotte on 23/06/2007 Just wanted to say how much we enjoyed a visit to your café during May half term; we had been to the old café whilst on holiday before and liked it, but then found your café to be a big improvement. We loved the fact most of the produce you use is organic and local, the menu offered a great choice and the food tasted really good. We will definitely come again on our next trip – thank you. Charlotte PS Any plans to expand to other areas? |
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From: Claire on 23/06/2007 Dear Venus We have just returned from holiday in the South Hams where we used your café at Blackpool Sands and at East Portlemouth and wanted to congratulate you on your company’s wonderful food and environmental policy. Claire and family |
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From: j monteiro on 08/05/2007 my daughter and i visited blackpool sands yeasterday and the gentleman in the shop could not have been more helpfull, makes such a change in this day and age..........unfortunately, thankyou for your time and trouble. |
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From: John on 01/05/2007 Just to say that I popped into the Cafe at Tolcarne, Newquay, on the off chance this morning. I was impressed with the lone guy in charge there at 11.30. Apart from the good coffee and flapjack, he was very helpful to a teacher with a class of well behaved children who turned up for somewhere to park themselves. When it started to rain, he suggested that they might like to continue their project on the seating inside. He seemed to be very industrious,.. cleaning and brushing everywhere. Anyway, well done. It's a pity that you don't open up in St Ives where I live. Good to hear about your firm on the Food Programme on Radio 4 recently. Regards, John |
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From: Bryce on 23/12/2006 Hi Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you at Venus. Just a quick note to say many thanx for increasing the range of yummy vegan food you have on offer - it's always great to go to the cafe at Bigbury. We will be visiting on Boxing day for a walk and a cuppa and probably some food too - about 15 of us - all vegan, so well done and keep the supplies in, we're a comin'. Best wishes always Bryce |
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From: Jill on 02/11/2006 I love looking at the Webcam to see what I'm missing, but since the clocks went back it's pitch dark early on, and then the picture seems to stop at about 3pm. Any chance of adjusting the timing? |
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From: Michael's reply on 28/10/2006 Dear Cathy & Malcolm Thank you for your note regarding your visit to Blackpool Sands. I am glad you enjoyed everything about your visit except the heaters. I can quite understand your concern. We are committed to following a sustainability agenda and to following the policies laid out in our publications. Our ability to do this and to trade year round (which enables us to provide year round employment to 15 people and for year round business to 30 local suppliers) relies on us being able to attract people to the beach all through the year. Having heaters (as we don't have any indoor space yet) provides us with this ability. Blackpool Sands is open 364 days of the year. The heaters we use are in fact very low energy users (about 15 pence per hour per pole) as they operate under a radiant heat principle and so don't wastefully heat the air. Other electric and gas heaters consume significantly more resources per hour than this. Having said all of that - heaters should not be operating all the time - and they don't. However, each bulb costs us nearly £35 and so we tend to keep them on if we have a steady trickle of customers rather than turning them on and off. I can assure you there are many days throughout the year when they never get turned on at all. It is possible, of course, that the day you visited we were not being as vigilent as we should have been. We are an energy conscious company and measure our CO2 emissions regularly including taking daily electric readings and monthly water readings. We have a number of energy saving devices fitted to our kitchen equipment and are working on introducing further energy saving next year. Our CO2 emissions are substantially lower than typical cafes & take aways. I am confident that our energy use is not excessive and is productive. We also purchase all our electricity from alternative energy sources. I'm afraid that the reality of this world means we need to operate profitably throughout the year to be able to make a significant impact. If we don't operate a successful commercial business then we wouldn't be there, the beach wouldn't be as well looked after and what would replace us would almost inevitably not conduct themselves in the same way - and the damage could be severe. I hope this provides you with an understanding of why we do have heaters - even if you don't like them. Best wishes Michael C B Smith |
