Harvester self-service salad bar could come back after customer outcry

Since the Coronavirus pandemic, restaurant-goers who visit Harvester have been asked to queue before being served by a staff member from the popular family food chain

A family restaurant chain is in talks over the removal of self-service salad after outcry from customers

Harvester is believed to be talks after it stopped the popular buffet part of its catering service.

It allowed diners help pile their plates high with vegetables, pasta and bread rolls at the self-service feature.

But since the Coronavirus pandemic, restaurant-goers have been asked to queue before being served by a staff member from the chain.

Harvester, which was founded in 1983 and has over 220 eateries in the UK, is considering re-think over its salad bar policy after a negative social media response.

The Sun reports a source at the restaurant who said: “Talks are under way between customer focus groups and the heads of the company and it is looking like the salad bar will go back to self-service.

“Customers were clearly upset after the news and that is something Harvester want to rectify.”

Simon Harris had earlier taken to Twitter to object to Harvester’s salad bar removal.

He posted on Twitter: ‘Harvester are scrapping the self-serve salad bar in all of their restaurants and members of staff will now be doing the bowl-filling instead.

“If this is a direct result of me consuming 154 mini gherkins in one sitting back in August 2018, I would like to apologise to Britain.”

Another customer who responded called Lea, wrote: “Harvester changing how they operate the salad bar is a travesty.”

Viscount Gavin, also took the the social media platform to praise the salad bar when it was operational.

He wrote: “That’s a shame. Was always fun piling random salad together.”

Harvester serves more than 30million meals a year according to its website.

The Mirror told last month how the chain had come under fire for requiring customers to queue at its famous all you can eat salad bar.

The restaurant chain has more than 230 branches across the country and serves a broad menu including grilled meat, chips, salads and more.

One of Harvester fans’ favourite perks of the restaurant was that if they ordered a meal they could help themselves to several different salads.

But since the Covid-19 pandemic customers have had to queue to be served by staff.

Harvester fans took to social media recently to pipe up about the change. One said: “I’m boycotting Harvester until I can serve my own salad.

“Far too much for my anxiety having to ask someone to do it for me!”

Another said: “I miss the days when you could serve yourself at a Harvester salad cart. Now I’m shamed into only having a quarter of the penne pasta and potato salad that I’d have previously gone for.”

At the time a Harvester spokesperson said: “We’re currently researching how to give our guests the best version of the unlimited salad bar in 2022 and beyond.

“We’re looking at consumer feedback and hope to update Harvester’s salad bar fans with any changes in the coming weeks.”