Ty Newydd Country Hotel

Our car broke down, so we had to be towed to the nearest hotel while waiting for recovery. This one had space, and the receptionist, Vanessa, was welcoming and understanding. We could check in late and, while waiting for recovery back to London, check out later than 10am the next day. The hotel has spacious rooms and fantastic hospitality, and it was excellent value for money. We’ll definitely return when we’re back in Wales.

The afternoon tea at Ty Newydd was a nice, standard mix of sweet and savoury food. Everything tasted lovely, and there was just enough to leave us pleasantly full. We used a gifted 'Dine out for two' voucher for it and would recommend it if you want something fuss-free at a reasonable price. One small gripe: they gave us only one plate and knife for all the food, and a separate set for the sweet treats would’ve been nice.

The cheese board summed up the meal: a small white plate that looked like it came from a cheap snack bar, with a few crackers, two very thin slices each of Brie and cheddar, and two slices of Red Leicester just thrown on the table. For Christmas Day Lunch for me and my mum-in-law, I paid £95 each, and I wish I hadn’t. The bread roll was nice, and the soup was okay, but it took 25 minutes to arrive, so I’d already eaten my roll. I asked for another, which came without butter, then had to wait for that too without complaining to the waitress. The Christmas lunch came ages later and looked like a really bad ready meal. I was hungry, so I ate most of it, but the desserts were dry and not to my taste. I’d have liked coffee and a mince pie for Christmas. Such a shame, but we won’t be going back.

The staff were lovely, friendly and capable, but they were clearly getting hassle from impatient customers and there didn’t seem to be enough of them despite how many were around. Sunday lunch was very busy and a bit chaotic. Staff are meant to tell you when to go up for the carvery to avoid big queues, yet a couple of tables went straight up. I saw the lady carving meat send one table back to wait until they were called. We still waited half an hour to be called. I heard the manager was in the office, but I think they needed to be in the restaurant. It wasn’t fair on the staff.