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From: Cathy & Malcolm on 28/10/2006 Yesterday my husband and I ended a very lovely week-end spent at Dartmouth, on the beach at Blackpool Sands. The sun was not shining and the sea was wonderfully rough and tide was high. We were very impressed from the moment we parked the car.We cliff and beach walk a lot so it’s great to find safe parking, clean loos ( with classical music playing!! ) and a good café serving an excellent choice of food by cheerful friendly staff. Whilst drinking my coffee I took the time to read your policy especially towards the environment and was therefore quite surprised to see the electric heaters outside burning brightly even when no one was sitting at the outside tables.Do they need to be there at all? Doesn’t this fly in the face of your policy? Everything else you state was there and the achievement is wonderful, in all the years, from our own childhoods, now enjoying beaches with our grandchildren, we haven’t found an English beach that has so much. We would be grateful if you could explain the reasoning behind the heaters, apart from the obvious one that it lengthens the season for you, as we are being constantly told how much excessive use of our energy sources is so damaging to the environment.From a visual point, looking back from the sea, the view seemed quite bizarre, the lamps did nothing to enhance the splendour of the setting this beach has, set among the pine trees. Are these the new beacons around our coast? I do hope not. Yours sincerely Cathy and Malcolm |
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From: laura on 27/10/2006 was great to find venus,at Bigbury. As a vegan,its not always easy to eat decent food out so many thanks and keep up all the great enviromental work too! |
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From: Sherian on 19/10/2006 I had the pleasure of visiting two of your Venus cafes during the course of the summer and my family and I were particularly impressed with the organic, locally produced food on offer. Have you thought of branching out to selected cities away from the coast? - I am quite sure that Cheltenham, only 14 miles from us, would welcome a Venus cafe. I suspect most of the workers in Cheltenham would have visited on of your cafes during a holiday/ weekend away, and would be well aware of the quality food available for lunch times. What do you think? Sherian, Worcestershire |
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From: Lisa & Glyn on 18/10/2006 We visited Bigbury on Sea last week and had lunch in your cafe. Just wanted to let you know that we really appreciate the environmental efforts you're making and both the food and drinks were by far the tastiest and wholesome we've ever had from a beach cafe. It's nice to find healthy options at the seaside.!! Regards, Lisa & Glyn October 17th 2006 |
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From: Jim on 29/08/2006 Just returned from camping in South Devon in the rain !. One highlight was (as usual) BIGBURY - even the sun came out whilst we were there. Before we left we had our cusomary ice cream from the Venus cafe (scoops not mass produced packaged rubbish) the whole family love your ice creams - one day i must try some of the great food i see other people enjoying. I also love to see the image from the web cam - could the management consider putting in a camera that is controlled by the viewer or update the view more frequently ?. Thanks. |
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From: Sue on 23/08/2006 The family would like to say a big "Thank You" for such a great cafe at East Portlemouth. The staff are extremely helpful and the big guy is just wonderful. Great days were had this summer on a very clean beach. Thought we would tell you how good it is as all too often in today's world standards slip and praise is not always given when it should be. Keep up the good work! See you next year. |
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From: joanna on 14/08/2006 We came to Mill Bay(East Portlemouth) last week and I visited your cafe having read all about them prior to our holiday. It was slighty further from the beach than I expected, but well worth it. I waded round in the sea from the beach to reach you! The choice was vast and my children loved their picnic boxes (sausage roll/ham sandwich). I was surprised to see crisps included until I saw they were salt free, how great I'll have to search for them back home. The other great surprise was the toy; they are so big and lovely. I chose a crab and a lobster and the children didn't believe me at first when I said they came with their picnic box. We will definatly come again. I noticed a comment about parking costs at Blackpool Sands. £6 is not that high when most town centres charge £1.20 per hour. Most people are staying all day and it is such a beautiful place and I expect the money is used to help maintain the area. |
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From: Stuart on 14/08/2006 Michael, thank you for the superb birthday celebration you helped to lay on for my Wife. As you know she particularly wanted to hold her party there because we love it so much. From my first enquiry to the evening itself all the arrangements were handled with professional ease. We all had a great evening and the food was wonderful. I know that everyone enjoyed it because they have told me so. Please pass on my appreciation and thanks to all concerned. We look forward to coming along again soon. Best wishes, Stuart |
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From: Kevin on 12/08/2006 Morning at Blackpool When Venus and Mars Align across a warm lunar sky I’ll see you down on the beech Where it is the sea roars pulls back and hisses Under the last star of a once starlit sky And we’ll walk And we we’ll talk As only friends can do From the early hours that day Until we see the beam Of the light at Start Fades like a tired watchman And gives a weary last flash Then goes upon its way And as the reaching spume Turns the new morning pebbles into Wetted golden jewels Under the sun as it lifts Then spreads in a marmalade coloured hue We can sit in the new day’s warmth Breakfast and drink good strong coffee At the new days coming, just us two! Early on a June morning at the Venus café Black pool South Devon |
