BITE user comments - arfajob
Comments by arfajob
Visited early April 2015, I agree with most of the comments here, ie, good beer, nice place, food ok. The one thing that did put me off slightly was that although the (presumed) Landlord and Landlady were polite, a smile would have been welcome. Other than that though, a pleasant visit.
29 Apr 2015 11:11
Stopped here early April 2015, Lovely place, good pint of Wadsworth 6x, really nice warm welcome from the Landlady, Sarah. Excellent food, although as has been noted on earlier comments, a bit pricey, but really tasty.
Beautiful location with a stream running past the pub garden, and a river just 20 yards or so from there. Great place for a walk and a pint afterwards. The pub has a large car park at the rear of the building and is located about 3/4 mile down a narrow(ish) lane off the A31. The day I visited it was really busy, (Sunday Lunchtime) so if you intend to eat here it's probably wise to phone ahead to reserve a table.
I am not sure if the Landlady has changed from the previous comments, but I couldn't have wished for a better welcome.
29 Apr 2015 10:40
The Plough and Furrow Inn, Smallfield
Call me what you like Lindawedlock123, the purpose of this website is to give honest reviews of pubs. I went in The Plough for the first time in four years and enjoyed the experience, that is all I was trying to say. If you can't accept that, and that I am no way related to the current management then that is your problem.
22 Oct 2014 19:35
What a little gem! Just like a pub should be, a wide range of excellent Harveys ales, really good food (lunchtime only) and a very warm welcome from the Landlord. I will certainly be returning again and again.
22 Oct 2014 10:55
The Plough and Furrow Inn, Smallfield
Oh dear, here we go again! Because I had the audacity to post an honest review actually praising the staff, I am now accused of making it up: "positive comments are made up in an attempt to lure people in on false pretences" I assure you that these were my honest impressions of the pub. Why do you assume that anyone who posts a review contrary to yours has made it up? It may be that I was just lucky, but I cannot post a negative comment just because it's popular. I too am a resident of Smallfield, and have been for many years,
I notice that apart from a quick remark about the decor, you have failed to give any review whatsoever of the pub? Quality of the beer, food etc? I assume that you were so disgusted that you walked out without trying any of the goods on sale?
That said, an explanation of the post from Stuart t both as a customer and manager of The Plough would be appreciated? What about the "disgusting" baby? How about it Marc?
22 Oct 2014 10:42
The Plough and Furrow Inn, Smallfield
I can only speak as I find. I visited The Plough and Furrow on Friday lunchtime with an old friend of mine for a pub lunch.
Although there were only two hand pumps on the bar, the Hobgoblin and Doom Bar were in excellent condition, and at £3.70, I didn't think that this was too expensive, as it is on a par with almost every other pub in the area.
We decided to eat, as the pub was rapidly filling up with diners, and both of us opted for the 8oz (might have been 10oz, I honestly can't remember) steak, which arrived quickly, beautifully cooked to perfection, for £12.75.
I was really surprised to see some of the negative comments posted on here, as I had really good, attentive service, with pleasant staff to deal with, perhaps I was lucky not to have "the red haired waitress"? The décor is a vast improvement over the old style, being light and clean and I for one was glad to see the removal of the TV and gaming machine.
There is a children's menu on the rear page of the main menu, and there is a poster advertising a weekly quiz night.
I will definitely be going again, such an improvement over the old management, which just goes to prove that you can't please everyone!
20 Oct 2014 10:10
Nice olde worlde pub, wooden floor and exposed beams, very clean.The staff are young but very friendly. Standard range of bitter/lager/cider on offer. I found the food ok, but nothing special, reasonable prices. If you are visiting with a motorhome, it is possible to park overnight in the car park, in exchange for buying a meal, but phone ahead to make sure. Free WiFi.
6 Aug 2013 19:51
Visited last September, see previous report. Was informed that there was a new landlord, so I thought that I'd try again. Lunchtime visit, supposedly open 12 to 3pm, arrived at 1.20 to find that I was the only customer. No problem, the barmaid came from the kitchen to serve, full pint, very nice Exmoor Gold. (£3.50) The new landlord/landlady turned up 15 minutes later, to say that they were very quiet so they were shutting at 2pm! She took over and promptly sat in the corner of the room playing on her mobile. At 1.45 a gentleman came in and was allowed to order a pint which had about an inch of head on it and he was also told they shut at 2, he asked if he could order food but was refused. I sat at the bar with a full pint, when at 2 minutes to 2 when he asked if he could have a half, refused again!
Then she asked me if I would be coming back that evening for a meal? At £15.50 for liver & onions and £19.50 for a 10 oz steak plus the "welcome" earlier, what would you have said? Yep! Only giving it a 2 rating because the beer is well kept.....
