Broken promises
My neighbours and I were planning a joint retirement garden party. We had both used Hogget & Boar to buy really high quality, if very expensive, meat since they had moved from Stockbridge to Kings Worthy. Months before the event, planned for the end of June, we all went into the shop to enquire whether they could provide a hog roast at our home less than 5 miles away. Sean, the proprietor assured us they could, provided us with costs, took all our contact details and we made the booking. However, that was the last we heard from him until a few days before the garden party. Every few weeks and then every weekend we went into the shop or telephoned to check whether the booking was confirmed. We continually asked if we could pay a deposit to secure the booking. They would not provide us with a contact telephone number for Sean nor an email address but said each time that Sean would contact us. He never did. It was obviously highly embarrassing for his staff who talked to us each time we came in and were making promises on his behalf that he had absolutely no intention of keeping. Somewhat desperate and only a few days before the party, my neighbour did manage to talk to Sean who was very unclear whether he could 1. get the pig in time and 2. had the staff to run the event. He said we would check and confirm one way or the other. Even then, HE DID NOT! After we had been forced to make other arrangements at very short notice, he did make contact saying he would deliver and charge us for a pig!!! We politely declined. His management of this situation was incompetent at best, unprofessional and potentially dishonest at worst. His continual promises to contact us, then failing to do so was frustrating and extemely rude. If he doesn't want to run hog roasts and just wants to run a butchers and coffee shop, then he should do that and not lead people on in this shameful manner. If you are looking for a hog roast - don't touch this business with a barge pole. If you want to know you are doing business and buying goods from someone trustworthy, then do like us (and now many, many of our friends) , avoid Hogget & Boar all together. I wonder why he left Stockbridge? It would appear there is a story there too.