This is my first 'Sizzling' pub. It's another one from the Mitchells & Butler crew. Expectations were not high.

It is probably the cheapest pub in the St Albans area.

It has an impressively unpleasant care home feeling to it.

The outside seating area is surrounded by houses and roads making it one of the worst places to sit out of all the pubs in town. Yes, the ash trays were full despite it having only just opened. God knows what the staff get paid, not a lot if they haven't even the incentive to empty an ash tray before opening the doors.

Coincidentally, the only pubs I can think of that have worse outside areas are also Mitchells & Butler pubs. The Three Horseshoes on Hatfield Rd for instance. There you have traffic roaring past and the stench of diesel from the adjacent petrol station mingling with the car park fumes. Either M&B has no taste or style (obviously) or it just doesn't care (obviously).

Inside Crackberry Jack is no better. There are fruit machines in every corner just to make sure every last penny is extracted from the more guillible of the poor people who have to come in here.

The only reason it gets three stars and not less is because it is cheap, open and no one tried to start a fight with me. However, those are no grounds on which to recommend it.

I just hate the thought that some of my money has helped the knobs at M&B justify their undoubtedly six figure salaries. All for providing the crappest, lowest common denominator, pubs in the country, so the low of wage can get hammered cheaply.

Cheap. That's what it is. Jersey Farm deserves better.