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From: Neil on 03/08/2006 Dear Neil I am sorry to learn of your experience. We have taken great pains to ensure we provide for vegans. Clearly the staff member who served you didn't know the difference between vegetarian and vegan product. The egg is certainly a shocking example of the lack of knowledge demonstrated. I sincerely apologise. We will take immediate steps to ensure all our staff : a. know the difference & b. know what is available that is vegan. We do have vegan products available at Tolcarne. I can, therefore, guarantee that you can have a vegan meal with us. We do have available at the counter an ingredients file which you are welcome to peruse should you wish. If you would like to print off this email & take it to our cafe we would be pleased to provide you with a vegan Clive's pie (mushroom pasty, goulash pie) & a garden salad with our compliments. Thank you for taking the time to provide us with the feedback. Regards Michael C B Smith Managing Director Hi, I recently contacted you regarding vegan food at your cafe on Tolcarne beach, Newquay. Upon visiting the cafe the board was a bit vague on the content of some of your products, so I decided the best thing would be to ask an assistant. The assistant seemed baffled and unresponsive to my request and just pointed towards the board telling me everything marked with a 'v' would be vegan, I'm no expert, but free range or not, the chickens that lay the eggs for the veggie breakfast would have to be damn clever to produce vegan eggs! I must say being vegan is hard enough when in a town you don't know, so I was delighted to learn of your cafe, but felt disapointed with the level of helpfulness, lack of product awareness and nonchalant attitude offered by your worker. Thanks, Neil |
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From: Jenny on 03/08/2006 The evening BBQ's are fantastic, great location, great local food and wonderful atmosphere, to encourage more people to enjoy it perhaps you could put a sample menu on the website, we are local so lucky enough to be able to go often. |
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From: sally on 24/07/2006 We live in Devon and love coming to Blackpool Sands. The facilities are clean and fresh and a great cafe too. But the car park charges have gone up to £6.00. While we were queing to get in, some cars were reversing back out again not willing to pay. I too resent paying for this especially as we are a local family. So I guess we wont be coming that often this year. |
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From: Neil on 20/07/2006 Hello. I recently spent a day at Blackpool Sands in south Devon. I found the beach to be fantastic and really enjoyed my day. I aslo thought that the cafe and ameaneties provided my yourselfs to be top class and you should be proud of your achievements. My only concern was that when i went to throw away my rubbish i asked if there was a recycling bin for the plastic water bottles. The staff looked a me as if i was from another planet. I am very keen to recycle as much stuff as we can in this day and age and i thought that was the only thing that let the Venus Company down for me. Apart from that i congratulate you on a great service. thanks for listening. Neil |
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From: Boz on 03/07/2006 This is an excellent beach. The cafe is very good. It is good to be able to buy organic fast food. This is a vast improvement to usual seaside cafes, but it would be good to see even more organic and fairtrade on the menu. |
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From: Tina on 19/06/2006 We live in Somerset so Devon is very close. We stay in devon almost every month and stay at the grandparents house, mainly when they are away. We visited Blackpool Sands a few times last week and we all love the place. The children both under five love the clean beach and especiaaly the food box and sea creature toys, we left with four last week. The orange squash is lovely! We love the good food and coffee, nice to see organic food on the menu. The coffee is great. The shops you have at Blackpool sands are brill. And the organic milk you sell is great and handy to get on the way home. The staff are nice and helpfull. Thanks and keep going. Thanks for a great few days at the beach. We will be back very soon. This weekend infact. Great webcams Bigbury is all so brill, we visit there alot and the cafe, winter and summer. |
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From: paul on 18/06/2006 I think the venus concept is just perfect for the south hams and cornwall, webcams fantastic allthough Blackpool Sands is a bit blurred. keep up the good work lots of plugs on Southhams Radio. Good food -great places, long live VENUS. |
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From: Jeanette on 18/06/2006 What a fantastic website, so easy to use and unbeleivably informative. I have reccommended it to lots of friends as one of the best WELL DONE Jeanette |
