Following a feature last month in which we praised the pub as a Camden Town institution (awarding it a 9/10) while pointing out that their current “pop-up” kitchen was below par (5/10), today we were “banned” from stocking our July print issue in the Lock Tavern. In fact an irate girl even shot out of the pub and chucked the papers back at us saying, “we’re not taking them after your bad review.”
Readers will be aware that we try to be constructive while remaining as positive as possible about much-loved local places. So, Camden Bars (new owners of the Lock and other classic K-Town boozers including The Abbey and Junction Tavern), let’s pull out a few quotes from this “bad review”.
First, we praised the pub as remaining “at the top of the pile today – no mean feat after more than a decade.” We called the garden “lovely”. But we were disappointed with the current food offering, saying the burger was no better than “a BBQ effort”, the chips lacklustre and the calamari “not particularly tender”. We hoped the pub – with its fantastic reputation – would have rolled out a more “trailblazing” menu.
But we guess some considered criticism is too much to swallow for a fast-expanding operation like Camden Bars. And to be banned from the Lock Tavern – where we have enjoyed birthdays, meals and dozens of lost nights over the years, and supported with regular coverage – seems something of a PR balls-up. A little dissension is surely a good thing.
We have a question for other pub owners and managers out there: would you stop us from stocking our paper if we gave you a constructive review? And where do you draw the line? Ejecting a customer if they complained about a burger? How about a stinging review on Tripadvisor?
So, where can you get a copy? For a full list of the 50 or so stockists that are carrying the July print issue, head here. And don’t forget to read the Lock Tavern review in full.
21 thoughts on “Why we’ve been booted out of the Lock”
What a bunch of crybabies. Interesting that a member of their staff was able to rush out to remonstrate with you, yet you try getting a drink when there’s more than 3 people at the bar. They swan about almost deliberately making no eye contact, willfully selecting the nearest person and paying no attention to how long people have been waiting.
Totally agree with this. I really like the Lock Tavern for its beer garden and the crowd it draws, but they have the worst bar staff in the area. Rude and slow.
When I lived on Harmood Street back in 1997, the Lock didn’t even have ice in the buckets. Warm G&T was the speciality once you got served. This before it became the super place it is today of course. Not in K-Town though is it so don’t take it too hard.
Tried going in there on a Saturday afternoon and couldn’t get in without a “Regular’s Card”. Won’t be back in a rush.
I too had a very negative experience but for different reasons. The end result was ultimately the same. 2 years ago I decided to have my birthday drinks at The Lock Tavern. I brought 20 plus customers into the pub each spending a fair amount of cash each and more were due to arrive. At around 8pm one of my best friends arrived and was told they could not enter without a membership card. This was the first time I had been made aware of any membership cards being required for entry. They were adamant that my friend was not allowed in and while this conversation was taking place I saw the door staff letting customers in without any sign of a membership card. I decided to take this up with the bar manager explaining the predicament was in. He then passed on my disappointment and confusion to his superior which then resulted in myself and my large party of friends being ejected and barred. It’s safe to say I have never been back.
Two words… “F*** em'”
Clearly they don’t understand anything about marketing & PR, this was an excellent opportunity for them to up their game, invite you in to taste their new menu and you’d have written a glowing review about how they take feedback from customers brilliantly, and as a result now have the best pub food in Camden.
It’s a hard thing to do, but businesses, need to learn how to handle public criticism, and destroying a relationship with a local publisher who has regularly provided them positive coverage is more than a little short sighted.
I hope they picked up the litter they created, that’s more than a little anti social too.
Wow this place is so over!! After reading the reviews, they are certainly tetchy …….or over sensitive perhaps …..blimey what a bunch of silly people, oh & memebership cards….since when you need a membership to go to a PUB!!?.. Oh dear
they will always cane the cash because of the location, but the crowd has been pretty shallow and dickish for years now. Shame. Used to be fun and friendly!
The Harmood Arms used to have the British Pub Darts Champion team. That closed in 1998 and was made into flats. And the Prince of Wales pub at the other end (now flats) was the one Adam Ant threw a piece of car into the window. I miss Harmood Street.
Go to camden town brewery for excellent beers and street food!
This pub obvs has the menu-pausal blues!
ohdear..
