Stix Bar, Beaconsfield

Dear anonymous,

Thank you for visiting us at the weekend � I think it may have actually been myself that served you, as Saturday lunchtime was �my� shift! I have to write to address your comments about us not being �authentic Spanish tapas�, because I�m worried that you have visited us with false expectations. We certainly aren�t Spanish, nor are we a pub, and don�t claim to be � as you say, how authentic can a �backstreet of Beaconsfield� tapas bar be? We describe the food as tapas-style (because the portions are small, taster-sized, similar to tapas), but there are all sorts of influences on our menu � Japanese (chicken yakitori), English (toad in the hole), Asian (mogul chicken) to name but a few. We occasionally have Spanish influences on the menu (a current special is bocquerones and chorizo with goats cheese is a firm favourite with our regulars) but we aren�t limited to one specific cuisine. We�re quite proud that there�s a little bit of everything on our menu!

You are absolutely correct in your description of us as a wine bar, not a pub, but I would say that we could still come under Beer In The Evening�s heading of �Pubs, Bars and Drinking Establishments� � we also happen to have a restaurant as well. I can�t say I agree that all reviews are either �trying to shamelessly promote the establishment� � surely the point of this site is for people to submit their reviews of drinking establishments they have visited, and the fact is that the vast majority of people who visit us have a very good experience and wish to recommend us to others. Surely every positive review isn�t a shameless attempt to promote an establishment? Does that mean that every negative review is written by a competitor and therefore a shameless attempt to discredit the establishment?

As for our location, I can�t see what bearing that has on whether a place is any good or not. Bombay Dreams, which as you say is an excellent tandoori, is perched on the M40 but it doesn�t detract from it being a great place to eat. Our location may not be on Beaconsfield High Street, but I don�t think that any of Beaconsfield can be described as �backstreet�. We�re all lucky enough to live in an affluent area, and just because a premise isn�t on a main thoroughfare doesn�t mean it isn�t worth visiting. The Royal Standard of England is a great example of being tucked away, but still worth a visit.

I don�t want to be seen to be constantly coming on here to defend our business against negative comments; Beer In The Evening is a review site, and everyone is entitled to their opinions, good or bad. But I did feel that your very negative comments about every aspect of our establishment were unjust, and I did want to perhaps explain a few things further. I�m sorry you didn�t find your experience on Saturday to be an enjoyable one.

Kind regards,

Josie Maguire (nee Pass)

2 Nov 2006 11:45

Stix Bar, Beaconsfield

Hi there,

I'm one of the owners of Stix Bar, and would like to respond to little_one.

Firstly, thank you for your kind comments about the atmosphere and wine list. We are a very small, family business and we work very hard to keep our customers happy - and coming back, of course, so feedback such as yours is invaluable.

Regarding the food, we are obviously concerned that you feel you didn't receive value for money when you visited. When we opened, we wanted to provide Beaconsfield with somewhere different and high quality, without losing value. All our ingredients are sourced from excellent, local suppliers (for example, our meat is supplied by Richardsons in Gerrards Cross), and everything is made in house. This might mean that perhaps we're not as 'cheap' as other places around, but we can guarantee that everything we serve is of the highest quality. To steal the Waitrose phrase, we feel that we're 'honestly priced', and we have alot of very loyal, happy customers who have never been anything but complimentary about us.

It's a difficult concept to describe, as we are unique, but the food is tapas-style portions served on a stick (kebab style), so yes 'small' is the best way to describe them, but we find that this allows people to have the meal they want. If you're hungry, have 5 things, if you're not so hungry, have 3. We have a set lunch menu for �10 which includes 3 items plus a glass of wine or beer, and our menu prices range from �1.45 for potato wedges to �4.45 for scallops in prosciutto. The average price is �2.95 per stick, so an average meal of 5 sticks for dinner would be about �15. We don't feel this is too expensive, and I'm very sorry you disagree.

If you would like to give us another chance, please email me at [email protected], and I will gladly provide a complimentary drink for you and a guest on your next visit.

If you're reading this without having visited us, give us a try - and make your own mind up about us.

Thank you and best regards,

Josie
Stix Bar
3 Warwick Road
Beaconsfield
01494 672182

9 Nov 2005 15:58