Holidaymaker Slams TUI After ‘Horrendous’ Corfu Trip With No English Food
A British tourist has shared her frustration after being served what she described as a lack of familiar cuisine during a recent holiday to Corfu—claiming she became “sick to death of looking at rice.”
Susan Edwards, 69, from Westerhope in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, said she won’t be booking with TUI again after an all-inclusive holiday failed to meet her expectations. Edwards had travelled to the picturesque Greek island with her two cousins, aged 77 and 78, her 50-year-old second cousin, and her 30-year-old daughter as part of a TUI package holiday.
But the trip turned sour quickly. According to Edwards, the hotel offered no English food, leaving the group feeling they had “no food” they could eat. She described the experience as “horrendous” from the moment they arrived.
Tourist Blasts Lack of English Food on Corfu Holiday: ‘No Bacon, No Sausage—Just Rice and Tomatoes’
Speaking to the Newcastle Chronicle, Susan Edwards explained how the problems began on the very first morning of her stay at the Lido Corfu Sun Hotel, when she realised there was “no English food” on offer.
The 69-year-old mum, who suffers from ulcerative colitis, said she and her family were dismayed to find that the breakfast options were limited to traditional Greek fare—not the bacon and sausages they had expected.
“On a morning you could have toast, a hard-boiled egg, or something in sauce,” she said. “There was no bacon. For breakfast there was mozzarella and sliced tomatoes. There was no hot bacon or sausage. We got chips one day—just one day out of the whole lot.”
Her disappointment reflects a growing number of British holidaymakers who expect familiar comforts abroad and are left surprised when local cuisine dominates the menu.
Susan described her ongoing frustration with the hotel’s meal options, saying the selection left much to be desired.
“There was fish, sardines, and rice—I was sick to death of looking at rice,” she said. “There was pasta and salads, but none of it was labelled. One night they had a Greek night with kebabs, but I couldn’t eat that. It’s the worst holiday I’ve ever been on.”
Her dissatisfaction extended to the drinks on offer. The only complimentary beverages, she claimed, were wine, lager, ouzo, or brandy—none of which she drinks. Even water came at a cost of €1.50 (£1.27), and her usual choices like a bottled lager or a Bacardi and Coke would have cost around €9 (£7.60) and weren’t even her preferred brands.
Susan also expressed frustration over the overall cost of the trip, claiming it wasn’t worth the money. She argued that, after all the extra expenses, she could have booked a far more luxurious getaway.
“By the time we paid £750 for the holiday, €70 [£59.12] in tourist tax for me and my daughter, and another £450 for both of our meals, I could have gone to the Caribbean instead,” she said.
Susan also expressed disappointment with the hotel’s location, describing it as “stuck there in the middle of nowhere.” She added that the private beach, located about 150 yards away, was “so steep we couldn’t get down to it,” further diminishing the holiday experience.
In response, TUI offered Susan £100 in holiday vouchers. A spokesperson said: “Our priority is to ensure customers have the best possible holiday experience, so we are sorry to hear that Mrs Edwards felt dissatisfied with her holiday. We have been in touch directly with Mrs Edwards to come to a resolution.”
