Calf's Head — Restaurant in Ribble Valley

A couple of horrendous staff ruin everything for the trip. Have no idea about customer service - and the hotel? They pretend that you are embellishing the truth! Because they clearly cannot believe it is as bad as it is either! They even try to pretend that customers are bullying their staff - rather than taking the concerns seriously.||||In other reviews the owners have pretended that none of what happened happened; and in some way this is a made up review! So I have included a screen shot of their phone call record; and a screen shot showing my default booking on the booking site! which started the whole debacle! ||||The rude, argumentative and downright obnoxious staff. Calling me up at 8:50pm on the way moaning about my arrival time (even though I had said between 9-10pm, and its a pub with plenty of other guests still at the bar on arrival)||Complaining that there are two people in a double room (for which I searched and booked for two people!) i showed her my search and booking for two people, but just wanted a row.||Telling me I would have to pay a 2nd person supplement. Rather than a nice welcome at 9:05pm when I turned up. I could not be bothered to argue;||||I said that I gave parked in what I thought was their car park and is this ok? - her response was so rude. As long as you parked in a bay?? Like I didn’t just park over the entrance!||||they just wanted to have an arguement a big one and I dont know why, It was late id been driving for over 4 hours and just wanted to rest.||Finally into the room, the bed was the most uncomfortable bed, very little chance of getting a good sleep on it, the radiators were on full blast and I was sweating profusely until about 2 in the morning when the room cooled down enough, but they were back on around 6am to the sweatbox, tried to leave in the morning early, for which a lovely lady asked if everything was ok (obviously I said no) to which she solved the problem by suggesting I must stop for breakfast even though I was leaving, as really had had enough of this place, as 1 was included in the room. So I stopped, had a lovely cooked breakfast, and my guest had a coffee. I paid £10 at the restaurant to cover my guests coffee. And went to leave; the receptionist/manager stopped me and started another row. Telling me I was not entitled to breakfast and she can prove it - i just didnt care; couldnt be bothered. Im suppose to be on holiday. I gave her another £20 and said well whatever you are moaning about hopefully that will cover it: she was irate. I could not be bothered i tried to leave and she would not let me; its not about the money she said, i was like what on earth could it be about then, i attempted to leave, forced an exit and she chased me out of the building shouting at me.||||Totally horrible experience, lovely surroundings, with some lovely staff, but the ones that you actually deal with have not an ounce of empathy, not an ounce of common sense and argue for the sake of it.||||Best book somewhere else and hopefully the owners can sack these horrendous staff.||||So I paid a £30 supplement for a coffee. And still they wanted to chase me out of the building and to the car.||||Never experienced anything like it in my life. And I suggest noone else gets put through this nonsense on their holidays either.||||I logged back into the the booking website - and yup it still says 1 double room and two guests...

An average experience made unbearable by one member of waiting staff.

Sunday 17th September, evening meal. We were shown to our table by a member of the wait staff who seemed to be either a team lead/ manager. As he was showing us to our table he was dismissive of someone trying to pay/ leave a tip, and it was embarrassingly rude. He indicated our table to us in the conservatory restaurant area by slapping it with a napkin as he walked past. We continued to be served by this gentleman and were not given a wine list, and we were asked if we were ready to order food 3 times without anyone taking a drinks order. I had to ask for him to come back as he was walking off to place my drinks order. His demeanour all round screamed bad attitude and it was starting to grate on me, I'll admit. The whole meal we felt rushed, taking plates when they were barely finished. A little abrupt and slammed, putting plates and cutlery down. Nothing major, just consistently below average and borderline uncomfortable service. The problem really arose when I overheard him speaking to some of the other wait staff. I cannot believe the other gentleman he spoke to didn't walk out. I'm sorry but I cannot accept seeing or hearing someone being spoken to like that at all, let alone bluntly and loudly in front of customers! Amongst other snide remarks... Telling someone to stop bothering about prepping for breakfast service and deal with the "customers needing plates clearing" when I had barely put my fork down and to be honest was eyeing up my husband's leftover chips still! Thankfully by this point another server took over our table and he, as well as the rest of the wait staff were superb, highly attentive and polite service. Which makes it all the more bizarre and uncomfortable that our original server would speak to his staff repeatedly like that. The responses and looks he got, indicated to me he was a serial offender....

The camembert starter was nice, burger and lamb mains were average, wine nice but beer flat. My takeaway coffee renoir dessert was full of sour, off cream! But to be honest the reason I'm not going back is because of the experience, not the food or drink.

Edit: I've since read some other reviews and have seen the "older taller man with dark hair" named and shamed in other reviews So hey why not, thought I'd make it...

We chose to stay here for one night to celebrate our birthdays. We were recommended by a friend who said they did great gluten free. And well that was right ..||What a lovely place the staff were so friendly and helpful. We were shown to our room ..room 10 in the annexe building next door. More on that later ||We sat in the bar and had a drink the place was busy but nothing was too much for the staff the fire was lit and it was a pleasant place to sit and relax. We’d booked for dinner bed and breakfast but when we went through to the restaurant we found that that was a set menu with one two gluten free main roast chicken and mushroom something. Neither of which I wanted. As we’d not been made aware of the reduced menu we asked could we have the normal menu and this was not a problem which meant I had a much better set of options from their full gluten free menu. They tell you how they ensure the food is gf and the food comes with a little flag to confirm that it had been double checked to ensure gf. ||Food was plentiful and beautifully presented. The portions are massive . Breakfast the next morning was typical hotel fair. A selection of cereals fruit and juice and then a menu for a cooked breakfast..I didn’t see any gf cereals and non were offered to me. The cooked meal was lovely as were the gluten free sausages. Coffee was constantly refilled. ||Now the room..room 10 is on the ground floor in the annexe the room itself is lovely with a nice comfy bed. Shower and hot water is plentiful. The only problem and it is a big one is they there is NO sound insulation between upstairs and downstairs. Everytime anyone moves upstairs it sounds like they are in your room. And then when they watch tv or sit talking you can hear every single word they say. We were very unlucky that the people above us decided to stay up until well after midnight both talking /shouting and then even when they went to bed the noise did not stop! ||If we ever go back we will make sure to ask not to...