25 Jun 2013 16:11
I'd heard that The Hedgehog had improved dramatically from the woeful reviews it had been getting on this site, so after an absence of about 18 months I thought I'd give it another chance. It obviously isn't used to being busy as half the pumps are covered with tea towels and are not used. We were greeted and seated very quickly, (there were only 8 people eating and nobody drinking at the bar) drinks were bought to the table quickly by a pleasant young waitress. It then took 15 minutes for a very peed off young man to take our order, and almost an hour for it to appear from the kitchen. My steak was very well cooked. My partners fish pie, however, was bland and accompanied by a handful of reheated frozen green beans. I don't know how they would cope if they were busy! To sum up, they are getting some things right, but have a very long way to go if they want to attract more customers. Maybe in another 18 months.......... if it's still open...........
2 Dec 2012 20:42
Visited at the beginning of September 2012, the bar staff were very welcoming, beer was great. Had a meal here and I can honestly say that it was the best steak I'd had in years, at a very reasonable price. A shame I don't live locally, as I would definitely visit very frequently.
12 Oct 2012 10:59
Called in last week as it is very highly rated by CAMRA, having won awards in the last few years. Beer was well kept, and the cider was good too. The locals idea of conversation is to sit as far away from each other as possible and shout as loud as they can, although they seemed friendly enough! The food was, however, dreadful. Their idea of chilli con carne was to fry some mince, chuck in a chilli and a few dry kidney beans and serve it swimming in its own grease. I couldn't eat it, it smelt rancid. Good enough to drink in but don't eat the food!
10 Sep 2012 21:37
Visited Sept 2012, fairly drab interior despite having part of the hillside rock protruding into the bar. Very busy when I visited at 8pm, so we were encouraged to have a meal, what a disappointment. Ham was so salty it was almost inedible and the chicken pie was full of questionable chewy pieces of meat. Also very expensive! I had the impression that if it were not for the caravan site 100 yards away bringing new customers every week that the pub would have closed a long time ago as it's miles from anywhere and definitely not worth the journey to visit.
10 Sep 2012 21:27
Barman was indifferent, difficult to understand, not sure what country he came from. Aspalls was just ok, a bit pricey. Nice bar area with lovely open fire, the food looked good, but unfortunately after reading the menu for 10 minutes, when we tried to order we were told the kitchen had closed at 2pm. It would have been nice to have been told this beforehand perhaps..... Strictly no food after 2pm, even if it's only a minute past!
Can't comment on the state of the toilet, wasn't there long enough to use it.
18 Feb 2012 12:44
Visited in Feb. 2012. A chain pub from Deben Inns, one of five I believe. The bar staff were typical "here for the wages not to make conversation" people, apart from one nice waitress who almost made up for the others. We ate here twice, an evening and an afternoon meal on different days. Although fairly pricey, the food was excellent, and couldn't be faulted. Perhaps they have different kitchen staff since goplanit visited last year?
The toilets were pretty grotty though, with a smashed toilet lid leaving large jagged edges sticking up, and the room needing a good scrub down, top to bottom. (found this out after eating!)
The barman took advantage of a quiet spell to sit on the customer side of the bar to eat his lunch, no problem as such, but to totally ignore a group of four that walked in, not even speaking to them, and to leave them waiting until he finished was unacceptable. Why could not one of the others have stood in for 15 minutes?
Ratings? Staff 4, food 9, furnishings 6, toilet 3. average of 5.5
18 Feb 2012 12:27
Adnams Broadside was excellent, 10/10! Interesting village pub, with rustic furniture, one bar and three rooms. More of a restaurant than a pub, with very limited opening hours, i.e. during the week 12-2pm and 6-8pm open to 10pm at the weekend. I think that's what the landlady said, but it might have been the effect of the Broadside? Best to phone and check if you are planning a visit. Didn't get to taste the food, as we happened to go in on Valentines night and they were only doing a set meal at �25 a head. Not your basic pub grub here though. They have their own smallholding which provides the meat for the tables and the veg when in season. They also state on the menu that they forage for a lot of their ingredients. Worth visiting for the excellent beer even if not eating from the admittedly pricey menu. Very warm welcome too.
18 Feb 2012 12:07
Hired a holiday cottage accross the village green from this pub, was looking forward to sampling the local ale. It is shut! has been since October 2011. Nuff said! Nearest other pub 2 1/2 miles....
18 Feb 2012 11:52
It has taken almost a year for this pub to be listed on this site after I suggested it, so I'm afraid that my review may be a bit out of date. Visited in July 2010, it consists of a small public bar and a well decorated lounge bar/restaurant area. The beer seems to be well kept, and the food tends to be standard pub fare. At the time of visiting there seemed to be a large proportion of eastern european males employed at the bar and in the kitchen. The landlord was quite welcoming and chatty, probably due to the fact that there was only about six people in the place. It has a large car park and nice balcony area with extensive views towards the sea in the distance.
