A woman says she was barred from a pub after complaining about the state of her “terrible” roast dinner.

The customer was left disappointed by the “cold” and “tiny” portions at the Belle Vue in Pegwell Bay, near Ramsgate, after having to “wait for ages” for it to arrive.

But bosses at Shepherd Neame, which runs the pub, told KentOnline they are satisfied the service “met our usual high standards”.

The woman shared a picture on social media of one dish, costing £19, showing three roast potatoes, one Yorkshire pudding, two parsnips and “boil-in-the-bag beef”.

She also posted a photo of her own meal, which was identical other than an extra potato instead of the beef.

She says the accompanying vegetables did not arrive until 15 minutes later.

Her post has attracted hundreds of comments, with people on Facebook branding the Sunday lunch “embarrassing” and “laughable”.

The customer, who did not wish to be named, wrote: “The meal was cold, we had to wait for ages for it and the portions - as you can see - are tiny.

“The one without meat was mine. I am vegetarian so I asked for lots of potatoes and vegetables and that is what I got.

“£19 for beef - two thin slices of cheap boil-in-the-bag beef.”

The customer says she asked for more potatoes but was told: “There is hardly anything left due to a large table downstairs.”

She says she spoke with three managers about reducing the bill while they phoned their boss for advice.

But she was forced to talk to her over the phone from her home, which she branded “ridiculous”.

“She was rude and unapologetic,” the customer added. “She told me she would check the CCTV to look at our reactions to the roast. She must have time on her hands.

“In the end, she told me they would cover the bill but barred me from going there again.

“Rather than admitting the whole experience was a s***show, that is the route she went down.”

The woman says she has been a loyal customer at the Belle Vue for years, going for meals and drinks “very regularly”.

She had even booked for Boxing Day this year – but decided to cancel after her recent “terrible experience”.

The pub initially refused to give her the £50 deposit she paid back, despite her being barred. But Shepherd Neame says it has refunded it.

Hundreds of people have commented on the post shared on Facebook.

Jill King wrote: “Sometimes you just get a bit fed up with letting things go.

“In this case, I would have done the same thing, especially for the money they are asking.

“I have got to say, I gave up eating there a while ago.”

Samantha Voak said: “That is embarrassing. A real establishment that was running out of food would just stop serving.”

Julie Dobbs echoed concerns and said: “This is disgraceful. I am having a wedding here.

“My son is a chef and says that is laughable.

“He would rather not send any food out than send that.”

But some leapt to the pub’s defence. Lawrence Gakure said: “However thin you cut, there is always another side of it.

“I believe there is the restaurant’s side you might not want to hear.

“In addition, is this the right time to [criticise] local businesses?

“Will you be happy if that restaurant closes or the staff get sacked? It will be the domino effect and someone down the line you know will be affected.”

Shepherd Neame refused to confirm whether the customer had been barred.

The firm’s operations manager Tony Broun said: “Our pubs strive to offer the highest level of service, and we’re sorry to hear that these customers were disappointed with their experience at the Belle Vue Tavern.

“We take all complaints seriously, and having spoken to the pub’s team, we are satisfied that their service on this occasion met our usual high standards.

“As a gesture of goodwill, the team provided the meals free of charge on the day, and have refunded the £50 Boxing Day deposit.”

The Belle Vue Tavern is a traditional British pub thought to date from about 1720, according to Shepherd Neame’s website.

It has tunnels connecting the inn with cottages across the road, which were used by smugglers who stored their contraband in the pub’s cellars.

Some of its most famous guests include Charles Dickens and Princess Victoria, the future queen.

The pub boasts what it calls the “Balcony of Kent”, which is a seating area at the rear which is said to offer some of the best sea views in the county across Pegwell Bay and out to the Channel.