The Pelican Inn

The goats cheese sourdough starter was my personal favourite, and the food was so good that I arrived for a first date and left a married man. The staff were lovely, service was quick, and I’ll definitely be back.

There were 13 of us for a family birthday, so we pre-ordered. It was our first visit, and the food was lovely. The atmosphere was great, with a good choice of beers, wines and spirits. We didn’t stay in the rooms, so I can’t comment on them, maybe next time.

We spent three hours at the Pelican on Christmas Day, which was a lot for four children aged between 3 months and 4 years. We’d paid £575, and left feeling deflated after repeatedly having to chase up food we’d preordered at the start of the month. The staff seemed to have underestimated how many people were needed, and the place felt very understaffed. The bar staff were gems, but the wait staff didn’t seem apologetic or acknowledge the mistakes and long waits. We know working Christmas Day isn’t ideal and they were busy, but a little recognition of the situation would have helped. We felt like an inconvenience whenever we had to interrupt them to ask for food. There were good parts. The pub is beautiful, and the table had a lovely festive setup with candles and crackers. Every course was delicious and portions were good. The women behind the bar were incredibly friendly and helpful, chatted with my children, made us feel at home and went out of their way to clean my bag after I spilled a drink. The meal itself was frustrating from start to finish. We arrived on time but weren’t sure where to go for our table. A couple of staff saw us by the entrance but didn’t approach, so eventually we asked at the bar. Then all seven of us sat waiting about 20 minutes before anyone offered drinks or started the meal, despite being asked if we were waiting for anyone else. Although everything had been preordered, only five of the seven starters came out. My youngest two, aged 1 and 2, watched everyone else eat and got upset. I had to flag someone down, and their starters arrived only after the rest of us had finished. A table of four seated near us between our starter and main course was served very efficiently and finished their mains before ours arrived. We waited long enough to wonder if we’d been forgotten. All our mains came together, but the extra roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, pigs in blankets and gravy we’d ordered didn’t. We had to ask for them, and they came when we were 90% finished, so we had to eat them on their own. It then took a long time to clear the plates and bring dessert. Three of our seven plates were collected, and we said we were ready for dessert. Nearly 25 minutes later, the other four plates were finally cleared and we asked again. The nearby table of four had already finished dessert and got their bill while we were still waiting. Six of our seven desserts eventually arrived and were lovely, but the last one came after everyone else had finished. We had the same problem of one or more people missing out across all three courses. We also had to go to the bar ourselves for drinks throughout the meal, as nobody asked if we wanted to order at the table. Finally, we asked for the bill twice and it took at least another 20 minutes to arrive.

The room was a good size, well equipped and just right for a stop on a journey. The location makes it an easy place to break a trip, and the traditional hotel and pub is a real gem. We had amazing food, good value and a great wine selection. The staff were personable and attentive, nothing seemed like too much trouble, and we enjoyed chatting with the friendly Landlord and his wife. I highly recommend stopping in for a meal or a stay if you’re nearby.