The Friendly Spirit Inn

We got there after the Sunday carvery service had finished, but the friendly staff were expecting us and still put together a substantial carvery dinner. We really enjoyed it. The dining area was clean and fresh, and the staff were all smiles.

It was a bit chilly inside, and raising the temperature a couple of degrees would have taken the edge off. I understand energy costs, though. The Guinness on tap was excellent, but unfortunately they ran out after my first pint, apparently the locals had got to it before I arrived. My colleagues enjoyed the food, but after driving nearly five hours to get there, I missed the food service.

The food was very nice, but there was nowhere else to park once the car park filled up. Service could have been better, though they were exceptionally busy. The toilets need attention: the toilet needed flushing twice, the cold tap didn’t work, there were no instructions for the hot water, and the hand dryer didn’t dry your hands, with no paper towels as a backup. To be honest, the food wasn’t much better than Boss cafe in Bridgwater, which offers better value, better toilets, and a public car park.

We booked a table a week ahead and got confirmation, but when we arrived 15 minutes early the staff couldn’t find the booking under my name. They were rushing around like headless chickens even though the place was empty. The food and vegetables were very basic, and halfway through our carvery we found a long hair in the cauliflower cheese. A very bad experience. I’d never go back.