The Church Green — Restaurant in England

WARNING: no longer a child friendly place under new ownership

Our recent visit to The Church Green was deeply disappointing and embarrassing. On a Friday sunny afternoon, we went with friends and our children, expecting a pleasant time. The kids (all aged 3-5) were innocently playing on the grassy area out the back, as they usually do, when they were approached by staff and they was first asked to stop climbing the big tree at the back and playing with the fairy doors which they did, despite us feeling like it was unnecessary as they were causing no harm. Shortly after, the children moved on and were approached again for climbed a small wall and playing hide and seek, and to our shock, without second warning we were asked to leave on behalf of the owners. This reaction was entirely uncalled for, especially since there were no signs indicating that children couldn't play in the garden. The previous owners always welcomed families, and our children have been used to playing in the outdoor grassy space, making this interaction both surprising and disheartening. We left feeling unwelcome and completely embarrassed, a stark contrast to the warm experiences we previously enjoyed here. I won’t be stepping foot in here again and am utterly shocked at how the staff have treated us, especially on a quiet Friday afternoon in the school holidays

Also to mention my husband and I visited earlier in the week without children and didn’t have a particularly great experience either (both within the same week) Took ages to take our drinks order, they then forgot to bring them and when we got our bill we were overcharged for both of our main courses.

Shambles, such a shame

Edited: My response to the reply from management

Hi, Thank you for your response and for clarifying the situation. While we appreciate your concern for health and safety, we must address a few points. As parents, we equally prioritise the well-being and respectful behavior of our children. At no point during our visit were we informed that our children were throwing stones at the property or causing damage. This is the first we are hearing of these accusations, and it is quite distressing.

When the staff asked the children to stop climbing the tree, we immediately intervened and ensured they complied. We were not approached again or informed of any further issues until we were asked to leave, which left us feeling blindsided and embarrassed. Our children are only five years old and were simply playing, as children do. If there were specific concerns or incidents, we would have appreciated being addressed directly and treated like responsible adults.

Children of that age do not act with malicious intent, and we believe the situation could have been handled more amicably with better communication. We value respectful interactions and would have preferred a more constructive approach to resolve any issues.

If there are areas of concern regarding health and safety, it would be helpful to have clear signs or fencing around the tree to prevent climbing, and doors or signs in areas deemed unsafe to guide parents and children appropriately to avoid...

Tremendously average pub fare, in a mediocre atmosphere (full of old people but with terrible acoustic), and with the slowest and most inattentive service I've experienced in years. As me and my partner stood at the entrance, various waiters refused to acknowledge we were waiting to be seated; nobody else showed up, and a queue built up behind us. Eventually a guy scurried past, shouting "won't be a minute!" - except it was more like 5-10 before he came to confirm our booking and very unceremoniously dropped us at our table. He then instructed us to "ignore the first paragraph" of the menu, i.e. the lunch section - like we couldn't read. We ordered drinks, and one of them ended up being... just a glass of ice, due to a mix-up from a waitress who was clearly on her first day (on a Saturday night, really?); alerted of the error, they finally brought a bottle - which wasn't what we ordered but hey, at least it was something. Waiters would then just disappear constantly for extended periods, which was incredibly irritating as we were trying to order our mains and later pay the bill - we couldn't get ourselves to ask for desserts, as it had taken almost 90 minutes to have a single course. On a Saturday night, with half the restaurant empty, I wouldn't expect this sort of service from the local noodles joint, let alone from a place charging 17 quid for a burger. If it was a technique to get us to order more drinks, it backfired spectacularly. Thankfully "service is not included", so we weren't forced to tip, but we won't be back...

The Church Green, Lymm, is a family owned Pub, Deli and Event space made famous by chef Aiden Byrne and his hard working, dedicated kitchen and service team.

We stopped there for a family meal on a Friday lunchtime, and were impressed by the friendly welcome, beautiful location, and the delicious, home-cooked style comfort food using locally sourced ingredients.

While perusing the main menu, we were tempted by the freshly baked pizza and bread we witnessed emerging from the specially built “Shack” in the pavilion area, and the Four Cheese Garlic Bread with Lymm Dam Wild Garlic Pesto was perfect for sharing.

Most of our party plumped for the pies-substantial shortcrust pastry shells packed with moist tasty fillings; veggie cheese and potato, chicken and leek, and an incredible “sharing” lamb pie all accompanied by greens, creamy mash, and lashings of gravy. There was also a superb vegetarian main course of Grilled Hispi Cabbage, Bubble and Squeak, and Roasted Onion Puree.

The desserts were also stunning; a traditionally creamy Tiramisu, a wonderful Chai Creme Brûlée, a boozy Affogato, and a lovely pyrotechnic surprise for our Birthday Girl! Many thanks to everyone at The Church Green for making our family get-together so memorable.

#aidenbyrne #thechurchgreen #lymm #TheGourmetBoys #tgb #tandem #belfastfoodblogger #niblogger #nibloggers #nifoodblogger...