Amy J.
Google
I had an extremely poor and deeply frustrating experience with Little Fires, and I would strongly advise against using this venue for any organised event.
I booked Little Fires for my company’s End of Year event and was let down at almost every stage of the process.
To begin with, my original booking date was double-booked by the venue, forcing me to move the event from a Thursday to a Friday. While this change fortunately worked on my end, it should never have happened in the first place.
Even more concerning was that prior to being informed of the double booking, the events team completely ignored repeated calls and emails requesting updates. There was no communication, no acknowledgement, and no professionalism.
Once I eventually made contact, the situation did not improve.
Organising even basic details became unnecessarily difficult. Responses were slow or non-existent, and information had to be chased constantly. This complete lack of communication caused significant stress and anxiety, as I was left in the dark with an event approaching and no confirmed plans.
Astonishingly, in the week of the event, I still did not have confirmation of:
The food menu
The DJ
Any form of event schedule or planning documentation
At this point I had no choice but to repeatedly call Christian, the owner. I finally reached him the day before the event. Instead of offering support or taking responsibility, he spoke to me rudely and dismissively, showing no concern for the disorganisation or stress caused.
He attempted to justify the lack of communication by stating they were “busy,” which is entirely unacceptable when you are hosting a paid corporate event. His tone was unprofessional and confrontational, and he made me feel as though I was at fault for simply trying to ensure my event went ahead.
The issues continued on the night itself. I paid £500 for canapés for 40 guests, and when the food arrived, it was genuinely shocking. There was nowhere near enough food at best, it would have fed 15–18 people, not 40. As a result, I was forced to order pizzas in at the event because staff were hungry, which was embarrassing, entirely avoidable, and should never happen at a catered corporate function.
The most outrageous issue occurred when I ordered additional platters of scallops and prawns on the night. Christian personally gestured with his hands to indicate the size of the platters and stated they would cost £180 each. While expensive, I agreed based on the size described and purchased two. What arrived from the kitchen was appalling. The plates were tiny, barely enough for one person, let alone a large group. In total, there were approximately 12 prawns and 10 scallops across both platters, yet I was charged £360. This felt like nothing short of a scam. I have attached photographic evidence for reference.
The only positive aspect of the entire experience was the front-of-house staff. The waiters and bartenders were polite, hardworking, and clearly doing their best under extremely poor management. Several even expressed shock at the lack of food and the disorganisation. The drinks service was good, and the staff on the night tried to salvage what they could of an otherwise disastrous event.
In summary, this venue demonstrated:
- Poor planning
- Non-existent communication
- Dishonest portion representation
- Unacceptable value for money
- Rude and dismissive management
This was meant to be a professional work celebration and instead became a stressful, embarrassing, and costly ordeal. I would never return and strongly recommend others look elsewhere for events of any kind.
