Restaurant sparks outrage after adding sneaky new charge to bill

A popular London restaurant has come under fire after a diner spotted an unexpected extra charge on their bill. The Pig and Butcher, a historic gastropub in Islington dating back to the 1800s, is well known for its elevated British dishes such as Celeriac Milanese, Butter-Poached Halibut, South Coast Seabass, and English Lamb. On Fridays and Saturdays, the restaurant also serves its signature Beef Wellington in a specially designed Butcher's Room downstairs, and the restaurant offers a range of rare-breed sharing steaks from Monday to Saturday.

Despite its acclaim, however, the restaurant has recently drawn criticism online after a customer shared a photo of their receipt, revealing a £1.23 discretionary charge labeled "Carbon Free Dining." While the fee is relatively small, it has sparked a broader debate around transparency and the growing number of add-ons appearing on restaurant bills.

Posting on Reddit, the customer expressed surprise at the fee, writing: "I kind of got desensitised to the service charge already, but carbon free dining? That's something new."

One person commented: "Yeah, this is a very stupid and sneaky thing that's coming over from the US. Service charge percent on top of the additional 'optional' fee that they've added (probably hidden away on the menu, if mentioned at all).

"When you ask for the £1.23 to be taken off, do you reckon they remove the 12.5 percent of £1.23 that they've also added for no reason?"

Several other restaurants in London are charging the same optional fee. Customers can choose to remove from their bill if they wish.

A spokesperson for Noble Inns, The Pig and Butcher's parent company, told Metro: "This is optional and we explain this to customers. They can just ask to remove it. So far this calendar year our customers have donated £31,000 to GiftTrees and £9,211.75 to StreetSmart."

The fee contributes to GiftTrees, an environmental initiative dedicated to carbon neutrality and sustainability.

Their mission, as stated on their website, is to help plant 1 billion trees worldwide while lifting 1 million people out of poverty. StreetSmart is a charity that raises money to support homelessness charities across the UK.

One customer also told Metro: "I've eaten in The Pig and Butcher and I think this kind of initiative is not only reasonable - it's inspired. I'm a sucker for a restaurant with good ethos and if anything I'd like to see more follow suit. I try to be environmentally conscious in most areas of life, but I hadn't really considered the carbon impact of eating out.

"I understand that people want to enjoy a meal without feeling preached to, but a light nudge toward greater consciousness can go a long way.

"If you can afford dinner at The Pig and Butcher where the standard price for a main is £30, odds are you can afford £1.23 - and if you can't or don't want to pay it, you don't have to."