A pub in Kidderminster has spoken out about no-shows and last-minute cancellations that are putting unnecessary pressure on the business. 

The Queens Head in Wolverley has voiced its upset at large groups of customers who have not been showing up to their pre-booked tables. 

In the lead-up to Mother's Day, the pub said they have had between 25 and 30 cancellations for Sunday (March 10) after announcing they were fully booked. 

Bar manager and front of house, Amy Stanford, said it costs the pub around £100 for each table of ten that cancels not only due to them taking up a booking slot but most large groups also pre-order their meals. 

Kidderminster Shuttle: Pub landlords Ed and Natalie Link Pub landlords Ed and Natalie Link (Image: The Queens Head)

The 28-year-old said: "No-shows have a massive knock-on effect for us. It not only costs the business money but we do a lot of food prep on the day and cater for pre-ordered meals, so when people cancel at the last minute or don't turn up a lot of food goes to waste and money is lost by paying for extra staff we might not need on the day. 

"We get really busy especially on a Sunday and have been known to turn tables away as we're fully booked, so a quick phone call or a message just to let us know you're running late or can't make it would make a huge difference to us."

The pub has now had to introduce a booking and cancellation policy to help address the problem they have been facing. 

Booking of 10 people or more will now require a £50 deposit to secure the table which will be non-refundable. 

The eatery will also require credit or debit card details on special occasions such as Mother's Day and Father's Day. 

A 50 per cent no-show charge will apply to any booking that fails to arrive or does not arrive with the number of guests requested. 

A reservation will only be held for 15 minutes until all guests have arrived. 

Kidderminster Shuttle: The pub has thanked its loyal customers The pub has thanked its loyal customers (Image: The Queens Head)

Ms Stanford said: "We love our customers and really appreciate their ongoing support. This isn't something we wanted to do but we felt like we didn't have a choice. 

"This new policy is really to protect us as a business and the hard-working staff. All we want is more communication from customers especially at times like Mother's Day. There's always someone at the other end of the phone or replying on our Facebook page. 

"The deposit fee won't be applied to smaller tables as this has less of an impact. We're not sure how long the policy will be in place but we really hope everyone understands the decision."

For more information visit www.facebook.com/queensheadwolverley