Fox and Grapes

Absolutely terrible pub. Whilst we waited 40 minutes for our meal to be delivered, we were able to watch water running down the wall and hear it hitting an already waterlogged carpet. When that got dull we could count the growing number of mould spots on the joists above our heads. Plenty of staff to care for the 15 or so people expecting a meal, but they all seemed well practised in the art of displacement activity: looking busy whilst doing sod all. When dinner eventually arrived - we knew it was on it's way as we were close enough to the kitchen to hear the ping of the microwave - my husband had to send his back, thanks to it being cold. Fortunately, the skin on my curry scraped off, and the one positive from the experience was the bhaji, dips, etc, that accompanied said curry were delicious. The staff took the meal back for an extra few seconds in the microwave, a fact borne out by the mash still stuck to the gravy bowl and the plate being hotter than the sun despite the still tepid food. Then the chef had the cheek to resent our complaint and came front of house to have us pointed out to him. My husband left half the meal as we could not wait to get out of there. The waiter, to his eternal credit had put deductions on the bill, without us requesting any such favour - he's obviously used to it by now. Will never, ever go back there. I am about to contact the chain responsible for such a pathetic excuse of a restaurant, and have voiced my displeasure via social network. Pay it a visit if you dare, but don't say you haven't been warned.

Absolutely terrible food. One dish got sent back as it wasn't cooked - wasn't even hot. The other dishes were dire too, including the kids dishes. The mash was immovable and the so-called award winning pies were nothing of the sort, served with thick gloopy bisto and grey veg.

Staff were pleasant enough but clearly didn't care about the complaints - it was almost as if they expected them. Lovely interior of the pub and great beer but the food was very bad indeed; such a shame.

Well this pub has definitely improved since last time visited ( which was July 2010).
Would recommend to family and friends to visit, food top quality and worth every penny. Atmosphere and service were very good quality and nothing was too much for the waiter. There is also a lovely beer garden for you to relax in and enjoy.
I must say the Pub is much cleaner to this time last year and it is noticed... the toilets and whole pub seems like they are properly cleaned. The walls could do with a good lick of paint though.

Will definitely be returning.

We have been for family gatherings several times over the last year and I am really surprised by negative reviews. This is a really spacious venue which absorbs large groups but which also has cosy nooks for more intimate meals. You can make the meal a budget one or splash out on three courses of quite exotic fare. The food has always been excellent - no disappointments for us or our children. The chocolate brownie is the best I have ever had (and I am a connoisseur of such desserts!) The ale is apparently a plus point too. Didn't really notice the decor or the service, which I would say is a positive thing - both must have been inoffensive. We will be returning shortly.

We had been to the Fox and Grapes a few times previously and did not have the best of experiences similar to the other reviewers. However, when passing one day we decided to pop in and found that it had been done out and was possibly under new management. This is now my favourite place to eat and drink. It's good honest British food. The staff are always friendly and helpful and it doesn't break the bank either. I would urge anyone who has tried it in the past and been disappointed to give it another go. It has definitely improved on all levels.

My wife and I visited on 15.08.2009, at lunchtime. I'm sorry to spoil the party, but we came away with a poor impression of the Fox and Grapes.

We have been several times over the years, and have, up to this most recent visit, enjoyed the food and drink, but we were not 100% satisfied on 15.08.2009.

There were not many other customers, which suits us fine, for we like a quiet pub, and we found a table by a window.

We each ordered Toad in the hole. The menu said that it was made with a "light batter", but ours was definitely not light.

It had been reheated and it was rather on the heavy side, but it tasted OK and we carried on. The crust, at the edge, was so hard that it almost defeated me (and I'm a big lad) when I tried to cut it.

I just managed to saw through it, and it was edible, but my wife (petite, five foot three) had to give up, and she left her knife embedded in the crust.

I carried on because I was brought up to eat everything that is put in front of me, and old habits die hard, but that crust was more like wood than a light batter.

There was a family at the next table, and they did not have a happy experience, either. There was mother, father, a teenage lad, and three children of about 9 or 10 years.

They had not been long seated before mother took the smaller children's drinks back to the bar. I don't know what the problem was, but replacements were soon, and cheerfully, brought.

Then the father, who had ordered Cesar salad, was told that there was no Cesar salad dressing, so he had to change his order.

The glass in the window that was next to our table had obviously been cleaned by someone who used a circular motion when wiping the panes, for the corners had so much black dirt in them that it could have been picked out with a finger tip.

The same dirt could be seen on a wall, at the end of a shelf. Finally, our cutlery coul

no sour grapes here, brilliant pub. me and all my family love eating, good value for money and friendly service.