We have a Gourmet Society card which is a perk of the bank account, so we don’t pay a fee as such. My question is really about use of the card, rather than the auto-renewal, which seems to be the usual complaint (e.g. following a cheap/free trial period). Nearly all restaurants in the scheme require that you inform them in advance of your intention to use the card to get a discount. I was just wondering why this is necessary; my cynical view is that the quality etc of the meal is ‘adjusted’ if they know that you are going to make use of an offer (same would apply if a printed voucher was being used). Am I justified in such a view, or am I just being mean-spirited? I suspect that I already know what the views of the massive are, but wondered if anyone could put my mind at rest?
Anyone use a Taste or Gourmet Society card when dining out?
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Used to have one of these, with mixed fortune. The “offer” tended only to be valid at chains where the staff don’t care enough about anything anyway, let alone whether you are getting 10% off. There was a good local pub where it worked a treat as they were happy to accept it after a meal, and would include the bar tab run up therewith, perhaps contributing to the pub then going bust……
Don’t most chain discount vouchers/codes say you need to say before you order? I rarely do it, especially in chains I’ve used before -in fact it’s not unusual for me to go into a restaurant, order my meal, then log into the restaurant’s wi-fi to get a discount code! I think they mainly ask you to alert them before you order so that any misunderstanding over the validity of the card (eg can’t be used Friday’s and Saturdays) can be sorted out before it’s too late.
I’ve had one a few years now. I wouldn’t dream of paying the £80 annual fee but I’m happy to pay half that. With a couple of weeks to go, phone up and cancel the auto-renewal, then look for a half price offer online and get your other half to subscribe….
I’ve had both Tastecard and Gourmet Society and for me the Gourmet Soc is best….certainly in Edinburgh. In our capital it’s mostly restaurant and hotel chains but there are a good number of independent Italian, Chinese and Indians.
I don’t think they give you a lesser meal because you’re getting a deal. I think it’s just about getting bums on seats…especially through the week, because many of the independent restaurants don’t accept it at the weekend.
A meal for 2 and a bottle of wine is typically about £60, so with 25% off or one meal free, it comes down to £45. The card pays for itself in 2 or 3 nights out.
We were in a Chinese restaurant once and an argument broke out at bill paying time at the table of 8 next to us. They wanted to use the discount card but they hadn’t notified the restaurant when they booked so the restaurant wouldn’t accept it. Don’t actually know the outcome but there was absolutely no problem when I showed my card.
I’ve been in restaurants where I just told them I had it….they didn’t even ask to see it. Other restaurants take the card details down. I would always mention it when booking….simply because the Gourmet Society website is not always up to date….often(and I do mean often) I phone to book a table and they tell me they don’t accept the card at the weekend, even though the website says they do.
Isn’t there a Thai resto in Embra? Insiders view as to the economics of it?
Haha…there are 4 that I’ve been to, and none take the Gourmet card. I’ve never been to ‘that’ one though. No reason other than our bus goes nowhere near Tollcross so we never end up in that part of town.
Club Lloyds by any chance?
I’d certainly like to club Lloyds.
I’ve got a GS card. As with most discount jobs the Ts & Cs are so fiddly that it takes a lot of the fun away from eating out (steady) and you end up hungrily eyeing the things on the menu that aren’t part of the deal.
This is a shame, because I very much resent the people who cook my food being able to earn decent money. It’s practically communism.
I was going to use the card when dining out, but wife insistes I use cutlery like everyone else.
It’s OK, I’ll go quietly.