The Strawbury Duck Inn

After a walk on one of the nearby trails, this is a lovely pub to stop at. The welcome is warm, the drinks are great and the food is amazing. Dogs are welcome, with water available and treats you can buy if you fancy. There’s a small car park on site that’s easy to get into, and the train station right beside it is handy if you don’t want to drive.

The food and setting were nice. I had the halloumi burger, cooked well, and the fries were good, though the table felt a bit cluttered. We waited nearly two hours for our food, then cancelled the pudding because it was taking so long. There seemed to be only one main server for the whole restaurant, so they looked badly understaffed. I may try again, since other reviews say service is usually good, but I wouldn’t go during school holidays.

The meat and Yorkshire pudding were great, and the cooking overall was decent. Still, the Sunday roast came with mash and no roast potatoes, which is a baffling choice. Carrot purée, steamed cauliflower and greens also left the plate short on texture. And sticky toffee pudding on a slate? That dessert needs plenty of sauce. It was a busy Sunday and the young staff seemed hardworking and were doing their best, but there’s a lack of leadership on shift and behind the scenes. It feels like a young chef has been given room to do their thing at the cost of straightforward, sensible food, with a hint of laziness in skipping the roast potatoes. The place presents itself as premium and just misses the mark. With a good manager, it could improve a lot, quickly.

We booked a night at the last minute to explore the area, and the friendly team showed us to the cosy, clean Teal room. I liked that the rooms are named after ducks. Ben & Cam at the bar were friendly and suggested a local ale. We tried a trio, which was a great way to sample them. Dinner was fresh and lovely, we had halloumi to start, then fish and chips and steak. Breakfast was a perfect start to the day. We’ll visit again and would recommend it to anyone coming to the area.