Anger as Toby Carvery starts ‘weighing meat’

Toby Carvery customers have been left fuming after footage emerged of staff weighing out portions of meat, sparking fears that the days of a generously loaded Sunday roast could be numbered.

For many Brits, a trip to Toby Carvery is all about piling your plate high with roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, vegetables and, of course, a decent helping of meat.

But one customer was less than impressed after spotting something rather unusual behind the carving counter at a branch in Poole, Dorset.

Instead of simply carving his roast dinner, a member of staff at the restaurant was seen placing his plate on a set of weighing scales.

Unsurprisingly, it didn't take long for the footage to get people talking.

Content creator Tee Gee shared the encounter on Facebook, questioning why the restaurant had apparently started weighing portions.

Watch the video below.

In the video, he asks the chef: "How long have you been weighing the meat?"

The employee replies: "About three weeks now", before suggesting that a handful of other branches had also introduced the practice.

When asked how much meat customers were entitled to, the chef explains: "It's 216g for a king size plate. It's about 160g on a normal plate."

Unsurprisingly, the revelation didn't go down particularly well.

Alongside the footage, Tee wrote: "Toby Carvery...tiny Yorkshire puddings AND they’re weighing the meat now! Good job I went King Size. Next they’ll be counting the peas!"

For a restaurant that has built its reputation on hearty roast dinners, the sight of a set of scales was enough to leave some customers questioning whether they were still getting their money's worth.

The video prompted a wave of complaints online, with several people suggesting they would think twice about returning if weighing meat became standard practice.

The chain has caused upset with the latest video (Getty Stock/Yackers1)

One disgruntled customer wrote: "If they weigh the meat in every Toby I won't be going anymore."

Another wasn't impressed either, commenting: "Ridiculous weighting the meat...keep it, I'd sooner cook my own."

Someone else went a step further, declaring: "I'm boycotting Toby Carvery until they revert back to you can have as much meat as you like."

However, not everyone agreed that the scales were cause for concern.

Some pointed out that the customer appeared to receive a reasonable amount of meat, while others suggested the equipment could simply be there to help staff serve consistent portions.

Someone else argued: "When restaurant chefs portion meat out back in the kitchen its all done to size and weight, so what's the difference...its all down to profit margins."

As it turns out, that explanation wasn't far off.

Following the backlash, Toby Carvery has addressed the footage and insisted that customers have nothing to worry about.

It's always been the way that chefs serve the meat while customers help themselves to potatoes and vegetables (instagram/@tobycarvery)

A spokesperson said: "Don’t worry Toby fans, nothing has changed with our portion sizes. Our chefs are highly trained and generally carve portions using their experience.

"Sometimes, we use scales to help to train new team members, or to reassure existing chefs that their portion servings are on point, ensuring accuracy and quality for our guests."

In other words, the restaurant says the scales aren't evidence of a new policy to shrink customers' dinners.

The chain has always had staff serve the meat at its carving stations, while diners can help themselves to vegetables, roast potatoes and other trimmings.

It's also worth remembering that the king-size option is specifically designed for those wanting a little extra meat on their plate.

So, while the sight of a chef weighing out roast beef might not be quite what customers expect from their Sunday lunch, Toby Carvery maintains that its portions haven't changed.

And for anyone worried about leaving hungry, there's still the option of heading back for another helping of roast potatoes.