The Carpenters Arms

The food was outstanding, and the service was brilliant, especially with the children. Their menu had plenty of choice, including fish, steak and burgers. After the meal we wandered around the lovely courtyard gardens to stretch our legs. We’d called at the last minute for a table of eight and were initially told they couldn’t fit us in, but they called back moments later and kindly found space in the private dining area. Booking ahead is probably a good idea.

For our party of 40, I paid a £400 deposit for a meal at the Carpenters Arms the day after our wedding. I checked several times, including on the day, that it would be refunded rather than taken off the bill after we paid in full, and that was agreed. Later, when I called about the refund, I was told the deposit had been redeemed and they couldn't check whether the bill had been paid in full, so I couldn't get all of it back. I had to collect bank statements from every paying guest to work out the totals, which showed we'd actually overpaid. My wife, who is a solicitor, wrote a letter saying we'd take legal action if the full amount wasn't returned. They paid it soon after that, but chasing statements and sending a letter before action was a terrible way to spend the week after our wedding.

We didn't get to try the food because the service and manager's behaviour put us off ordering. We came with our small dog, and a manager suddenly fed him a big piece of crackling without asking us first. It all happened very quickly. When my husband said that was enough because our dog was on a diet, the man surprisingly gave him a second piece. We were stunned and appalled. Our dog needs a special diet for health reasons, and we were upset because this could affect his stomach. We've been to many pubs, and it's common courtesy to ask the owner before giving a dog treats. That didn't happen here, and it really affected our visit. The management should ask dog owners first and avoid behaving in such an unpleasant way.

There was a lovely buzz in the place for our superb Sunday lunch on January 3rd. The staff were friendly and attentive without making a fuss. There were three of us, and we had roast beef for two and roast chicken, all delicious. The cauliflower cheese was excellent, and we really enjoyed our desserts. A great start to the new year. We’ll be back.