The Hangleton Manor, Hangleton

Lovely setting, fantastic garden, that's about all I can say in its favour. The food is not good, overly processed and everything we ate today tasted like it came from a can or had just been nuked in an industrial microwave. Worst of all, it's a family pub that seems to actively dislike families and small children. The manager is moody and unhelpful, he refused to provide sun umbrellas for outside tables during a rain shower claiming there weren't any, which is untrue as we have seen umbrellas there before. His staff seem actively afraid of him and told us the evening food menu would start serving half an hour late because the manager was having one of his strops! On another occasion he shouted from an open window, face purple and puce with rage, yelling at the kids outside to play more quietly. Clearly he wishes he'd been born in the Victorian era when children were seen not heard. The overriding problem with this place is that it wants to see itself as a posh, fine dining establishment, when in truth it's no more than a very average pub-grub joint. If they embraced the family market with a little more generosity and appreciation it would be a much better place. And five pounds for a plate of kids pasta with nasty tomato sauce from a jar is a rip off.

25 May 2009 20:04