They were captured on CCTV parking in the venue’s private car park before heading inside – footage that later helped staff trace them.
The bald‑headed man, wearing a black vest and shorts with a heavy beard, was seen entering the restaurant alongside a woman in a white jumper, blue jeans and flip‑flops.
Staff say the meal appeared to be a normal service until, after eating and drinking, the couple simply got up and left, leaving behind a bill of more than £100, including multiple soft drinks and hot beverages.
In a post shared online, The Old Custom House appealed directly to the diners to return and pay, saying: “We’d kindly ask you to return and settle your outstanding bill. We’d much rather resolve this directly and appreciate you getting in touch with us as soon as possible.
We have your vehicle registration on record: MD11 RAN.” The restaurant blurred the couple’s faces but left the number plate visible, prompting thousands of views and comments.
Social media users quickly rallied behind the restaurant. One commenter wrote: “I love it when people are caught out and publicly shamed, well done guys.”
Another said: “Look at the state of them, you can just tell what type of people they are,” while others expressed sympathy for staff and hoped the situation would be resolved. Several noted the ironic timing of the plate, joking: “They ate and RAN like their number plate.”
The Custom House’s PR representative, Charlie Baxter‑Calvert, told BBC Radio Wales this morning that dine‑and‑dash incidents across the restaurant group have become more frequent in recent years.
He said that while the unpaid bill hurts, the wider impact is felt by staff: “The team put themselves into every service, and this sort of thing really affects them – it’s more than just the money, it’s the knock‑on effect on morale.”
He added that while police are often too stretched to prioritise unpaid bills, sharing images and details online has proved an effective way to encourage offenders to come forward. In this case, the strategy worked.
After the post gained around half a million views on Instagram alone, the couple contacted the restaurant, paid the outstanding bill and asked for the social media posts to be taken down.
The Old Custom House, a Grade II‑listed former customs office built in 1865, now operates as a waterside brasserie with views over Penarth Marina and Cardiff Bay.
The restaurant says it prefers to resolve such incidents directly but will continue to use social media where necessary to protect staff and ensure customers “do the right thing” and pay for their meals.
