The Duck — Local services in Canterbury

I don’t really believe in reviews as places are very much a personal preference but I am writing this in the hope that the management can make some simple but important changes to the service they offer.

We visited the Duck, which is one of our local pubs, as a pre birthday dinner for our youngest daughter on Sunday 28th September. On arrival it was difficult to park as the car park is very small if the pub is full. We ordered a bottle of English pink fizz but they didn’t have it in stock so had to make a different choice. Being Sunday it was only a roast dinner menu and two of us ordered beef as I know the beef is sourced from Broxhall Farm which is literally located across the field and their steaks have been fabulous. Unfortunately, on this occasion, the beef was a very bad choice - we couldn’t cut it with a standard knife and it was so chewy we couldn’t eat it. We were also sat on the table right next to the kitchen door so there was a lot of disturbance with the kitchen/waiter service but in addition to this traffic, the kitchen was playing their own music resulting in us being in earshot of the kitchen music as well as the pub/restaurant music. Our table was their last booking of 4pm and once we had been served our main course the kitchen music was replaced with an extremely noisy hoover as the kitchen staff set about their clean down! Having commented to the manager of the restaurant about the disappointing food and the unacceptable hoovering she said that she had spoken to the kitchen team about this in the past but despite her previous comments they continue to do it. On Sunday she went into the kitchen and I could hear her tell the team about my complaint and the hoovering did stop but by this stage it was all a little too late.

The manager didn’t charge us for the two beef meals but unfortunately when you go out for dinner you don’t expect to have to eat afterwards!

I would like to add that we have had some very nice meals at the Duck in the past but I will now be mindful about going on a Sunday and being seated in the back room which offers diners a very different experience to that in...

Well that was a refreshing change!

Located near Bridge and Lower Hardres it’s the location of where Ian Fleming penned James Bond’s “You only live Twice”, at a time when Fleming was living in the area.

Fleming, the author of the James Bond novels, is said to have written You Only Live Twice at the Duck Inn in 1964. The pub is located in the Kent Downs settlement of Pett Bottom, near Canterbury. Fleming was often found in the garden of the pub, making notes for his books. The pub has a blue plaque on its wall dedicated to Fleming.

Fleming spent most of his life in Kent, despite being born in Mayfair and having a home in Jamaica.

He owned the Old Palace at Bekesbourne, just north of Higham Park, from 1960 to 1962. He also had a favorite residence called "White Cliffs" in St Margaret's Bay near Dover.

The food was nicely presented, with good clean flavours in a relaxed atmosphere!

I started with Bread and home produced butter which was sprinkled with what had the taste of pork rinds! Then my friend had a starter of Duck Bun, which consisted of shredded duck with rich plum sauce with a Po Bun on top.

Then he ordered a Over the Road burger, which was two smashed beef patties caramelised onion and pickles in a brioche bun!

I chose the shortcrust beef and root vegetable pie! Rather than a slice of pie it was an individual portion with a smear of Swede purée, and a piping of Creamed mashed potato, spinach and string beans!

The gravy was delicious and made from what tasted like it was from roasted beef bones and reduced!

I’ll come here again best of luck to the...

Just returned from Sunday lunch ! Outstanding We wanted to wait a couple of weeks to smooth out any teething problems, it was definitely worth the wait . The quality of the ingredients was top notch the pork was sourced locally and the lamb cooked perfectly. Draft Guinness is a given friendly bar for pre lunch drinks . The roast was as good as any I’ve eaten this year the potatoes tasted like Christmas Day roasties cooked in goose fat oozing with taste and fluffiness and there take on cauliflower cheese is cheese on leeks , delicious! I never have desert only cheese but the table next to us had an apple cake with walnut ice cream which I have to say I succumbed to easily ! Staff For a pub restaurant that has just opened they were and are exceptional They have clearly been very well trained and I would suggest hand picked , they work as a team and that really benefits the customer Dressed in black engaging and encouraging ( a degree of up sale ) which I actually like and shows they understand the business. The chef also made an appearance which I always think shows confidence in the service !!! . If I had just one small criticism to keep the review genuine the Yorkshire pudding are oversized and ever so slightly Toby Carvery ( not that I’ve ever actually eaten at a Toby Carvery 😂😂😜) We will...