Toby Carvery has denied rolling out weighed meat portions across its restaurants after a customer’s video triggered boycott threats from roast dinner fans.
The British chain, which calls itself the “home of the Sunday roast,” found itself at the center of a social media firestorm when content creator Tee Gee posted footage from a branch in Poole, Dorset, earlier this week. In the Facebook video, a chef is seen placing Tee’s plate on weighing scales before carving his meat, prompting the customer to warn that the company would be “counting the peas next.”
The employee in the clip told Tee that the practice had been implemented “about three weeks ago” at the Poole location and “a couple of others” across the UK. According to the footage, king-size plate customers receive 216g of meat, while standard portions are set at 160g.
Tee expressed his disbelief in the caption accompanying his post.
“Toby Carvery…tiny Yorkshire puddings AND they’re weighing the meat now! Good job I went King Size. Next they’ll be counting the peas!”
The video has been viewed hundreds of times since going live, with commenters threatening to abandon the chain over perceived shrinking portions. One Facebook user wrote: “I’m boycotting Toby Carvery until they revert back to you can have as much meat as you like.” Another fired back: “If they weigh the meat in every Toby I won’t be going anymore.” A third added: “Ridiculous weighting the meat…keep it, I’d sooner cook my own.”
Not all viewers sided with the outrage. Several observers noted that Tee appeared to receive “enough meat” regardless of the scales, while others speculated the weighing was merely a training tool for new staff members.
Toby Carvery addressed the controversy directly in a statement, confirming that the scales serve an educational purpose rather than enforcing new limits. A spokesperson for the chain said: “Don’t worry Toby fans, nothing has changed with our portion sizes. Our chefs are highly trained and generally carve portions using their experience.”
The spokesperson continued: “Sometimes, we use scales to help to train new team members, or to reassure existing chefs that their portion servings are on point, ensuring accuracy and quality for our guests.”
The incident has highlighted the intense loyalty British diners hold toward the carvery format, where customers traditionally help themselves to vegetables, Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes and trimmings while staff carve a “minimum of three roasted meats” at the deck. Toby Carvery has built its reputation on hefty servings and “great value” roast dinners, making any perceived threat to portion size particularly volatile among its customer base.
The Poole branch where Tee filmed his meal sits in a coastal Dorset town roughly 120 miles southwest of London.
The chain operates dozens of locations across the UK and has long marketed itself on the promise that guests will leave with “a full belly.” The weighing footage emerged at a time when British pubs and restaurant chains face mounting pressure over food costs and pricing, though Toby Carvery has not cited economic factors in its response.
Tee Gee’s original complaint also referenced “tiny Yorkshire puddings,” suggesting broader dissatisfaction with the Poole branch’s presentation beyond the meat weighing alone.
Some commenters on Tee’s post defended the practice, with one noting that portion control training benefits both the business and the customer by ensuring consistency. The debate has played out across Facebook and other platforms as the video continues to circulate.
Toby Carvery’s reassurance appears aimed at heading off the boycott momentum before it spreads beyond social media threats. The chain has not announced any policy changes in response to the controversy.
Toby Carvery continues to serve its full carvery menu at locations nationwide.