Couple say Christmas dinner at The Golden Fleece in Wells-next-the-Sea was ruined when staff walked out of its restaurant mid-service

Angry guests said staff argued among themselves with some breaking down in tears after chaos unfolded at the The Golden Fleece pub in Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk.

Julie and Jamie Dooley claimed guests — including families and elderly couples — waited over an hour for starters before the kitchen closed entirely after two and a half hours.

The Christmas Day disaster left visitors "frustrated and heartbroken" after they had forked out £90 each for their festive dinners.

Julie, 47, a business manager from Derbyshire, described the ordeal as "a Fawlty Towers experience".

She had booked the restaurant with husband, Jamie, because it was one of only two restaurants in the area offering a dog-friendly Christmas dinner.

After arriving and being served Prosecco, the couple waited over an hour before receiving their starters.

Julie said: "We waited for about an hour, an hour and a half before we were finally served our starters, at which point people around us hadn't had some of their food at all.

"The kitchen staff began arguing among themselves. I witnessed a chef take his jacket off and walk out. And at that point, things really started to change in terms of the atmosphere.

"We had a member of staff serving us, and she was actually in tears."

Julie said multiple staff members were seen crying as they struggled to cope with the chaos.

Jamie, 47, who owns a dog boarding and day care business, said he witnessed heated arguments downstairs while trying to get drinks.

He said: "They were having a really bad argument, and the staff were in tears, they just didn't know what was going on. There was just so much chaos. One staff member appeared to be working alone. She'd been there since eight o'clock helping everybody, trying to take food or drinks out on her own.”

After around two and a half hours at the restaurant, diners were finally told the kitchen was closed and no more food would be served.

Jamie added: "We got told that the kitchen was no longer wanting to serve food and was refusing to carry on, and therefore we wouldn't be getting any dinner. One particular lady had come with a family from Kent.

"She was in tears and struggling to breathe because she was so upset. There was a couple who had not been out for years. They didn't get anything.”

Jamie believes management should have closed the restaurant before service began.

He said: "The managers should have shut the pub down. They should have shut the restaurant down the day before, but they just let the staff carry on working. It was just upsetting for families on Christmas day, really."

The pair have since received an email from the pub promising a refund within the next five days.

Another diner Graham Fuller paid a £75 deposit and a further £195 balance before his 3pm booking was cancelled on the day.

At around 2.15pm, he received a phone call from the pub saying that it had to cancel their booking without explanation.

Graham said he was "furious" and added: "I didn't anticipate this at all. We had no food in the holiday home and just wanted a meal out of the house and to have a happy Christmas.

"It's ruined Christmas, not just for us, but other families that had their bookings cancelled."

Others took to social media with one diner writing: "Sadly our Christmas Day lunch booking was cancelled by the restaurant just 30 minutes before arrival. With shops closed and no alternatives available, this left us without the meal we had planned our day around."

On Facebook, The Golden Fleece wrote on December 31 that it was were "temporarily closed" due to "unforeseen circumstances," adding, "We sincerely apologise to all our guests."

They continued: "We're doing our best to reach anyone with upcoming bookings, and we truly appreciate your understanding and continued support. We look forward to reopening as soon as possible and will keep you updated along the way."

The Golden Fleece has been approached for comment.