Sugar Loaves — Restaurant in Maidstone

Unfortunately we had a very disappointing meal at the sugar loaves. We chose this pub for a rare family meal and the food served did not match what was promised from the menu.

Our starters took 45 minutes to come. This consisted of two bowls of soup, a slice of paté with toasted white bread with the crusts cut off, and two extremely small bites of brie that cost £6? We arrived at 7:30 and got our mains at almost 9pm. The fisherman's basket looks absolutely nothing like the photo displayed on the website. For £14 I received two pieces of breaded scampi, two breaded prawns, two what looked and tasted like oven fish fingers and two calamari rings which were rubbery and everything tasted the same. There was an abundance of lettuce to fill the basket and oven chips which were crispy on the outside and hollow on the inside. None of this tasted fresh. The salmon looked okay, but wasn't served on baby potatoes, instead dry dauphanoise with little to no sauce and the vegetables served with the lamb were inedible and over cooked.

Considering the prices of these dishes we were extremely surprised with what we got served, we chose this pub because you assume you will get a certain level of dining when paying £14-£16 for a main course, but £16 for a piece of salmon with a few sliced potatoes underneath?

If the prices were adjusted to reflect the quality of food being served and the photos changed to match how it actually looks maybe you wouldn't go in with certain expectations and leave so disappointed. We are only here visiting for 2 days and spent over £100 on this meal which is a lot of money to part with in the current climate for something I could have cooked better at home myself with...

One of the two pubs in Hollingbourne that a friend and I had passed over a decade ago on a trip to Leeds Castle, and vowed we would one day go inside.

On our latest trip to the area we finally got our chance. The pub is surprisingly spacious and feels very cozy and homely, and felt like a place you could relax for an evening.

For the first time ever I asked for a taster as I hadn't tried the Timothy Taylor's Brewery "Landlord" which they had on tap. It was surprisingly good so I got myself a pint of that! The lady that served us was really friendly and we had a lovely chat with her before heading outside to the beer garden.

The garden is partially covered which suited us fine as the weather had taken a slight turn for the worse, and a few drops of rain had begun to fall. However while enjoying the peace and quiet a friendly dog came to say hello! Whether the dog was a resident of the pub or not I cannot say, but it was pleasant and the dog allowed us to pet him.

Well worth the visit especially to round off a...

Such a lovely place with such friendly staff. However, food was awful. Given that we were one of 2 tables there waiting 40 minutes for food was rather a long time. As a chef myself, waiting that long is not really good, even if everything is cooked to order. I'd say the chefs organisational skills need improving. These dishes can be cooked quicker. The fishermans basket my husband had was cooked to within an inch of it's life. It was hard and dry. My pasta was gelatinous and so overcooked, it should have had a garlic sauce but the sauce tasted of nothing and was an odd consistency. There were no time for complaints as we had to go elsewhere. 2 stars here for how lovely the place...