Great Baddow Barn — Restaurant in Chelmsford

We booked a table in advance for Mothers Day which incidentally coincided with my wife's 50th birthday. I even visited in person in the week to "scope the setting" and request a suitable table in a suitable location had we the choice. I said my preference was the mezzanine and it was taken on board by the young gentleman. We received a phone call the day before confirming the reservation and were told our table placement was in a booth! On the day we were shown to the booth, located in the children's area evidently as there was a screen with CBeebies on!! I approached the staff and requested we get moved (bearing in mind we're 6 adults, it's Mothers Day, a 50th birthday, and it was really quiet. I reminded the staff of the mezzanine and was told "of course, it's free, there are no reservations and you can sit where you want"'. Go figure. Great start..not. Next disappointment was the food. Very standard at best, served extremely quickly which betrayed it was all made ahead of time and not fresh. The pale green/grey peas and the hard fried eggs confirmed the "2nd hand" freshness!! Shocking.

The serving staff were clearly inconvenienced as it seemed a drag when we enquired of cutlery and sauces.

Concerning, being Mothers Day it was extremely quiet where most venues in the area were fully booked for the day! I know, because I was making enquiries weeks in advance.

I will accept we could've done better in selecting a venue fit for the occasion if we expected 5 star service, menu etc. We really aren't about that and just wanted a value for money nice family meal experience. It fell dismally short of that and I don't believe folk there were even aware of the mediocrity of their service and our experience. Fortunately we have a sense of humour and denigrated this to a joke. Sorry folks this has to be said, and I hope it is seen as both a reflection of our disappointment and an opportunity to do better. Feel free to discuss further...

So I've just finished my ... "Experience" at this outdated edifice they attempt but fail to call a restaurant. 3 long hours I was held at financial ransom with the fear they would charge me for my order if I walked before they served the food.... The reason I wanted to walk... I had been sitting there for over 2 hours waiting and waiting and waiting for the food to come! Not once was I warned there was a delay for the food. When I asked how long the food would be, it was met with lie after lie... Oh in 25 mins, oh just another 10 mins, and my favourite... Yours is to be served next... Followed by the table next to us getting there's 10 mins later after they had arrived an hour after us! That wasn't the complete disaster of there disorganisation though... They managed to serve up our side dishes an hour and a half before are main courses.... How is that even acceptable!? Now for the food... The Sunday roasts were dry and tasteless, the chips overdone and the pie soggy flesh from sitting in gravy stool while they took a staggering 10 minutes to dish out our tables plates.

So, any reasonable house would compensate their customers for such a failed dining experience....right? So, what was on offer?...

The "best" that could be done was either 25% off food+drink. Alternatively, 50% off food alone. Did this appease me... Not at the slightest... But hey, if it's the "best" he could do, what choice did I have to accept....

This was swiftly followed by some BS accounting on his part to assure us we were getting the best possible value. (Yes it could of been better, but hey, they were serving up BS all night). So yes, they did give us a discount... But it's a joke to think that's enough to ever retain our custom.

Congratulations Great Baddow Barn... You have single handedly destroyed the reputation of...

Situated in the small rural area, just off of galleywood road. Theres lots of parking here, spacious interior with plenty of seating available inside and out. The children have a play area inside and outside to keep them occupied whilst waiting for food (Which can be quite a wait at busy periods, so be prepared). The interior definately needs renewing updating but the staff are friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is that of your local friendly pub. I wasnt impressed by the food, but i didnt expect to be, you get what you pay for. Just stick to the safe foods, that you cant really cook badly (avoid the steak if you don't want jaw ache) and wash it down with a few pints 🙂 But there is a good selection of foods for both children and adults. It's great for children who prefer their oven meals and are not too fussy how it's cooked, besides they probably build up more of an appetite playing beforehand, that they don't question it. I must admit I would feel comfortable bringing my adhd/asd children here, as no one would really question there behavior and I don't feel like it's the sort of place you would get embarrassed by their literal comments. And aslong as the kids are happy, that's all that matters. To sum it up, It's what you expect from a hungry horse pub really, cheap and cheerful and you get what you pay for. The food is mediocre at best, but if your not too concerned about what you put in your mouth and are looking for a laid back dinning experience to keep the kids happy, it's...