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From: Amanda on 22/05/2006 I'm checking out the weather at Blackpool Sands to decide whether to visit in the half term....During Easter I had to leave my eldest with her grandparents for study leave but her brothers and sister and I waved at her every morning when we got onto the beach. It was great, a really fun way of her joining in our holiday!! |
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From: Tina on 13/05/2006 As I sit at my desk I sneak a look at the lovely beaches, think of breakfasts at Bigbury and dream of summer, then back to work refreshed.Excellent idea. |
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From: Chris on 09/05/2006 I’m working offshore in the Brazilian oilfields, on watch from 04:00 to 16:00 BST. It’s great to see the beaches at home and the goings on in the estuary. A pity that the pictures don’t update automatically and that I can’t see the dawn breaking. But a great site, done well. Oh, and there’s a spider living in a web camera in East Portlemouth……….. |
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From: Julia on 09/05/2006 Dear Crossed Grain I just wanted to let you know about a couple of fabulous beaches in devon (and cornwall). We went to bigbury-on-sea and blackpool sands beaches near Plymouth last year and 5 year old Lydia was so thrilled to be able to have not only a pasty (ok a gluten free vegetable goulash pie - delicious ) like everbody else, but also a gluten free brownie for pudding. It's so unique to be able to buy fast food that is healthly - vegetarian and organic as well as gluten-free on a beach that they really must be congratulated. Venus are the caterers and they run a few cafes in Devon and Cornwall - more info at www.venuscompany.co.uk . The beaches are glorious as well! Also thanks to BA for a long haul flight to Mexico City (and back) - Lydia's gluten free food was superb - fresh gf rolls and pastries as well as good gf main courses - other passengers were asking what it was so they could pre-order it next time! Coeliac statistic could rise dramaticallyon BA flights next year! thanks for your mag - great recipes and guidance regards Julia |
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From: Pat on 08/05/2006 Thank you the staff at Blackpool sands, we had a great walk and then a very welcombe cup of drinking chocolate, great time had by all!. although you web cam picture is not in focus!!. |
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From: Noel on 02/05/2006 I was on holiday in South Devon at the weekend, tried some of your food. I think the whole concept of what you are doing using local / organic / British produce is fantastic….the food was great. Finally, British food at beach resorts is no longer an embarrassment. Keep up the excellent work How about a site at Thurlestone…it needs it ! Regards Noel STREETBROADCAST |
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From: Jayne on 16/04/2006 Hello The Venus Company Staff I have just logged on to the Bigbury-on-Sea surf cam for my Bigury Fix ( I live in Derbyshire) and what a great surprise to see the other 3 beaches up and running. Thank you for the opportunity to see what the weather and temperature is doing down South. Jayne |
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From: Charlie on 16/04/2006 Just a word to say the web cams are great... Well done.. |
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From: Karen on 07/04/2006 We visited Backpool Sands and spent a lovely day on the beach. I tried on clothes in the shop and somehow my ear-ring must have fallen out. I didn't realise that I lost it until the next day - by this time we were back home in Henley-on-Thames - 4 hours away. I rang and spoke to Matt who was very helpful - took my details and promised to post the earring on - he wouldn't take any money for the postage and was generally very helpful. The earing arrived the very next day by recorded delivery - I was so impressed. 10 out of 10 for customer service - I would definately reccommend this beach for their helpful honest staff. Well done Blackpool Sands |
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From: Stef on 03/04/2006 i cant wait to visit in the summer i check the webcam every week just so i can look at the place i long to be at when i am on the computer looking out at the rain!! it will be my 12th year coming down to sunny devon this year cant wait!!! :) |
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From: Tim on 29/11/2005 We have recently bought a cottage in East prawle, but have lots of work to do on it. This means that we will not be able to live there for some time. We therefore travel from Northampton on a regular basis and make a point of stopping off at Bigbury before returning and that means coffee and a panini at the Venus. We also use the Venus cafe at East Portlemouth when it is open. You provide excellent food, great customer service and are a credit to the South hams in general. |
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From: Jenny on 28/11/2005 Hello We found ourselves at your cafe at Bigbury on Sea in late September and just wanted to say how impressed we are with your ideals. The food was great, and we just wish you lots of luck in expanding your business round the coast, and making people realise that you can be green/environmental and (hopefully) make a profit. All the best Jenny |
