The Becketts

We'd heard the place had new management, so we gave it another try after a year away. The welcome was warm as soon as we walked into the bar, and the staff were lovely. There are a few smaller dining rooms as well as the main restaurant, and the menu has plenty to choose from. Our lasagne and scampi came out well cooked, tasty, and in good-sized portions. We've booked a meal for nearer Christmas and will probably pop in again before then. It's a real asset for village and community events.

There are some promising changes since the new management took over. The place was warm, the outside signs and lights made it clear it was open, and the longer hours are handy. The location is good, with a big parking area, and the menu looked appealing. I'd also heard good things from people who visited during the first few days, when everything apparently looked brilliant. Unfortunately, my own visit didn't live up to that. The pub has potential, and I hope these problems get sorted, but based on this experience I'd choose Spoons in town. The curry was mostly rice, with only about a quarter to a third of the bowl filled with sauce and six small pieces of chicken. The chicken itself seemed good quality, and the curry was very hot, but it had no flavour and a skin on top, as if it had been reheated or kept warm for a while. There were no condiments for the popadom. It was edible, but reminded me of a Tesco microwave curry, not the local home-cooked restaurant food promised. The chips were undercooked too, hard in the middle, and left oil across the plate. The country pub restaurant image and prices set expectations that this meal missed. On offer night the price is similar to Spoons, where a meal comes with a free pint and the curry has more flavour. The drinks list was a decent range of usual pub options, though there were no cask ales and the IPA wasn't being served. Draught prices seemed similar to other places, while bottled drinks cost more than at nearby pubs. The decor, layout and furniture could make for a nice atmosphere, and I realise it'll take time after reopening. But the background music felt random and did nothing to help. There were also lots of spelling and grammar mistakes on the menu, small things that still leave a poor impression. Service was another letdown. We weren't greeted, just asked what we wanted to drink. I had to request a glass for my bottled drink, then ask for menus and ask what the curries were because they weren't listed. Nobody introduced themselves or asked if we wanted food. After waiting about twenty minutes for someone to take our order, I went to the bar to place it. Nobody asked about allergies, though I thought that was now standard. One fork in the cutlery was dirty; it was replaced, but shouldn't have reached a customer in that state. We had to ask for salt, pepper and sauces, then chase them when they didn't arrive. They eventually came in disposable packets, and should have been on the tables or offered with the food. Nobody checked on the meal until we'd finished. Staff did offer us more drinks, which was a positive, but when I said at the end that the food was just about edible, the waitress stared blankly, took the plates and dropped a fork and some rice on the table. No one cleared it during the next twenty minutes before we left. After we paid, there wasn't even a thank you or goodbye. Those little courtesies help a place feel welcoming, and here it came across as though staff didn't care. A lot of these issues seem fixable, though there were many of them, along with whatever went wrong in the kitchen. Things can go wrong at a newly opened place, but the service and response need to be better than ignoring the problem.

We dropped in for lunch without a booking and had good food and friendly service. It's dog friendly too, which is great. I'd happily come back.

Poor experience. The new owners didn't welcome us or explain what we were meant to do, and both the service and the food were rubbish. The portions were small and frozen, like it had all been done on the cheap. A bit of greenery on top doesn't make it a gastro pub. I came once under the previous owners and even that visit was better. Fake reviews don't help.