Broadstairs couple’s thwarted attempts to get refund for wedding ceremony booked at now shut Powell Arms in Birchington

A Broadstairs couple who booked the Powell Arms in Birchington to host their wedding reception say they were stunned to find it had closed without any notice – and promises of a refund have not been fulfilled.

Emma Woods and Simon Pressley booked the pub and rooms in May last year with the ceremony due to be held on May 31 this year.

They forked out £1,100 and have now had to pay out more money after moving their event to the Smugglers Inn.

Initially contacting Byron Hayter, who had run the pub on a lease between March 2022 and March this year, the couple were told they would be refunded.

This did not happen and now they say their attempts to contact Mr Hayter have gone unanswered.

Emma, who is a well-being assistant for the elderly, said: “I went there (Powell Arms) in the last week of February with my sister to plan out the day and no-one mentioned anything.

“Then in March I went back with my parents on a Sunday about 1pm and it was closed.

“I tried to phone and there was no answer and then I looked on google and there was a report that it had shut down. That’s when we first discovered it was closed. No-one had informed us prior to that.”

The couple managed to track down Mr Hayter, who also runs Chapmans restaurant in Canterbury, through Instagram and told him they wanted a refund. Despite a pledge to pay, there was no refund by the promised date.

Letters were sent to three addresses found for Mr Hayter, including one this month that demanded payment in 14 days or legal action would be sought.

Emma said: “We went to his restaurant in Canterbury on a Saturday night but he wasn’t there, I was messaging him but there was no reply, he just dropped us.”

Simon, 60, who is a musician, and Emma say they have been able to make alternative plans thanks to help from the Smugglers but it has meant extra cost.

Emma, in her 50s, said: “We worked so hard to get the money, on minimum wage struggling to save it up and then had to find more money. We had to ask parents for loans, it’s been a horrible thing to go through.”

The couple, who have five children between them, believe there must be other people affected by the sudden closure and are appealing for them to get in touch so they can bring a group legal action.

Emma said: “We thought ‘are we the only ones’ but there must be other people.”

Powell Arms owner Robin Ling, who had let the business on a lease, says he is ‘disgusted’ with the situation.

He says he is serving a CCJ over monies owed and understands there are others who are also waiting for payments including suppliers and former staff.

Robin said: “ I am serving a (CCJ) County Court Judgment. I’m hoping when this goes to court these people will get awarded repayment under the lease agreement from the guarantor that was granted through my solicitor.”

Mr Hayter’s former business partner Dhvani Patel withdrew from the business in 2023 but was guarantor for the lease agreement.

Mr Hayter also ran Tyler’s Kiln in Canterbury for a year until  it was shut down. Compulsory strike-off action for Tyler’s Kiln Canterbury Ltd was suspended last October.

Attempts by The Isle of Thanet News to contact Mr Hayter via social media, email, phone and through Chapman’s restaurant have been unsuccessful.

Mrs Patel said: “I withdrew from the business in 2023. While I have my own concerns with being the named guarantor and the lease paperwork, my involvement ceased from that time.

“I understand that these circumstances can be distressing for all parties involved, including suppliers, former staff, and the couple affected by the wedding relocation.