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From: Patric on 07/11/2005 Hello, I have been having your Bigbury on Sea web cam as one of my favorite sites for the last year and it gives me so much happiness!! So this is just a big thanks for sending your images of that beautiful scene around the world for all to see. I am from the south hams, but am now abroad in dark and gloomy Norway working at a desk and my home sickness is instantly cured by your site! – and….. My brother who lives on the top of the hill above your café at Bigbury works as a diver in the north sea and around the world. Often he is locked away in the diving chambers for weeks on end, miles from home, but I can send an e mail to the ship he is on with a photo of the bay from your camera, the radio operator prints it out and sends it into the diving chamber gas lock system, so he can see his two little girls playing on the beach almost instantly!!… so your little camera on the top of the café is touching more peoples lives than you may realize – Thanks again – Great chips and ice cream by the way… Sincerely, Patric Gill |
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From: Angelina on 21/08/2005 We recently visited The Venus Cafe at Blackpool Sands. I would like to comment on the excellent food which was both tasty and quickly served. The cafe is run very efficiently and would put many fast food outlets to shame. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and the excellent taste! I only wish you had an outlet in my home town of Birmingham! Thank you, |
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From: julia on 05/08/2005 Hi there - my family have just visited two of your cafes - bigbury and blackpool sands and we just wanted to write and thankyou for a really good experience. My five year old daughter is a coeliac and cannot eat gluten -we usually have a difficult time when we eat out - particularly at fast food places. She was delighted to be able to tuck into a gluten free pie which looked a bit like her sister's pastie! She really enjoyed it and was even more thrilled when it was followed by an absolutely delicious gluten free brownie - - much tastier than any shop bought brownie I've tasted! Thanks for bothering it really makes her life a little easier and just makes her feel a bit more normal! regards julia |
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From: Gina on 27/07/2005 What a brilliant place this is. Wonderful: beach, great views and the Cafe Venus is: Clean, Tasty, with excellent coffee. We come twice a year to Challaborough Bay with our dogs because they love Bigbury Beach - great for them in the sea, and us humans love the Venus Cafe. Roll on our Christmas visit. |
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From: David on 18/07/2005 Thanks all at Venus for hosting such a brilliant cam! Bantham beach is my favourite place next to the sea, and your webcam keeps me there even at the office! Only problem is that it has tilted onto its side recently, so now I'm looking at the view on an angle! Keep up the good work, Dave. |
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From: Christine & Michael on 08/07/2005 Dear ‘Venus’ We have just returned from a week’s holiday at the Tolcarne Beach complex and thought we’d write to congratulate you on the excellent facilities provided there. We were most impressed by the quality of the food served at the beach café – breakfasts were to die for and set you up for the day! Your care in sourcing suppliers for your ingredients is most praiseworthy – keep it up. Your staff there are an absolute credit to the company for their friendly, helpful approach and the whole area was immaculate. Many thanks for providing a little haven of quality. |
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From: Emma - Cornish Guardian on 06/06/2005 The Venus Cafe at Tolcarne serves the best Caesar salad I have ever tasted Emma Wherry The Cornish Guardian |
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From: Judith on 04/05/2005 Congratulations (on the Queen's Award) - Newquay are honoured to have such an amazing company! |
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From: Alison on 04/05/2005 I wrote in the winter asking about the poss of vegan chips - I've just seen the vegan menu - brilliant - thankyou so much! All we need now is some summer weather! Cheers Alison |
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From: Maria and Bryce on 24/04/2005 Dear Venus Cafe, We brought friends to Bigbury Beach today and had a meal and drinks from your cafe. We were all very impressed with the menu. How wonderful to find such a thought provoking and sensible attitude. We loved the local produce, the fairtrade and organic products too. It was also nice to see that you have started serving soyamilk - our vegan mates really appreciated that. Well done, keep up the good work, Satisfied customers, Maria and Bryce |
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From: Helen on 15/04/2005 I had lunch at Blackpool Sands today and not only was it very tasty but the service was impeccable. |
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From: John on 24/03/2005 I'm a Devonian but (sadly) no longer live there, but we regularly visit my mother in Buckfastleigh, and now regularly visit all three cafes for breakfast! Our son cannot wait every time we come down. At Christmas we spent my birthday at Bigbury and then Blackpool Sands, they were so busy, it was like summer with coats on - unheard of a few years ago. Impressed at all levels, especially the organics, keep up the good work, and may there be more Venus Cafes in the future! |
