![\"Google](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_Miller-Carter-Hockley-Heath.jpg\")
The Miller & Carter in Stratford Road, Hockley Heath, had to cancel Christmas dinners for almost 80 parties – believed to be in the region of 300 guests on Christmas Day (Image: Google )<\/p>\nThe Miller & Carter site had to close its kitchen and cancel all its Christmas dinner bookings at lunchtime on the big day<\/p>\n
14:28, 27 Dec 2025Updated 15:08, 27 Dec 2025<\/p>\n
The Miller & Carter in Stratford Road, Hockley Heath, had to cancel Christmas dinners for almost 80 parties – believed to be in the region of 300 guests on Christmas Day (Image: Google )<\/p>\n
A number of families had their Christmas Day \u2018written off\u2019 after a popular Midland restaurant shut at short notice.<\/p>\n
Friends and family booked in at the Miller & Carter steakhouse in Hockley Heath, near Solihull<\/a>, had to make other arrangements when the venue closed just as diners were arriving for Christmas<\/a> dinner.<\/p>\n It charged a hefty \u00a3100-a-head for adults and \u00a360 for children but said a fault in its kitchen meant no food could be cooked and it had to turn away customers.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Murder arrests update after man stabbed to death on Christmas Day<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Among them were James Munro and his party of 13, including his sister who had travelled up from Devon.<\/p>\n They had a booking at noon, and James was only alerted about the problem when his friend, whose daughter works at the venue, revealed staff had been told \u2018not to come in\u2019.<\/p>\n He went to the venue to check for himself and said he was told there was a problem with the extractor fan in the kitchen which meant ovens could not be turned on.<\/p>\n James posted on the venue\u2019s Facebook page: \u201cThere were 13 of us booked in for 12noon and we did not receive a call to inform of the situation.<\/p>\n \u201cSafe to say the day has been a write-off. Perhaps if we had been informed early enough we might have had time to pull some scraps together.\u201d<\/p>\n James said he believed some 300 guests were turned away from the venue \u2013 including his family-of-five, his sister\u2019s family-of-four and a friend\u2019s family-of-four.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Moment \u2018extremely dangerous\u2019 Birmingham driver leads police on 100mph chase<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n He told BirminghamLive: \u201cIt was devastating. I know s*** happens but we didn\u2019t get a call. I found out from a friend whose daughter was told not to come in as it was closed.<\/p>\n \u201cMy sister lives in Devon and had come up for a couple of days. At first we thought \u2018surely this can\u2019t be true\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cBut the staff looked at us with glum faces and said sorry when we went. They said there was a fault in the extractor fan and the ovens would not turn on.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had a noon booking and we were pretty much one of the first on the list.\u201d<\/p>\n Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n He continued: \u201cBut where was the phone call? They said they tried to call but we hadn\u2019t missed any calls. We were like \u2018what the hell are we doing now\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cWe went to a garage, with a Little Waitrose and got a few bits.<\/p>\n \u201cThey didn\u2019t have turkey obviously. We picked up some vegetables and had some chicken breasts in the freezer.<\/p>\n \u201cSubsequently, we had a call from the restaurant saying they would offer a meal \u2018on us\u2019. But I don\u2019t go there and my sister lives in Devon. It doesn\u2019t quite cut the mustard.<\/p>\n \u201cWe spent \u00a385 at Little Waitrose \u2013 they could pay for that.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had some broccoli, McCain\u2019s roast potatoes and got a couple of bottles of alcohol that we didn\u2019t think we\u2019d have needed. And a couple of naff vanilla cheesecakes.<\/p>\n \u201cBut not your normal trimmings. The meal we\u2019d paid for cost \u00a3420. I haven\u2019t had a refund yet.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_PM1830306.jpg\")
The Miller & Carter in Stratford Road, Hockley Heath – one of dozens of venues in the steakhouse chain across the country <\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_Miller-Carter-Facebook-post.jpg\")
The Miller & Carter Hockley Heath’s Facebook post about Christmas dinner cancellations <\/p>\n