21 Jun 2011 20:20
It has taken almost a year for this pub to be listed on this site after I suggested it, so I'm afraid that my review may be a bit out of date. Visited in July 2010, The Netherfield Arms has a fairly small bar with a nice fire and excellently kept beers. The landlord and landlady are very pleasant and welcoming. The restaurant area is much bigger and the food is really tasty, this is reflected in the price, which is a bit on the expensive side, but worth it.
It will be interesting to see if the pub is still the same a year on.
21 Jun 2011 19:57
The Duke Of Wellington, Wareham
Visited this pub as I was in the area and was enticed inside by the big banners stating it was the winner of CAMRA's Dorset pub of the year 2007. The interior is very nice, apart from the large TV showing football matches, and the barman was polite. The beer was in good condition, so we decided to eat there. What a disappointment, as the ingredients were clearly the cheapest that could be bought, sausages tasted like Tesco value ones, all rusk and herbs and no meat, and the chilli was made with mince that tasted like ground up gristle out of a tin. Such a shame as the pub has a lot going for it, if only they had used the local butcher to source their meat from I would be happy to use the place in future, as it is, there are plenty of other pubs in the town, so I won't be back.
25 Feb 2011 22:18
I can only write about the experience I personally had at this pub. I had read the reviews posted here before I visited the local campsite for a few days this week, so it was with some trepidation that I ventured through the doors! However, I found both the landlord and his staff extremely welcoming, the beer good and the food excellent. Definitely would use the place again next time I visit.
25 Feb 2011 22:00
Only had time for a swift pint in The Cobweb, so just a quick impression of the place. Walked in the door, couldn't get to the bar as the locals had occupied all the bar stools and made it quite clear that they weren't going to shift out of the way for a grockle. Luckily they had another bar which was accessible. The Rattler cider was superb, but tables and chairs a bit old and wobbly and overall the impression was very dark, unwelcoming and gloomy.
1 Nov 2010 20:23
Nice range of beers and a clean well kept bar. Although we didn't eat there, the food looked excellent and most people commented on how good it was. The decoration and furniture is very basic, with bare painted walls and wooden flooring, looking like an old schoolroom. The landlord, whilst quite pleasant and welcoming at first, gave the distinct impression that it was a chore to have to be there, and couldn't wait for closing time, telling everyone how many long hours he worked every day and how it was 2.30pm closing and indeed, he had everyone out and the inn shut and locked by that time. Perhaps it was his broken wrist and bad foot that made him a bit crabby..... or perhaps just caught him on an off day, which was a shame as it somewhat spoilt the visit. However, I hope he recovers soon as this could be a first class pub.
1 Nov 2010 19:58
Open plan pub with good range of beers. Looks very nice from the outside. Very clean loos. Dartboard and pool table. Usual disinterested young barmen/maids that you find in tourist spots. We had their Chilli con Carne and a Cheese Ploughmans for lunch. The cheese was the mildest lump of rubber I've tasted in a long while, and the Chilli was very very bland, looking like the scraped out contents of a cornish pastie with a few kidney beans added and a chilli vaguely waved in its direction sometime in the course of heating. Oh, and a burnt poppadum was laid on the side, not quite sure why. Don't think the waitress spoke English. Won't be eating there again.
1 Nov 2010 19:25
Has a for sale board outside now, doesn't say whether as a pub or new housing though!
3 Oct 2010 17:11
Wetherspoons pub now, food and beer quite good and reasonably priced. Quite dark interior, and the toilets (which are up a flight of stairs) are very dingy with cracked and broken sinks, tiles missing off the walls and generally in a dirty condition. If I had seen this beforehand I wouldn't have ordered the food! Pity really as the condition of the loos really let the place down, otherwise a fairly decent place to stop for a pint.
27 Sep 2010 20:42
Botolphs Bridge Inn, West Hythe
Visited in April 2010, pleasant pub, crowded even though it's seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Went for a meal on a Friday night, but couldn't eat as they were fully booked. Undaunted we booked for the following night and it was worth the wait. Excellent food reasonably priced. Will definitely revisit when next in the area.
12 Sep 2010 11:46
Very nice surroundings, if a trifle dark. Food good but a limited menu when I visited in middle of August 2010, no pies for the whole week! (Supposedly famous for them! Unfortunately didn't have the chance to sample.)If you want to eat here on a friday or saturday, reserve your place, as with only 7 tables indoors it soon fills up! Midweek the place is nearly empty, strange as it was in the middle of the tourist season. Beer and Cider good, can't comment on the previous observations of it being too cold as I prefer it this way, sorry. The only criticisms being that for the whole week I frequented it, nearly every night, the landlord was never behind the bar, the Landlady only once for about 10 minutes. She does do a very good quiz though! The barstaff were young, pleasant, but a bit disinterested, just waiting to close up for the night. Could be so much better with a few tweaks, but on the whole, quite pleasant
26 Aug 2010 00:41
A nice looking pub in a lovely location. Visited late on a Sunday afternoon and the place was still very busy. It seems to concentrate on food as a lot of pubs do these days, but one look at the pretentious overpriced menu put me off. �18 for a steak? The bar is really small in a corner of the room with a total length of about 12 feet, with only one barmaid serving and about 50 plus customers you can imagine how long the wait for a beer was. The Fullers beer, when it arrived however, was really in top condition, couldn't fault it.