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From: Rob on 16/03/2005 As a regular consumer of the 'Venus Company Experience' (a Sunday morning breakfast bap at Blackpool Sands is becoming a bit of an institution in my household) I can lend my own personal endorsement to your enlightened business approach. I hope the Venus Company goes from strength to strength. All the best Rob |
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From: sue and becky on 30/12/2004 had breakfast this am at bigbury-on-sea venus and spoke to laurence the manager (what a nice cheerful man!) when i asked if he had anything gluten-free dairy-free he said that you were ordering some gluten-free pies for march and he would mention the dairy-free but he didn't know what soya-milk to suggest....i recommended Alpro Longlife as it does not need refrigeration until it is opened and it has the best taste (apart from their fresh one that is) and makes the best and longest lasting froth for the hot chocolate and coffee......(our local starbucks and costa coffee in waterstones both use it now) he said you would get an email so am sending this to say a big THANKYOU for the good quality and excellent service you provide at bigbury.....happy new year.... |
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From: Hilary on 29/12/2004 Thanks for your swift and helpful response. Whilst I now appreciate that you do not have responsibility for the car park, I am very grateful that you see fit to take this matter up by directing this email to the persons responsible. My family have been visiting South Hams and Blackpool Sands for 25 years. It is only this past year that my mother in law has become disabled, and I must admit to being astonished at being charged £4.00 to park, even though she had a disabled badge! We do take her on trips, but would never dream of “using” the badge inappropriately, and this surely is one place that should honour the badge I may not be fully conversant with the most recent legislation about providing access and facilities for disabled folk, but I would have thought that allocated and marked parking spaces, and financial concessions should be provided, as a sign of goodwill at the very least, even if such items are not required by law. Thank you for offering to bring my concerns to the appropriate people, I would be very interested to be copied in on any response. Best wishes for the New Year. I know you are open on New Year’s Day, and only wish I could visit on that day, but circumstances prevent. We will however be visiting regularly in 2005. Dear Hilary Many thanks for your message. I am glad you enjoy visiting Blackpool Sands. The Venus Company is only responsible for the cafe, shop and watersports businesses at Blackpool Sands. The car park, beach and toilets are operated by the land owner Blackpool Sands Devon Utilities Ltd. I am, therefore, copying them in on this correspondence to make them aware of your concerns about disabled parking. I thought you may also like to know that there is no parking charge at all during the winter months from November to 2 weeks before Easter. The Venus Cafe and shop are open every weekend during this time + Dec 26th to Jan 2nd every day from 10am to 4pm. Thank you for taking the time to write to us. I hope you have a wonderful 2005. Best wishes Michael C B Smith Managing Director The Venus Company Ltd Blackpool Sands is excellent, and we are frequent visitors. Just one comment – last April, I took my disabled 92 year old mother-in-law for a coffee at the café and was told by the car park attendant, who insisted on charging us full price for the car park, that there were no parking concessions, or even designated spaces for disabled badge holders! Come on, get up to date with goodwill (and possibly the DDA legislation) and allow parking concessions for disabled badge holders. I will be looking out for this improvement next season, see you then! Hilary |
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From: Deborah, London. on 05/10/2004 Just got back from our Devon holiday, and wanted to let you know how impressed we were with the Bigbury Cafe. It was a real shock to find the wonderful range you have on offer compared to other less enlighted places, and the staff were very helpful and friendly. One thing - I really go out of my way to avoid hydrogenated fat (experts say it has way more impact on pushing up your cholesterol level than even saturated fats) so I was surprised to see your sandwiches have magarine in them - which usually contains hydrogenated fat. Have you any other feedback on hydrogenated fat or am I out on my own here?! My other half says he loved the pasties. Keep up the good work. many thanks, |
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From: Marjorie and Dave Lilley on 26/09/2004 Just to say that we are so looking forward to returning to Bigbury next Saturday. We stay in a bungalow from where we overlook Burgh Island and it's almost directly behind the cafe but across the road from the car park. We love to have a look at the beach via the webcam and it makes it feel not so far away. I have to say though that the weather has looked much wetter, colder and windier, via the webcam, than it has been here at home, near Cambridge. Despite that, we are still looking forward to our annual autumn visit to Devon. Marjorie and Dave Lilley |
