Pub Dress Codes?

Wednesday 28th of May 2008 02:45:05 AM

What started as a minor local incident over a pub’s dress code has turned into an online debate. 32 year old Terry Satterford alleges that last week he was denied entry to The Star, Gillingham because his polo shirt did not meet the dress code. Public reaction has been largely in favour of Satterford.

The pub’s representative, Chris Davies from TCG Acquisitions Ltd, has made clear that the pub does not have a ban on polo shirts but they do not allow people who dress too casually to drink there. He goes on to say, “We don't ban people from wearing polo shirts, we have a ban on sportswear which includes tracksuit bottoms, trainers and baseball caps. "Mr Satterford would not have been turned away for what he was wearing in the picture, but then you can't see what he was wearing below the waist. "I am confident staff at The Star are fully aware of the dress code rules." He goes on to say that the pub has recently gone through an expensive renovation and the dress code is what patrons want, otherwise they would not have one.

Mr. Satterford denies the allegation that he had on more sportswear then is reflected in his newspaper pictures and says that he was wearing a polo shirt, as he has been photographed wearing in the press, a pair of clean dark blue jeans and shoes, not trainers.

Interestingly enough, the feedback on the local newspaper site has been overwhelmingly in favour of Mt. Satterford. People seem to agree that the dress policy is over the top and that patrons should be allowed to get a bear in polo shirts or other casual wear as they wish. It will be interesting to see whether The Star, Gillingham changes its policies in the wake of this event.