"Have previously dined at the Hinds Head which was impeccable from arrival to the end, staff were wonderful and knowledgeable and food was divine. The Crown sadly does not have the same standards. On arrival table was not ready which was fine, waited at the bar and then seated. Staff weren’t overly attentive, very chatty amongst themselves behind the bar. After being seated the service was very slow, we felt like we had been forgotten. It took 30 minutes to take the drinks order after my husband had to prompt staff. We ordered our food whilst the staff were at the table. Bread and whipped butter was delicious, fish cakes very average, heavy on potato lacked seasoning, aioli accompaniment was excellent. Beef blade main, meat was well cooked, fell apart, carrots too al dente, dumpling was raw and just lacked dept of flavour, the whole dish was under seasoned and arrived almost cold. My husband enjoyed his barvette beef and roast potatoes though we had to ask for the garlic butter which was forgotten. Dessert sticky toffee pudding overly sickly sweet and vanilla ice cream grainy and lacking flavour. My husband ice cream trio had the same issues of grainy texture and lacking flavour . Both desserts were inedible , a cartmel sticky toffee pudding and laverstock farm ice cream would have been a better substitute. Throughout dinner, the staff were less than attentive, lacking knowledge and busier chatting between themselves. Do not be fooled by the allure of Heston, he’s obviously too busy to be consider the standards of his no starred pubs! Sell it to someone local with a desire for it to do well!"