12 Aug 2010 11:17
Three Horseshoes Inn, Sidlow Bridge
Great beer, good food, really nice atmosphere. Does get a bit crowded at times, and seems to prefer diners more than someone who pops in for the beer, understandable as there are not many chimney pots nearby. They have a large dining room available for parties etc., pity they do not use this on normal nights as the extra space in the main bar would be welcome. Last time I popped in they closed early on a Sunday evening at 7pm, not sure if this still applies, perhaps one of the regulars could advise?
23 Jul 2010 10:58
The Limeburners Arms, Newbridge
Stayed a couple of nights at the campsite at the rear of the pub in early september 09. Cheapish, �12 per night including electric hook up, with basic facilites. Site cluttered with abandoned vehicles and dogs allowed to run loose. The pub serves reasonable food but due to the low level of lighting it was hard to see what we were eating. A warm welcome from the scruffiest landlord I've seen for a long time. Good beer garden, great looking pub, nice atmosphere, slightly spoilt by a large tv in the corner, but that's only my personal opinion.
13 Jul 2010 19:28
Oh dear, the pub has three large televisions tuned to sky sports so that wherever you sit you can't escape. The bar is very basic with wooden floor and tables. The welcome at the bar was almost non-existant. Defininately one to avoid, unless, of course, you enjoy wall to wall football!
13 Jul 2010 19:24
The inside consists of a large L shaped bar with darts, pool, and a large screen tv at one end and a childrens play area at the other with dining seating in between. The food comes in very large portions and is reasonably priced, and is standard pub fare. There are a couple of real ales on offer. My main disappointment was with the amount of noise in the place. There are about 12 to 16 speakers dotted around the bar with music playing at a level that is just that bit too loud, this would not normally be a problem, but with the kids screaming and running around all through the bar and the television blaring out at the other, the whole ambience is just too chaotic. It is a shame as this pub could be so much nicer with just a few tweaks here and there. Quiz nights Mondays.
13 Jul 2010 19:22
Visited November 2009, seemed very welcoming at first, with a coal burning stove in one room and a traditional british pub bar. The beer was good but we were disappointed with the food. Sausages appeared to be low quality cheap catering ones, with mashed potato which was obviously not warmed properly in the microwave! The 16oz steak when it arrived did not appear to be anywhere near that weight and was overcooked. On another visit other people seemed happy with their meals so perhaps we were just unlucky but we didn't tempt fate twice with the food. The last visit was spoilt by some of the local youths shouting and swearing during the evening. Will not be going out of my way to visit in the future.
13 Jul 2010 19:18
The Shepherd and Dog, Hollesley
Split into two bars and recently refurbished, the main bar is stone floored and has a large TV for sports channels and the other is carpeted and is trying to be a restaurant. The beer is ok, the food we had wasn't all that special, my lasagne looked as though it had been reheated from a couple of days previously, all hard and stale round the edges. I believe the phrase is "could do better". Visited in March 2010.
13 Jul 2010 10:41
Had a meal here in march 2010, really excellent, and the beer was very good too. The people were very welcoming and the real fire was appreciated on a cold day. A pub that's worth going out of your way for!
13 Jul 2010 10:20
The Inkerman Arms, Rye Harbour
Lovely little pub on the inside, good beer and excellent food at very reasonable prices, welcoming landlord and landlady. Toilets spotless. The only downside is the quite drab exterior and its location by Rye Harbour industrial estate about a mile and a half outside the town centre, but worth the trip.
12 Jul 2010 21:09
The Plough and Furrow Inn, Smallfield
Ok, sticking my head above the parapet again, quite prepared for all the "must be a child hater, why doesn't he go somewhere else" sort of posts that are bound to follow.
Called in yesterday and enjoyed a few pints, lovely staff, good beer etc, great decor. Today I called in and had the local mums club. For two hours, (as much as I could stand) Four adults and eight children shouting their heads off and running around the place playing hide and seek (the children) whilst being totally ignored by their parents. Asked the bar staff if this happens regularly and was told yes, with raised eyebrows. Thank you, I'm sure that all the parents who bring their children in will be glad to know that I'll be going elsewhere in future.
There we go, now happy to get the abuse that's bound to follow, thank you.
12 Jul 2016 17:13