The Sportsman Reviews Summary

Food Quality

Pros:

• "Food was amazing, steaks cooked just as we like."
• "Lovely food, great atmosphere, nice, friendly staff."
• "Food always nice."
• "the food is lovely."
• "good choice of food and very tasty too!"
• "Food was beautiful."
• "The food was good and tasty - average size portions, which don't leave you too stuffed to move."

Cons:

• "The food was horrible."
• "the food was inedible over cooked dry burnt vegetables totally disgusting."
• "The food was terrible i got burnt calamari starter,lasagne that was mince mush in a cheap cheese sauce don't know what happened to the pasta."
• "found chicken was dry and chips all I can say is they owe me a portion."
• "Steak was tough as old boots."
• "Pork dry, stuffing flat, veg bland, roast potatoes as hard as rubber."
• "The food was truly awful, the Sunday Roast pretty much inedible."

Staff and Service

Pros:

• "Great surroundings, friendly staff, comfortable seating and nice furniture."
• "Staff are very friendly and responsive. Never had any issues."
• "The staff were amazing. Couldn't have asked for better."
• "Friendly staff! Delicious food on a great and various menu!"
• "The bar staff are lovely to top it off."
• "The staff were really friendly and couldn’t have been more helpful."
• "Staff are fantastic and accommodating to dogs."

Cons:

• "Very slow service. Got a couple of our orders wrong."
• "Was extremely upset that we waited over 45 minutes for our meals (3 Sunday carveries), only for it to be cold."
• "The manager was ridiculously rude and looked like he was shaking in anger."
• "Service was very slow."
• "the staff was not even friendly."
• "We had to wait for a long time (they were short staffed in the kitchen)."
• "Had over an hour wait."

Atmosphere and Environment

Pros:

• "It is a friendly cosy place."
• "Really cosy at this time of year with the fire glowing and Christmas decorations."
• "Nice pub with lovely welcoming atmosphere."
• "Its warm, welcoming atmosphere."
• "Always a great atmosphere in the Sportsman. Great for families...children always welcome. Friendly staff."
• "Environment is good. Atmospheric and warm with an open fire."
• "Interior design is classy and stylish and the pub has a welcoming feel."

Cons:

• "Unfortunately, the new management and staff has let it down."
• "The pub was cold, the radiators were cold 🥶."
• "No apology, and no atmosphere."
• "Not family friendly at all!!"
• "I wanted to go to the toilet but I got kicked out."
• "Waited nearly an hour for food even though the pub was empty on a Saturday lunchtime."
• "Shame i can't leave zero stars! Can honestly say the place has gone downhill massively."

Value and Pricing

Pros:

• "Booked a meal here for 20 people at short notice and got the nicest meals and service from a great team and all for a very good price."
• "Food was OK and pretty good value."
• "Great food and the lunchtime deal of 2 courses for £8.79 was an absolute steal."
• "Pub meals of the highest level, efficiently served by pleasant, smiling staff and all at a very reasonable price."
• "Fabulous meal. I had the gluten free rack of ribs. Delicious 😋 and you certainly get your money worth."

Cons:

• "Standard microwaved chain pub food, over priced for the quality."
• "Very expensive for run of the mill pub food."
• "The drinks are so overpriced."
• "Overpriced flat drinks £2.25 for a small lemonade / coke."
• "Sunday lunch was priced at £11.79 for a mixed meat selection. Again poor meat portions, dry veg and bisto gravy (very little flavour) At best i would have paid £5.00 if I was asked to leave money."

Drink Selection

Pros:

• "Good range of lagers and ales."
• "The selection of beers was very good."
• "Great surroundings, friendly staff, comfortable seating and nice furniture. A large bar with plenty of choice, serving bar food."
• "Good selection of beers."

Cons:

• "Had 4 different ales - Moonshine, landlord, Doom Bar and an Ember ale - every one of them was flat and tasted like acid."
• "Fizzy drinks were also flat, somehow."
• "When you pay over £4 a pint (a ridiculous £4.45 for one of them) you would expect the beer to be looked after properly and get a good quality drink."
• "Lager - lines not cleaned correctly leaving large 'floaters' in the glass."
• "Overpriced flat drinks £2.25 for a small lemonade / coke."

Special Dietary Options

Pros:

• "Also the great thing about this place is, they also cater for vegans and vegetarians."
• "Separate vegan menu if required."
• "Super professional staff attending to my gluten free needs and quickly alerting me about the issues with genuine concern."

Cons:

• "I'm gluten free not my choice but medically. Went for lunch today nothing for GF."
• "Ordered a vegan pie ... It wasn't really a 'pie' as such and came with a Yorkshire pudding that wasn't vegan."
• "With an allergy we were made to sign a disclaimer for my nut and peanut allergy or they would not put the order through the till!"