The Lock Tavern, differently from other pubs and venues in Camden, doesn’t give a f.. about how much money you spend in it; which is why they have a regulars card policy on weekends (for what I know they’ve had if for at least 5 years), appositely to prevent the pub from being full of chavs who think they can just buy a good service, and keep room for the nice and familiar faces. Cards aren’t hard to get: all you have to do is politely ask for one to one of the managers, get to know them as well as the staff etc. if you don’t have one, go figure..
They’ve also won consecutively best bar in Camden (think was 2010 and 2011), are doing pretty well so the policy seems to work for them. This is just a suggestion but maybe y’all should consider having your bday celebrations at the hawley or joe’s bar, feel like you’d feel more comfy there.
Said that its a shame they took the review so personally, and I hope next time they’ll choose more carefully the next pop up kitchen.. I’m sorry, what does that have to do with the regulars card policy again?
peace x
Dear Charles,
Stay away from NW5 sir!
The revolting card carrying chavs of Kentish town, that infest every inn and dive up here, lavish displays of bought service on a man with such vulgar generosity that I am near ruined since moving up from Camden.
When they serve liquor up here it’s dangerous fast! I think the pigs actually guzzle martini straight from a trough in Shebeen to get it down there gullets before the curfew.
I have so forgotton my place here that I find myself ‘in my cups’ with the wretches in the gutter every bally night and I tell you I’ve barely had to fish a sou from my frilly pockets since I turned up.
DAMN GLAD that noblesse still oblige in the Lock though – those are standards to be measured by. Any more of those knaves turn up without a card – THRASH them Charles, thrash them within an inch of their lives. Then dispatch the oiks on the 134 stage coach to the sceptic heart of kentish darkness for free and fastly served japes and where the landladies of The Oxford put the wench in quench.
You are also absolutely spot on about this silly rag, Charles – perfectly frightful.
Still, you might tell the hag in the Lock that rather than hurl the wretched newspaper in the faces of these pub crawling hacks , she might save a penny were she to stock the KT in the toilets.
God knows a pedigree derriere deserves the ruby encrusted Andrex lubed with unicorn juice you’ve got now but it’s awful when they’re out and a fella’s caught short and there’s not a serf in range to wipe oneself on. Might even save a tree which I know is jolly important to you Camden chaps.
Sincerely,
Jackson
Peace? I say, yes,that’s rather good
As it has been said numerous times above, lovely pub but the service is serious poor. Their reaction to not stocking your paper is childish and petty. Think the owners of the Lock Tavern need to realise that the paper has quite an army of loyal readers who won’t look kindly upon this.
The Lock Tavern is an awful place, but it’s their call whether they stock your paper for whatever reason. Perhaps they think the Kentish Towner should stay in Kentish Town! I really doubt that not stocking it will dent their profits too much.
accept that your print issue is not everyone’s cup of tea and get over it instead of bitching about it.
I don’t think much of The Lock Tavern and agree that refusing to stock your publication was a bit pathetic, but I can’t help but feel that goading your readers with this article is equally childish.
It’s a bit poor from them, and I’m not a fan of the place, but agree with those commenters who say it is their choice what to stock – and there does seem to be a increasing amount of these shouty pieces on the Kentishtowner where you seem pleased with yourself to be ruffling feathers and causing friction. All well and good (and planning issues should be debated) but is that what this site is about now? As if it is, I’ll go elsewhere to find out about exciting things happening in my area rather than read about your personal feuds.
I totally agree Claire. They should have been pleased to get a review, and finding it less than glowing in some areas, should have used that opportunity, not to alienate themselves from prominent local voices and customers, but inviting a consultation, or dialogue to see how they could improve themselves. In response to other comments here, I loathe businesses and their staff who think it’s appropriate to snub or sneer at others in order to give themselves some kind of street cred, or the ‘treat them mean and keep them keen’ kind of attitude. They don’t seem to appreciate that a good reputation is hard to gain, and a bad one hard to lose. I shall certainly reconsider revisiting the Lock Tavern, and, indeed, recommending to anyone in future.
I won’t be going to any of them again! With the junction being an exception, the staff have some of the rudest, too-cool-for-school, attitudes around. There are enough pubs in the area which provide great service without the drugged up stare.
The Pub should welcome your feedback and make some changes or atleast use it as a wake up call to carry out a little survey with their customers. It’s a shame they reacted like sore losers. My local pub has the best staff, the best quiz master and fab thai food. The other great thing is that you get a mixture of all types of people and no one is too cool for school.
Carry on the good work guys as we need you to tell us the truth so we don’t waste our pennies on soggy chips and birds eye burgers!