The Badger Inn

Our first visit, but definitely not our last. We came for dinner, not an overnight stay, and the staff were friendly, polite and attentive the whole time. Izzy was especially welcoming, chatty and knowledgeable about the food, and made us feel wanted there. The food was fantastic and really good value for what we had. I started with chicken wings, moist and well cooked, with lots of flavour in the homemade coating. I picked the hot sauce over BBQ, and it had good flavour and a pleasant tingle without being too hot. The poached cod for my main flaked beautifully. Its mash was rich and tasty, and the ham hock, pea and parsley sauce had loads of flavour. I was full but still wanted more. Cheshire ice cream in toffee and vanilla was deliciously creamy and moreish. My wife’s scampi starter was delicious, with lovely pieces of prawn. The tartare sauce, which I believe was homemade, was exceptional, with vinegary pickle through the creamy mayo to cut the richness of the fried scampi. Her pan-fried chicken was tasty and well cooked, and the hotpot potatoes and onions were delicious. There were so many onions that she left a few, but it was still a lovely dish. For dessert she had chocolate crème brûlée. It was delicious and rich, maybe too rich to finish after two courses. A more traditional crème brûlée might have been easier to manage, though she still enjoyed it. We had a couple of pints of IPA and glasses of Chilean Sauvignon, both fresh and refreshing, then Amaretto and Bailey's after dinner. The bill was £103.50, or 113.85 with a 10% tip. Given the quality and amount of food, we thought that was excellent value. We’ll certainly be back.

The meal was taken off the bill, but that hardly made up for it. I’d come from Plymouth, Devon to Cheshire for a funeral and didn’t want to make a scene, so I quietly spoke to the waiter. By then I was hungry and upset, and I later got sick after eating the little fish and mash I’d managed to try. I won’t be back. My friends mostly enjoyed their pies and steaks, which made my own meal all the more disappointing. The poached cod with mash, ham hock and parsley sauce arrived barely warm. The waiter took it back to reheat, but when it came back the plate was too hot to touch and the food was only a little warmer. The mash was like packet Smash. The fish was rubbery and overcooked in some places, tasteless and mushy in others. It seemed like frozen fish reheated, possibly in water, and I barely touched it. I was still hungry, so I had some of my partner’s chips and ordered a chocolate brownie. My friend’s came hot with warm sauce and ice cream; mine was stone cold and hard, like it had just come from the fridge. The waiter touched it with his fingers, agreed it hadn’t been heated, and offered to warm it. I said no. After two sub-standard dishes, I’d had enough, and didn’t want a dessert reheated after it had been handled. We picked The Badger Inn because it looked lovely and the menu appealed. The food, service and value for money were a huge letdown, and the whole experience was horrendous.

They even brought out dessert for the customers who’d been difficult about ordering! We were a family group of 15 plus a baby, and kept changing the timing and messing about with the reordering system, including some people refusing to preorder dessert. The Badger team handled all our changes quickly and cheerfully. Everyone complimented the food. I had gin cured salmon followed by Confit of duck, both lovely, especially the duck. The staff were polite, chatty and efficient, and the kids got napkin origami entertainment too. With beams, log fires, good beer, excellent food and wonderful service, The Badger felt like the perfect pub. Five star food. Thanks to the team 😀

The beer was excellent, and it was fun having a few drinks while chatting with the locals and staff. We had a great time, with excellent staff throughout. Our room was nice and spacious, breakfast was very nice, and dinner was very good too. We’d definitely stay again.