Sandford House - JD Wetherspoon — Restaurant in Huntingdonshire

I know they say "you get what you pay for" but to be honest, I think the food we were served last week should have been put in the bin and the "chef" and waiter need to go back to hospitality school! I ordered the pasta with haloumi. I know it can be good because I was at "Spoons" the week before to meet up with some friends and I raved about it! Which is why I ordered it again! This time, it arrived cold. I knew it was going to be cold by the time it reached the table because I had seen it sitting on the counter waiting to to be served at the table. All whilst the waiter stood and watched it and some other 4 dishes or so, and chatted to the "chef"! I couldn't believe the waiter wasn't grabbing the food from under the heat lamp and getting it out to the customers! It was sitting there for at least 5 minutes, if not more! When it did finally arrive, as I say, it was cold. I sent it back. Approximately 5 to 10 minutes later, after I had watched it get literally thrown into the microwave by a disgruntled "chef", it arrived back. Of course, the pasta was hot. The Haloumi was like an old rubber tyre! Practically inedible, though I did try to hack through it! In the meantime my partners "chicken" had arrived.I use the term chicken loosely. It looked like an old dried up piece of shoe leather that had been sat in the sun for about 3 months! Totally dried out on the inside and quite obviously deep fried and left to rot and die in the frying basket before being deposited on a plate and begging to be accepted as something edible! When I asked the waitress, who was about as happy and cheerful as a woman about to be stoned, if the Sunday chef was a different one to the Tuesday chef (the two days I had visited) she replied the chefs change every day. Seriously though?? Why? Do they have jobs elsewhere? Do "spoons" not want to employ them for more than one day a week? Is there a reason for this? I did ask the waitress why but she just shrugged and said that's how it is so I didn't bother following it up! Now, I know, as I said at the beginning of my review that people say "you get what you pay for" but that has to be the point, doesn't it? We ARE paying for it so why shouldn't we expect something at least half decent to eat??? It IS our hard earned cash that is paying the wages of said "chef" and waiters and bar staff and keeping the place open. From another aspect, this building in Huntingdon is pretty nice. The lovely chandeliers, the well stocked bar, the fabulous outside seating areas, the cosy booths, the state of the art bathrooms upstairs that teenagers seem to spend copious amounts of time in, taking selfies in front of the massive mirror and the quirky sinks. (I haven't checked the guys bathrooms obviously but I'm guessing they must be along the same lines!) So why? Why is this place let down by its staff? Because at the end of the day, it is the staff who make the food, pour the drinks and serve the plates (and occasionally, though it didn't happen on the last visit, actually clear them away again!!) I just don't understand. Is it because nobody ever complains? Because they expect this kind of service and just get on with it? I feel it is such a shame. Really not sure I will ever go back now even though I was prepared to after my second visit. This was the 3rd time I have used "Spoons" and the first time the food was pretty awful too. So 1 out of 3 visits is just not enough for me to venture back I'm afraid. I hope the place either bucks up! Or they continue to have people that are satisfied with sub standard food...

Not sure what I expected to be fair but for approximately 100 pound for the night I got just what a Premier Inn would offer for less than half the price,there was no parking facilities.My son and daughter in law picked me up from the station and on trying to check in they were told that they weren’t allowed inside the building or allowed to enter my room and had to wait outside unless it was raining as check in person said that they themselves had a heart and would allow them inside the very tiny check in area,wish I could say I was so grateful for the sentiment,can I just add that prior to checking in I had to phone for someone to come to reception area as not just I but two other parties were ringing reception bell to enter hotel with no one operating the area,someone had to come from bar area in a separate building,not impressed.There were many cancellations with train services from London to Huntingdon on the day I travelled due to strike action,I had before seen revised train operations contacted hotel to see if I could check in earlier as from looking on LNER train app I would have to get an early morning train service,I was visiting my son and his wife with newborn and didn’t want to put them out with rushing around early morning to accommodate me,I got a response approximately 12 hours later saying the earliest I could check in was 1300hrs instead of 1400hrs at a cost of 20 pounds,not sure I was too impressed about that either,I could go on with the dissatisfaction with service I received with certain bar staff that evening but at this point I’m far too tired to even find the words,this was rated as a fabulous place to stay,perhaps I’ve been too spoilt in life but as a nurse struggling to make ends meet I think I’ve been rather fair in my comments,very...

the waiting staff here are always so so rude and blunt. i’m autistic and whenever i have asked for accommodations or help with something it has always been shot down or i’ve been told off for doing something wrong which i wasn’t told or didn’t realise. one for sitting with my small assistance dog outside, i went in to ask if i could have some water for him and 2 members of staff including the manager told me he shouldn’t be here and there was such an uncalled for drama of people surrounding me and telling me off like a child, had i of known i wouldn’t have brought him. i was having such a bad day and was so apologetic but they told me i had to leave even if i ordered food and it seemed like a great deal of trouble for them to pack it up to takeaway. i have been to this pub on 3 occasions and all times, ive left crying because of how rude the staff have been to me and made me feel inferior for not knowing the rules and telling me off with anger and no consideration that it might be my first time here and i didn’t know. i have seen staff tell other people off vaping near the exit and the other people seem embarrassed and sorry with no understanding or lee way from the staff just blunt annoyance. the vibe between staff and to customers is appalling and there’s a real culture of anger at the public. it’s awkward and sad, i’m someone who is shy, follows the rules and feels scared to break them and don’t wish to cause upset but it felt unavoidable both times i went, when i just didn’t understand or wasn’t informed of them. i feel upset about this because the interior of the pub is beautiful, the food is quick and usually nice and a couple of younger waiters are really polite, but there’s too...