William Sitwell bans first diner for bullying staff

WIVELISCOMBE, England, June 20, 2026 — Restaurant critic William Sitwell has banned a diner from his White Hart pub in West Somerset for the first time, after he said the guest repeatedly bullied his staff during a dinner service. Sitwell described the episode in his weekly Telegraph column.

The account offers a rare look at hospitality from the operator's side for a writer better known for reviewing other people's restaurants. Sitwell, a former Waitrose Food editor and MasterChef UK judge, reopened the 17th-century coaching inn in December 2025.

What William Sitwell said happened at the White Hart

By Sitwell's telling, the night was already strained. A staff member walked out during lunch service, leaving the team short for a busy dinner shift, he wrote.

Sitwell said he worked the bar himself to cover the gap, while younger team members, some aged 17 and 18, picked up the slack. His landlord dined in that evening, he added.

The complaint centred on a dessert. A guest he described as a woman in pink, part of a party of 20, said a pre-ordered zabaglione had promised a tuile that never arrived. A colleague told him the biscuit had burnt, Sitwell wrote.

Sitwell said he removed the cost of the dessert and offered the table a free round of cheese and coffee. The guest told him her sea bream main course had been excellent, he wrote.

"The customer is not always right ... and you are an example of that."

William Sitwell, writing in his Telegraph column

Sitwell wrote that the diner had been finger-wagging and shaking her fist at a new staff member, named Sigrid, who was working her first shift. Other guests at the table told him the food and service had been very good, he said.

The customer invoked the saying that the customer is always right as she left, Sitwell wrote. He said he rejected the claim, told her she was bullying his staff and barred her from returning.

A first ban for the former critic

Sitwell described the decision as his first ban at the White Hart. He took over the pub, on the square of the West Somerset market town, after it closed in July 2025 under previous owners.

The venue now serves an Italian menu prepared by chef Dom Hewitt and offers 16 bedrooms, Sitwell has said in earlier interviews. He runs it in partnership with publicans Jon and Millie Coward.

Sitwell linked the decision to advice he received before opening from restaurateur Jeremy King. He wrote that King told him not to under-capitalise, not to scrimp on staff and not to tolerate guests who bully staff.

Staff retention and customer conduct remain pressing issues across UK hospitality, with operators reporting walkouts and abuse during busy services. Home cooks after Italian dishes in the style of the White Hart's menu can browse this collection of Italian recipes.

Source: Hospitalitycareerprofile.com