Pensioner in disbelief after paying £9.60 for a portion of fish and chips

A pensioner has been left in disbelief after paying nearly £10 for a portion of fish and chips that he claims would only fill a ‘four-year-old’.

Stephen Varley, 65, originally from Merseyside, Liverpool, says the piece of fish he bought from a fishnchickn branch in South Ockendon, Essex, was only four inches long.

Perhaps what shocked him even more was an employee’s response when he questioned the miniscule portion he received at the chain, which has branches across Essex.

When Stephen, a customer for over 35 years, asked ‘Is that it?’ an employee defiantly told him to ‘talk to the manager’.

The former engineer has since filed a formal complaint via email and the takeaway has apologized but insists their portions are handed out by weight, not size.

Stefan told GB News: I just went in and when she started eating I just thought, “Wait a minute, I’m not a four year old”. I paid for it first and it was £9.60 so I thought ‘You’re kidding’ and then I questioned it’.

Stephen said he was laughing inside at the insult, but his outside was hard as rock.

When he worked up the courage to ask the server for more, he was told to speak to the manager who was waiting in the back.

Stephen then met the manager, who wondered what had happened.

However, he left the shop unsatisfied and instead went home to make himself a tuna mayonnaise sandwich on sourdough bread.

After filling himself with a meal to his liking, he took out a tape measure to measure the size of the fish he had bought earlier.

With his evidence in tow, he proceeded to look up the store’s contact information and called them.

When they didn’t reply, he wrote a stern email outlining his frustration.

He wrote: ‘Your franchise outlet in South Ockendon is casual and with the most arrogant demeanor scamming people in the most disturbing way: “financially”.

‘Myself, family, friends, colleagues and associates have been using this establishment for over 35 years, even before it was renamed. Never in all that elapsed time have I ever had to complain.

In recent months, however, the offensive parts have more than taken hold. It seems they are now firmly entrenched as the norm.”

The takeaway promptly responded and apologized to Stephen, writing: ‘I want to apologize that you were disappointed with the fish and chips you recently received.

“We spend a lot of time with our passionate teams training them in our strict fish preparation, cooking procedures and quality control measures.

“It is so frustrating to hear that we let you down on this occasion. We cut our fish based on weight rather than the size or length of the fish, so sometimes it may appear smaller or shorter, but is actually thicker and vice versa.

“I will speak to the store’s Operations Manager so they can work with the team to provide further coaching on the importance of making sure they follow all of our policies and procedures and consistently serve only the high-quality fish and chips that we are proud of.

Stephen, who was forced into early retirement by asbestos with a chronic lung condition, added: ‘If I had an appropriate answer, we wouldn’t be discussing it today. I just wanted an explanation as to why and proper management training.’