2/5 Paul E. 3 months ago on Google • 11 reviews New
Parking
was
good
with
clearly
marked
disabled
spaces,
the
pub
looked
great
too
and
just
inside
the
front
door
was
a
fireplace,
albeit
running
low
on
fuel.
We
arrived
on
time
for
our
restaurant
booking
for
two,
but
were
told
it
was
full
and
we'd
have
to
eat
in
the
bar.
We
weren't
greeted
pleasantly,
instead
told
to
seat
ourselves
at
a
table
near
the
external
door,
reserved
for
us,
given
paper
menus
and
told
to
order
at
the
bar.
The
waitress
only
spoke
to
us
again
when
she
delivered
our
food
orders,
and
only
then
to
confirm
which
was
which.
The
bar
chairs
were
a
little
too
low
for
eating,
so
I
had
to
prop
my
mum
up
on
a
cushion
so
she
could
reach
the
table.
After
both
selecting
the
day’s
Special,
Lamb
Shank
and
mash
potato,
I
attempted
to
order.
It
transpired
that
there
were
no
Lamb
Shanks
left,
so
I
returned
to
our
table
for
us
to
reconsider
our
selection.
A
few
moments
later
we’d
both
chosen
and
so
I
returned
to
the
bar
arriving
there
at
the
same
time
as
a
half-dozen
bar
customers
coming
in
through
the
front
door
and
wanting
to
order
drinks.
Fortunately,
while
they
were
considering
their
order
I
managed
to
get
the
barman’s
attention
and
tell
him
we
were
ready
to
complete
our
order,
just
as
the
waitress
moved
into
the
bar
area
to
help
him
out
with
the
new
arrivals.
Unfortunately,
our
newly
selected
food
options
were
not
available
either,
apparently
as
the
kitchen
had
no
mash
potato
left.
With
luck,
as
I
was
suggesting
it
might
be
best
for
the
barman
to
tell
me
what
was
actually
available
on
the
menu,
the
chef
arrived
behind
the
bar.
He
added
some
clarity
by
explaining
that
their
usual
morning
delivery
had
not
actually
arrived
yet
since
the
delivery
lorry
was
running
late
with
no
ETA.
We
were
offered
dauphinoise
potatoes
instead
for
our
options
which
I
accepted.
Fortunately
neither
my
mum
or
I
have
any
allergies
or
intolerances
because
we
weren’t
asked
if
we
did.
I
asked
for
the
drinks
that
I’d
already
ordered
but
since
the
barman
hadn’t
poured
them
he
offered
to
bring
them
to
the
table
for
us.
So,
I
returned
to
our
table
by
the
door
where
my
mother
was
now
having
a
coughing
fit
due
to
the
in-rush
of
freezing
cold
air
every
time
the
door
was
opened
and,
by
this
time,
the
bar
area
was
getting
pretty
busy
with
groups
of
men
in
high-vis
jackets
entering
through
the
door.
Two
of
those,
who’d
seated
themselves
adjacent
to
us,
actually
overheard
us
discussing
the
reason
for
her
cough
being
the
cold
air
through
the
door.
They
very
kindly
offered
us
their
table,
slightly
further
into
the
bar
and
nearer
to
the
aforementioned
fire,
since
they
were
about
to
leave.
When
I
pointed
out
that
their
drinks
were
still
more
than
half
full
they
said
that
was
no
matter
as
both
beers
were
undrinkable,
one
said
it
was
the
worst
he’d
ever
had
in
a
pub.
We
consequently
accepted
their
offer
and
moved
but
I
noted
the
fire
was
dying
so
there
wasn’t
much
heat
coming
from
it.
The
barman
finally
came
over
with
our
“drinks”,
however,
he
thought
I’d
only
ordered
half
a
shandy,
presumably
to
share
as
that
was
all
he
brought
over.
I
confirmed
that
my
order
was
a
pint
of
bitter
and
half
of
bitter
shandy,
but
as
we’d
already
paid
for
our
meal
I
had
to
return
to
the
bar
to
buy
an
additional
pint.
It
took
a
while
for
the
barman
to
pour
it,
commenting
as
he
finally
topped
it
up
that
he’d
only
“just
made
it”.
Judging
by
the
taste
that
was
presumably
because
he’d
reached
the
bottom
of
the
barrel.
In
view
of
the
note
on
the
fireplace
that
suggested
that
only
pub
“team
members”
could
fuel
the
fire
I
took
the
opportunity
to
ask
the
barman
if
he
would
put
another
log
on
the
fire.
Rather
than
doing
that
though,
he
said
he
would
“arrange
it”.
This
never
happened,
but
another
customer
overheard
my
request
and
put
several
logs
on
the
fire
himself,
suggesting
that
being
a
pub
“regular”
qualified
him
as
a
team
member.
That
resolved
the
warmth
issue
(and
my
mother’s
cough)
and
the
waitress
finally
came
with
our
food,
but
she
had
no
other
conversation,
nor
any
offer
of
table
water
to
accompany
our
meal.
All
in
all
it
was
a
pretty
disappointing
experience.
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