Robert Kett — Restaurant in South Norfolk

Without exception, the worst meal I have ever had. A group of 15 went here for a Christmas meal in early December & it was a disaster from start to finish. First, there was a mix-up with the payment before the meal was even served. We had been asked to pay in advance for my meal, which seemed very odd but we agreed to. (Apparently, it's because it's a pub & that's what pubs do!) However, after all waiting at the till the staff didn’t seem to know how to take the payment from each individual. So we all sat down again. It took 40 minutes for the starters to begin coming out from the kitchen. Just as this happened we were told to go & pay again, so there was a server trying to bring us food as we were getting up trying to move around to get to the till to pay. The delivery of the first course took far too long; some people had finished their starters  before others had even received theirs. I had the prawn avocado cocktail, & it was unpalatable. The prawns were clearly previously frozen; they were tasteless and hard. The cocktail sauce had no flavour. Others had breaded brie which were dry & as hard as pebbles!

It then took another 45 minutes for our main courses to arrive. There was no communication from the staff about the delay. When the food finally arrived, I was appalled by its quality. Not only was it lukewarm, but the dishes were also completely inedible. I had ordered the grilled salmon. When it arrived the hollandaise sauce in the small jug looked like it had been standing for a considerable amount of time. There was a congealed skin on the top of the sauce. Stirring it just made it lumpy. The salmon itself was dry and lukewarm. It, too, looked like it had been sitting out a long time. The potatoes that were meant to be ‘roast’ had clearly been deep-fried and tasted like chips. Most had very little potato in the fried shell. The parsnips had also been deep-fried. They tasted like the potatoes. They were burned and soggy and dripping in grease. There was meant to be stuffing and a Yorkshire pudding with the meal. These were missing, but by the state of the stuffing (hockey pucks) and Yorkshires (tough) others had, I think that was a lucky miss. The Christmas dinner was just as disappointing More than half the party couldn't eat their meals. It was clear that the meals did not meet even the basic standards expected from any reputable establishment. We couldn't believe that such poor-quality food was served.

As there were numerous complaints about the food from several members of our party, we were offered a complimentary tea or coffee. A nice gesture but hardly enough to compensate for an inedible meal. We were offered replacement meals but having waited over an hour for the first meal, we declined, especially when we were told (by the staff) that the food was sent in from Greene King and just reheated on the premises. Thankfully I had ordered cheese & biscuits for dessert. Impossible to mess up. But those that ordered Christmas pudding were serves with a slice of (clearly microwaved) hard pudding that was impossible to cut with a spoon. They were given replacement desserts but not what they wanted because they had to be defrosted. I tried to address my concerns with the management, but was told to take it up with Greene King head office. But my contract was with the franchisee. I asked to speak to the owner on more than one occasion and was told that this is not the pub's problem & was again told to email the head office. Despite multiple attempts to speak with one of the owners, I was met with a dismissive attitude from the staff. Apparently hosting a pub quiz was more important to them than dealing with unhappy customers. This lack of engagement and accountability is simply unacceptable.

As a paying customer, I expect to be treated with respect, receive prompt and efficient service & be offered edible food.

Despite numerous emails and requests for a refund, I have been told no refund as we were offered replacement meals that were turned down. Avoid...

Deeply disappointing. Don't go every week, but reasonably often. In these hard times I don't like criticising struggling businesses but have to today. This pub is not all new and spick and span, or trendy. Its just an average pub with great food, both value for money and quality, along with friendly attentive staff. This time we ordered as usual, and after some time we're told there would be a delay. When the food finally turned up I have to say first impression was not very exciting. I had the all day breakfast, and my wife had the Chicken new yorker. I was not asked on ordering if I wanted toast or bread, so reminded the girl on the bar when she came to tell us of the delay. The toast was one somewhat flimsy slice with three packs of butter. Strangely it was all covered in a huge sprinkle of what looked like coriander leaves or chopped chives. The first half of the slice was OK, but didn't quite seem right. It was only half way through the second half that I realised they had only toasted one side. The sausages were dry and had a strange look and texture to them, looking somewhat like vegan sausages, and tasting what I imaging a vegan sausage might taste like. The meal just didn't look very appetising. My wife's meal looked similarly unappetising, and the fries were very dark, but not burnt. I tried some and they appear to have more likely been fried in old oil. The chicken was dry, and the outside very hard. All in all we always like going here, and always defend any criticism. This time, it was very poor, and certainly no where near their usual standard. I felt the young lady had no real experience in any form of front of house. She did appologise and ask what would we like her to do. We didn't want to cause a scene, and weren't trying to get any refund, but I asked her to relay our dissapointment and comments to the management. It looked to me as if the company has recently changed hands, as the whole dining experience had been very poor, and they need to be aware and deal with the situation quickly. This is constructive criticism, but the experience fell way short the mark, and certainly our usual expectations...

Edit: update after new ownership. (Old reviews should have been removed)

The appearance and decor now looks amazing, the layout is massively different and better in every way, lots of light now gets to seating areas, and seating is prioritised now. Same with the outside area, and outside also has heat lamps.

As it's now also appealing as an eatery I've tried the food, my partner who's a Mac and cheese fanatic said it was the best she's ever had, as they use what we'd classify as proper cheese. I only had a burger and chips but it was perfect.

Unsure if the drinks selection has changed, but I was happy with the selection of ciders.

They host many events, including community events even for children, all listed through their Facebook.

All in all, it's now a great business that's really enjoyable to visit, the new owners have done an outstanding change and it now holds an important position for the local area.

(Old review from old ownership; Good location, plenty of parking close by, great selection of drinks, lots of seating, just a bit on the pricey side, especially considering the area, the look, and...