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A popular steak restaurant on a historic Mississippi paddle steamer at the Lakeside shopping centre in Essex is ‘going down like the Titanic’ today – sparking panic from customers booked to eat there on Christmas Day.
Shopping centre director Howard Oldstein said the Miller and Carter steakhouse at the Thurrock site started sinking this morning while staff were preparing for the lunch service. He added that ‘it’s now lying in the water until it comes to rest’.
‘We’re allowing it to take its natural course and once it’s done that we will do what is required to deal with the situation at hand,’ he added.
The paddle steamer, rated the fourth best restaurant in Grays on Tripadvisor, was spotted descending into the depths of the lake which is up to 50ft deep at around 11am.Â
Did you have an upcoming reservation at Miller and Carter steakhouse? Email brittany.chain@mailonline.comÂ
The Miller and Carter paddle boat at the Lakeside shopping centre in Essex is sinking
The Miller and Carter steakhouse is seen sinking in to the lakeÂ
The paddle steamer was spotted descending into the depths of the 50ft lake at around 11am
Mr Oldstein said that as soon as staff realised the rear of the boat was sinking they removed their belongings, the Mirror reported.
He said that while the lake – which is mostly between four to 27ft deep but 50ft at at one end – was deep enough that the ship would go vertically in the air.
The restaurant has been closed and is cordoned off by security staff.Â
An employee at Las Iguanas, which is located across opposite the stricken steakhouse, Robson Tebbett, told MailOnline he ‘didn’t believe it’ when he first was told the restaurant was sinking.
‘When I got to work someone said the boat had sunk. I didn’t believe them. And here it is,’ he said.
An onlooker posted a picture of the sinking restaurant, saying that it was ‘going down like the Titanic’.
One academic from Southend, who is planning to dine there on Sunday, tweeted: ‘I have a photo suggesting the Miller and Carter paddle steamer at Lakeside, Thurrock has sunk! Please can you confirm so we can make other arrangements for Christmas Day!!?!?!’Â
Another customer from Hackney shared a photo of the ship’s stern sinking deeper into the water and said: ‘Looks like my family meal is cancelled!’
Las Iguanas employee Robson Tebbett (left) with general manager Izabella Barcikowska (right). Robson said: ‘When I got to work someone said the boat had sunk. I didn’t believe them. And here it is!’
The sinking ship has sparked panic amongst customers booked to eat there on Christmas Day
The boat can be seen partially sinking in to the lakeÂ
The Miller and Carter steakhouse at the Essex shopping centre was spotted ‘sinking like the Titanic’ by shoppers this morning
The remains of the floating Miller and Carter Steak House Restaurant at Lakeside shopping centre
‘We are aware of the current situation at Miller and Carter Lakeside,’ a Facebook post from the restaurant read
The paddle steamer has been there since at least 2007 and was previously an Old Orleans restaurant
Miller & Carter at Lakeside is closed until further notice after it started sinking
‘We are aware of the current situation at Miller and Carter Lakeside,’ a Facebook post from the restaurant read.
‘Please do not try and call Miller and Carter Lakeside a this time as they are working hard to try and rectify this situation. Thank you and sorry for any inconvenience.’
The steakhouse have told customers they will be closed until further notice due to ‘structural issues’.
They told guests: ‘Unfortunately we will be closed until further notice due to structural issues.
We will contact every guest as soon as possible, for safety reasons we are unable to access out restaurant to answer any phone calls.
Management will be calling guests with upcoming bookings. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience cause.’
The paddle steamer has been a fixture at Lakeside for years, but was bought by Miller and Carter who refurbished it and opened it in 2019. It has been there since at least 2007 and was previously an Old Orleans restaurant.
Its current owners, the Mitchells and Butlers group, are yet to comment. It is still not clear why it is sinking.Â
Construction on Lakeside was completed in 1990 at the site of a former chalk quarry – many of which spanned the area throughout the 20th century, leaving gorges.
Many of the gorges filled with water and became lakes, such as the lake next to Lakeside itself – which is where the shopping centre gets its name.
Its current owners, the Mitchells and Butlers group, are yet to comment
The paddle steamer has been a fixture at Lakeside for years, but was bought by Miller and Carter who refurbished it and opened it in 2019
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