Manager was openly rude due to my age and younger look stating to another employee “we were desperate when we hired you”, instantly made me feel nervous and put down

I went through the interview process with Pizza Express, and unfortunately, my experience was far from what I expected. After several follow-ups, I finally received feedback, but only after mentioning sharing my experience publicly. The delay in communication left me feeling overlooked, and the response I received made it clear that my concerns were only addressed due to the potential reputational impact. While I understand that not every candidate will be successful, the lack of timely and transparent communication made the process feel dismissive and unprofessional. A simple update earlier on would have saved a lot of confusion and frustration. I sincerely hope Pizza Express reflects on this experience and improves how they communicate with candidates going forward.