The Corn Mill Lodge Hotel

The waiters and bar staff were very good, and the beer was spot on. My Black Sheep ale was perfect. The vegetables were perfect, the steak and stilton pie was very good, and the desserts were good too. The brownies were excellent, the Eton Mess was good, and the sticky toffee pudding was good. The jam roly poly tasted slightly odd at first, but was good after a couple of mouthfuls. We were there on 28th Feb 2026, and the night was just above average. The staff were attentive, but the food let things down in several places. The starters looked well presented, though the quality was poor. My lamb kofta, which should be hot, sizzling, and juicy, was reheated, warm, dry, and hard. It tasted good, but wasn't what I'd expected. The mushrooms in leek and garlic sauce were tinned button mushrooms, though the sauce itself was okay. The meatballs were firm and dry, as if they needed more egg and breadcrumbs. I ordered the beef bourguignon, described on the menu as classic beef in a rich sauce with mushrooms, bacon, garlic, red wine, and thyme. What I got was braised beef in Oxo gravy. I know because there was an empty bucket of Oxo beef granules under a leaky pipe in the gents' toilet. The beef was tender, but it wasn't what the menu described. The mash had a faintly sour taste, and the sauce had no onions or mushrooms. The only red wine it saw was still in the bottle. The pizzas were abysmal. The Cajun chicken wasn't brilliant either, the black searing tasted mostly like burnt oil. Portion sizes were all over the place. One more thing about the open kitchen: guests don't need to see chefs using their hands to portion salads and vegetables. We all do it, and a chef's hands are always clean, but people don't need to watch. I'm also a chef, if you hadn't guessed. Corn Mill might not read this, but I mean it as constructive criticism, not a negative review. The kitchen could improve portion control and stop using Oxo granules in its sauces. It's not difficult to make brown stock, a jus, and the right roux. A little more finesse and thoughtfulness would go a long way.