The Peacock At Barlow — Restaurant in North East Derbyshire

We visited the Peacock at Barlow for my Nanna’s 100th Birthday. We attempted to book a table prior to visiting but were told we could only book for a table of 8 and not 6. We did think they might make an exception for such a special birthday but never mind.

We arrived just before 12pm as we also had my toddler with us and from previous experience, we have always been served quickly. If you have a toddler, you will know that quick service is highly appreciated especially around lunch time when they are also getting ready for a nap!

We waited for at least 45minutes before we spotted other tables who had arrived later than us being served. We questioned this and was told that because there was a big party in, our meals would be another 15 minutes. A very friendly waitress offered to remove the drinks from our bill which we were appreciative of.

When the food did finally arrive, I can’t really say it was good nor bad. I wasn’t paying attention to it to be honest. I was too busy trying to calm down from the past hour or so of juggling a 100 year old complaining it was cold and drafty and a tired toddler waiting for food.

After our meals, my Mum asked for our Nanna’s cake to be brought out which we had provided. I’m not sure how long it was before the cake came but it felt like we were waiting around. I understand it is a busy restaurant but our plates hadn’t even been cleared and still hadn’t been when the cake arrived.

They were kind enough to bring a birthday brownie plate for my Nanna and the waitresses were friendly and tried their best. Unfortunately, the whole waiting experience just spoiled what was meant to be a very special day and given the incredible milestone, probably led to more frustration than usual. Understandably.

I assume I spoke to the manager (Sarah) at the end and I asked for a reduction of the bill which I thought was fair given that it was my Nanna’s 100th Birthday and because the wait times had been poor. A caring, understanding, genuine apology could have gone a very long way here however, not even a half hearted ‘sorry’ ever came. I explained the reason I wanted a reduction of the bill when asked (although really, she should have been aware of the situation anyway). Sarah, although calm, opted to go on the defence rather than showing an ounce of empathy. She explained that the fish pie had been missed from the order and that they took 30 minutes to cook. I asked her why the other waitress had told us that it was late because of a large party if that was the case and she said it all has a ‘knock on effect’ and that ‘it was the chef’s fault not ours’ (yikes 😬). I probably could go on more about the ‘knock on effect’ to two missed fish pies when others were receiving their orders but ultimately, I don’t care what the cause or explanation was. The only way I, or any other customer I’m sure, would be happy with any sort of excuse is if she had told me the chef had sliced his finger off in the kitchen. All these things need is a genuine ‘I’m really really sorry about that’.

Sarah offered to deduct my Nanna’s meal from the bill which I was pleased with and it was a bonus when she deducted another round of drinks as well. Well, I would have been pleased if it hadn’t of been suggested with reluctance.

I am deeply disappointed by the fact that my memory of my Nanna’s monumental 100th birthday is tainted by feelings of frustration and overstimulation caused by ‘the chef’ and we will not visit here again.

To the chef/s, I understand that we are all human and mistakes happen. I again cannot stress enough how much of a genuine sorry rather than a stance of defence would have made and I’m sorry that someone else is responsible for that on your behalf. I’m also really sorry that you have a manager that will quite happily throw you under the bus when things go wrong rather than backing you as...

Could someone please pass on our thanks to everyone at The Peacock. We arrived at a very busy time during Sunday lunch to check in to the Sycamore Cottage, for a 1 night stay. It was obviously busy. as it is such a popular place for Sunday lunch, but we were seen quickly and all of the staff were so polite and helpful. They are obviously used to providing the very best of customer service even when they have a lot to do. We were met by James who knew everything about our booking and also confirmed our evening reservation for 11 guests for my Birthday meal. He listened and took details from me and showed us to the wonderful cottage where we were staying with our dog Nellie. When we went back to meet our friends in the bar before our meal, again everyone was attentive and conducted themselves with a smile on their faces and made a fuss of Nellie. Our table was ready and we had the most amazing meal, nothing was too much trouble. The food was lovely as was the service making gor an unforgettable experience. My family had provided a birthday cake that they had kept hidden and when at the appropriate time they bought through to an accompanied chorus of Happy Birthday. We later retired to our cottage, it was super clean and very comfortable. Thank you James for the scones and taking the time to check we had everything we needed. The bed was comfortable and we slept soundly. The following morning we had breakfast in the orangery the 3 of us were made welcome, they remembered that this was my actual birthday and the lovely team member bought us both a celebratory Bucks Fizz to mark the occasion. Checking out was no hassle. We look forward to our next visit. Thank you James and everyone that was there on Sunday and Monday. A remarkable service was provided during such a special...

We stayed on our trip to Chatsworth House Estate. It’s only a short detour from Chatsworth House.

The Sycamore Cottage is amazing. The beds were comfortable, the bathroom was very modern and the cottage was very classy. Wi Fi with a strong signal right through the cottage. All the usual conveniences. The whole accommodation is immaculately clean. Central heating made the cottage a very comfortable place to stay.

We had dinner at the Peacock at Barlow. The food was brilliant. Good selection on the menu and the quality of the food was fantastic. The meals were served pretty quickly as well. We had the rib eye steak and the pork belly and it was delicious.

They also have their own brewery and had three local pump ales available. Collyfobble Brewery. Give the IPA a go.

A full English breakfast was included with the accommodation cost. That was a great meal.

The pub terrace has charming views across green fields and some stone cottages. Really feels like you’ve escaped.

The only thing better than the food and accommodation is the customer service. All of the staff were so friendly, helpful and nothing was a problem. We were actually served by James and Owen on Saturday evening who turned out to be the managers! The wait staff and the bar staff were all over it. Even when it’s busy, they were helpful and friendly. It made our stay in Barlow an amazing experience. The next morning, the hotel staff helped me out with an item that I needed.

10/10 would recommend to anyone who is visiting the area. Do yourself a favour and go for the weekend. I can’t give a higher review rating so 5 stars it...