DINERS have flocked to a Lake District restaurant to take advantage of a ‘pay what you think it’s worth’ offer.

The Glass House, in Ambleside, has seen a boom in business after scrapping menu prices and giving customers the chance to pay what they wanted for food.

Restaurant owner Neil Farrell came up with the daring deal in a bid to entice local diners to the eatery during what is normally a quiet month for trade.

It launched last Thursday and, after a nerve-wracking start, Mr Farrell has hailed it as a huge success.

“I was really worried about it before we started and I certainly wasn’t expecting the influx of people that we have had,” said Mr Farrell.

“The offer has proved a great way to get people in and if this continues until the end of January, I will be very happy.”

Drinks and side orders are charged as normal, but food charges are removed from the bill, allowing customers to leave as much as they like or to ask for pricing guidance.

After the first week, Mr Farrell admitted he was pleasantly surprised by what most people had decided to pay for the food and said the feedback had been mainly positive.

“A lot of tables have ended up paying more than what we actually charge for dishes, especially at lunchtimes, which shows we are giving good value for money,” he said.

“We had a table in at the weekend that ended up paying £40 more than the food would have cost, but then we also had a table who left £7.50 for a two-course meal for two people.

“It is interesting to see what customers think the food is worth, but the offer is more about getting people to come and enjoy a meal at the Glass House and leaving happy.”

The restaurant has served more than three times the amount of customers than it usually would at this time of year, many of whom have been local residents visiting the restaurant for the first time.

Diners were not even deterred when the eatery was thrown into a frenzy on Saturday after the town’s gas supply was cut off.

“We has 50 people booked in on Saturday night and we got a phone call in the morning saying the whole of Ambleside had no gas,” said Mr Farrell.

“I went on the internet straight away and sourced as many electrical appliances as I could, then we spent all day prepping and making sure everything was ready.

“We started service and then the electrics blew as we had so many things plugged in, but people were very patient and under-standing and most customers actually ended up leaving more money.”

The offer is set to run until January 31 and Mr Farrell is hopeful it will continue to keep the restaurant busy.

What the diners thought

Peter Wilkins and Natalie Banks, Ambleside: We left £30 which is what I would expect to pay for the dishes we had. I feel as though we had good value for money.

Gwyneth Nixon and daughter, Laura, Ambleside: I paid £45 for the food as we really liked it, but if I felt it wasn’t worth it I would have paid less.

Britta Sendlhofer and Ben Abdelnoor, Ambleside: It’s a good opportunity to get a bit of a good deal now. It is a great business idea and I admire them for doing it.

Sarah Jones and Phil Craker, Ambleside: We already knew the food was really good and I think we will end up leaving roughly what the prices are on the menu.