Dog and Duck, Outwood

have heard pub gone downhill and trade near enough nonexistant since june of this year. food offer changed obviously to brake brothers or similar operation ping ding meals but reasonably priced by local standards. havent had a drink/eaten in this pub since new 'manageress' taken on as felt unwelcome and not what i look for these days in a pub. some of staff nice enough - but a bit distracted at times and often moaning about there lives/jobs - who needs that sort of entertainment!

4 Nov 2009 12:52

The Dukes Head, Beare Green

seems every time i come in here there is a new landlord. what is happening with this pub?

the new owners/managers/landlords have cleaned up the bar area (but not left anything to create an atmosphere) and am told the letting rooms upstairs have been decontaminated as well as the kitchen. but as yet have done nothing with the bar toilets which stink and look like they were put together by a tipsy diy enthusiast - you cant even sit on the toilet and close the door of the gents and the ladies seem to have to share hand washing facilities of the gents that include real towels that look and smell like they have been there for at least a month without washing. gushing landlord/chef/partner promises me that this will all change this weekend when the toilets are to be rebuilt - will wait to see on that one.

Current restaurant area attractive but staid and normally closed off not that it ever seems to get much use as the menu only consists of about eight dishes none of which have appealed to me yet. The word on the grapevine is that the sunday roast is very good but all of the food takes ages to be cooked some saying they waited 20 minutes for a bowl of soup and a sandwich, 40 minutes for a steak, 30 minutes for 3 roast dinners when there was no-one else in eating. There doesnt seem to be a structure to when the food is being served either - i heard the other night that the evening dinner service doesnt start until 7.30 ish, the previous week it was 6pm- might work in london, but what about family meals and choices for kids etc etc - surely these days when most pubs survive on food sales they need to up the offer - the parish magazine says the chef used to work on QE2 - maybe he should have stayed there?

However the front of house staff all very pleasant and willing - yet feel for them when standing in an almost empty pub - it must be tedious and boring listening to the same directional speeches/blurb from the owners yet having few people to serve and the same old crooners on a cd in the background.

Beer/drinks arent as expensive as some pubs in the area - but as yet no wine list and the 'house wines' have been different almost everytime that i have been here under new management - all fairly drinkable but sometimes i like to know what im going to get in my glass - after all, im paying for it. Beer quality varies and only one real ale available for last two weeks - they cant be looking for any camra/cask marque here. All lagers seem to be too gassy/too much of a head do they clean the lines often enough i ask myself

looking forward to upcoming live music and the official launch (sometime in nov) of the pub under the new owners. we are expecting a london pianist of some reputation but havent been told who it is - how do you get excited about that and to boot - theres no piano

I wish new owners well but cant help thinking that they are 'playing' at running a pub instead of just getting on with it

4 Nov 2009 12:42