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From: Mike on 12/09/2004 Hi, Inspired to write to congratulate you on your Venus Café at Bigbury on Sea! I'm a surfer and a relative local, having been surfing, walking and swimming down at Bantham and Bigbury for years, and was dead impressed by your Café at Bigbury, which we 'dined' at yesterday, (Sunday). So, so good to eat decent, fresh, local organic food at a good price and with a smile, compared to the usual rubbish served elsewhere in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, usually from grumpy ill mannered staff. We were all dead impressed by the quality of the food and drinks and the fact that your staff were still smiling towards the end of another busy > season and day. Mike |
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From: Huw Morgan on 07/06/2004 Hi, My family and I have just returned from Devon where we used your facilities at Blackpool sands, and I'm writing to say how impressed we were by them. We loved your environmentally aware approach and your great attention to detail. Well Done! One quick favour to ask. Where do you get your cardboard straws from, as I'd like my local wholefood shop to stock them to save me buying plastic for our little boy. Thanks again, best wishes, Huw Morgan |
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From: Gary on 09/04/2004 Hi! I just wanted to say a big thanks to all the Venus Cafe staff at Bigbury On Sea and Blackpool Sands. All were very friendly and the food was great!! Great cafes for great locations. Thank you very much! |
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From: Jayne from Derbyshire on 06/10/2003 I would like to let you know how much I appreciate the Bigbury-on-Sea webcam. I have had many cups of coffee at The Venus, appreciating the fantastic view of the estuary and sea. I can now see that from home in Derbyshire every day. It is just fantastic and wanted the people responsible for it to know how very very much it is appreciated. Thank you, thank you. |
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From: Nigel, Staffs on 04/09/2003 On a recent visit to the beautiful beach at Blackpool Sands, I had the pleasure to visit your cafe where I purchased a vegetarian pasty made with wholemeal pastry. It was delicious! Please can you help me track down the supply, so I don't have to wait until my holiday next year to sample another one? Yours expectantly Nigel Staffs |
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From: Brian on 26/08/2003 Four of us has a great day out at both these locations over the weekend and started both days with a Venus Breakfast. Very good value, good service and served with a smile. Good to see good value and service. Excellent value. As we live in Exeter we will be down for another as soon as we can. Regard. Brian |
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From: Henry, Exeter on 05/08/2003 Hi Venus & Co. My family & I travelled to Bigbury on Sat 2 Aug. All the parts were in place for a great day on the beach - but we made one mistake. We took the trouble to take along a picnic lunch because we are very fond of food and don't 'do' beach cafes. But we couldn't resist a cup of tea. Not only was the tea excellent but the packaging, service and even the price impressed us. So much so that we ended up staying for supper. I had the chicken caesar salad. As soon as I began it, I wished I had ordered two. But one was enough after all! I will be dining out on my tale of the Venus Cafe at Bigbury for years to come. I am a craftsman that appreciates detail. You guys have got it in spades. A thousand thanks for making a very good day perfect! Regards Henry Exeter |
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From: David, Wales on 30/07/2003 ......it must be noted that the food shop was first class ..... . Give credit where it is due and in this case a very well run establishment with quality wholesome products, well presented and positive staff attitude as a direct consequence of employing the right (mature) staff to get the best out of the youth. Both my wife and family fully support the facilities at Blackpool Beach and heap praise on the lady supervising the cafe area. Yours faithfully David Wales |
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From: David Wickers - Sunday Times on 27/07/2003 A few minutes drive (or an hour or so's walk) beyond the 14th century castle that guards the estuary is one of Devon's finest beaches. The Blue Flagged Blackpool Sands, set between a claw of wooded headlands, couldn't be more different from its namesake. The only development is the excellent Venus Cafe and shop, where you can rent sea kayaks and paddle away under the watchful eye of lifeguards shipped in from the Gold Coast. |
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From: Paul Gogarty - Guardian Newspaper on 05/07/2003 Best stretches of beach: Bigbury on Sea is a corker (Blue Flag) with fine sand .......... Blackpool Sands, a sheltered bay flanked by evergreens and pines, is another unmissable Blue Flag beach, with the excellent organic Venus cafe . |
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From: Victoria, Brixham on 02/07/2003 ...All the food was absolutely fantastic. We had a truly memorable and wonderful day. |
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From: Pauline London on 23/04/2003 My daughters loved the beach shop and once they got their wetsuits on, I couldn't keep them out of the water. |
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From: Rachel Clarke on 19/04/2003 We had such a good time last week. The beaches are clean, tidy and full of fun. Be back next year. |
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From: Ali Wylie on 15/04/2003 The beaches in the South Hams are the best and the paninis are the most delicious I've ever eaten! |
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