The Griffin Inn

We’ll definitely be back. The Sunday lunch was fab, with generous portions, delicious food and a great menu. It’s an inviting place with a lovely atmosphere, friendly staff and good value, in a fab location. Highly recommend a visit.

The food itself was good, and we might give the place another try, just not on a Wednesday evening. We’d looked at sample menus online and had ideas about what to order, but on arrival we were given a specials menu with only three main courses and no starters or desserts. We hadn’t been told when booking that this was the only menu served on Wednesday nights. We’d booked a table in advance for a meal with a couple of friends a few weeks ago, but were seated in the bar instead of the restaurant. It was a decent experience overall, though those two things were disappointing.

We had dinner there on the evening of 21 November, and it was faultless, nicely presented, with attentive waiting staff. Jordan, one of the chefs, deserves a mention: he served a superb breakfast made with top-notch ingredients and presented beautifully, then came out to check that we were happy. Sir Jamie also joined us for breakfast and showed us around the stunning Irnham Hall. The weather was sunny, a surprise for 21 November in the UK. Afterwards we looked around the church and followed the well sign-posted 6.5 mile walk around the estate. Our room was the Wonky Room, and it really was wonky, in the best way. It was warm, comfortable, spacious and had everything we needed for a few days away. The staff throughout were enthusiastic and welcoming, and regularly checked that all was well. We’d meant to visit after seeing Griffin Inn feature and win on Four in a Bed, but life got in the way for a few years. After finally spending a couple of nights there, our high expectations were blown away. On our first evening we’d already arranged to eat elsewhere, but got back in time for live music at the pub. The new band was superb and everyone seemed to enjoy them. We’re not local, so wondered how we’d be received, but the locals greeted us and chatted with us most of the night. Sir Jamie popped in on a busy evening and came straight over to say hello, which was a lovely, unexpected touch. I’ve seen some negative reviews, but we didn’t experience anything that would warrant those comments. I believe the petty 1/5 reviews with no comments shouldn’t be allowed on this site purely because of how Four in a Bed was perceived. Take the time to hear both sides and you’ll see that Sir Jamie and his wife are beyond lovely. For transparency, I’ve no connection to the industry or the family. We just had an amazing couple of nights and wanted to share it. We look forward to returning.

We came for the beer festival and would visit again. The venue and grounds are beautiful, and the food from the outdoor kitchen was fresh and served quickly. There’s a local gin bar in a converted horse trailer worth checking out. Phone signal was unavailable, though free WiFi worked inside. The staff were very friendly.