George Hotel in Breckland - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

To celebrate our civil partnership and my 85th birthday we invited 28 friends from our village to a buffet evening at the George Hotel. They deserve praise for the wonderful selection of food, reasonably priced, the service by the staff and the help and professionalism of Roxi the General Manager. Thanks to them it was an evening to remember forever.

Went couple of weeks ago and couldn’t fault it, went last week and it was awfull!! I won’t be going back or recommending it, such a shame , staff were hopeless, and fish chips , chips were hard fish looked awfull.

Delicious dinner of sea bass and steak. Good wine list and yummy pecan/maple pie dessert. Very friendly service and nice ambience.

The hotel is tired and in need of a refresher. Shower not impressive. Seems to be a general shortage of staff, even though this was a Saturday night stay. Evening meal food average with many gaps in service. Given a lemonade with sharp edge to glass. Have to stay staff generally warm in their manner. Breakfast generally good for me, but my partner asked for an avocado stack which arrived covered in a balsamic glaze. My partner doesn’t like balsamic, so we mentioned to waitress. She said in a forthright manner that it was stated as such on the menu. I checked the menu and later said to this waitress, to be helpful, that the menu does not mention balsamic. She said in a gruff fashion, well it should be on there, no apology no promise to change. Also items like bread and juice ran out as didn’t seem to be monitored

Stopped here for dinner, restaurant was ever so cold. Placed order then had to wait ages. When it arrived it was not hot,found food to be expensive with the extra bread £1 per slice x4. I would not bother eating here,as it would be a place you would not want to come back too.

Good, decent food in the bar area but, the service left a bit to be desired unfortunately. A decent selection of food on the menu, hot plates and good portions but, the young waitress/bar tender seemed completely disinterested and had to be asked for simple things like ice and a slice in a tonic water. Need to be a bit more 'on-the-ball' on the service front otherwise, very good!

Excellent service from a wonderful set of friendly staff where nothing was too much trouble. The Sunday roast is just to die for, you must try the roast pork and crackling oh my word ! All the food was cooked fresh and served piping hot on plates as warm as the welcome. Thank you very much you've got this off to a tee.

Had a lovely meal in the George restaurant. Emma gave a lovely service,pleasant personality and we had a lovely Evening.

Recent family occasion , ages from 22 to 83 ,meat and veggies fully catered for ,with really nice front desk and waiting staff at reasonable prices . Fits the occasion and pocket perfectly.

It was late Sunday night most people fully booked or not serving food, and desperately needed to eat, we called in here and they were happy to help, we had lovely meals roast beef, chicken oz, strawberry pavlova and apple pie. Friendly staff and I would definitely visit again.

We have been visiting the restaurant at The George Hotel as a family for several years, although typically pub food it was always adequate, however we visited last night and I ordered the roast beef dinner which was on the “specials board” so I assumed it would be cooked fresh for the evening, the beef was so tough that is was inedible,the roast potatoes were hard and dry and the vegetables totally lacking in imagination, hard cauliflower, boiled broccoli, and carrots. My brother ordered the salmon steak which was very small and came with four very small salad potatoes, the meal was no more than starter size! We asked for extra potatoes that the waitress happily provided but that isn’t the point, a decent portion should be served. The seafood linguine was average to say the least! We feel that if the food isn’t improved as a matter of urgency customers will be reluctant to use the restaurant. I cannot comment on the hotel facilities as I have not stayed there but the carpets are in dire need of replacement and the hotel, restaurant and bar are all very tired and in need of refurbishment

We booked a table for two but the wait for food was very long, they appeared to be very short of staff. The food, when it arrived, was good but an hour's wait for a one course meal is too long.

Came here with my partner for an afternoon meal and have to say we were so impressed with both the food and the impeccable service. The gents that served us couldn’t have been more welcoming and friendly and the food was sensational. Will definitely be visiting again when we’re in the area and would recommend to anyone.

Four of us booked a table in the restaurant. All of us had three courses and none of us could fault the food, it was superb. The waiting staff were also excellent, friendly and efficient. Highly recommended.

The setting is great an historic building in the centre of a lively market town. Yes the décor is a little tired but the rooms are comfortable enough and very clean. I could even forgive the almost £4 for a tiny bottle of beer, this is Norfolk not Notting Hill but the breakfast is unforgivable. The cheapest possible ingredients in minute portions all of which had clearly been under a heat lamp for hours. The knife bounced off the poor excuse for a sausage and struggled to dissect the bacon which seemed to have been taken from a rubber pig and I suspect this was not the first breakfast service that the baked beans had seen. Had this not been part of the room rate the hotel would have wanted £11+ for this culinary joke. I fail to understand why you would risk your reputation to save a few pence on ingredients and a few pounds to employ someone capable of cooking beyond the level of school dinners?

Took my aunty here to this lovely hotel for lunch. Sam welcomed us, told us to choose any table we wanted and issued us with menus, she was very attentive and friendly, contributing to a great lunchtime experience. We both opted for the liver and bacon, which was the best I've ever had, the rich gravy was to die for! We had such a good time we've booked to go back for Sunday lunch with our partners.

We have stopped at this hotel a lot of times over the last few years and we love it , the staff are so friendly and helpful reception always greets you with a hello and a smile . Breakfast is very nice always we havnt eaten in the dining room as we always go in the bar at night but have always had lovely food in there . Would always stay here when in this area .

wet microwaved Croissants for breakfast , worst tasting tea and coffee ive ever had in my life ! A Staff member called Joyce is the Worst Waitress i have experienced , then i found out she was a manager/supervisor , God i pity the staff ! Trish the Manager is Nice and professional !

A really great hotel with both a good bar menu and restaurant. Plenty of choice on the menu and at good value. Ample parking behind the hotel

The bar and restaurant offer a really good range of food. The service was really good and the food was well prepared and presented.

Busy and satisfactory... Shame started to run out of ordered choice, but next choice ordered was equally enjoyable well cooked, warming and filling at a very busy Christmas town light switch on evening.

Brought the in laws for a birthday celebration & had an enjoyable meal. Catered for everyone, as I'm the only carnivore & all the food was well prepared & tasty. Desserts were excellent too. Service was good, Shannon the DM was lovely.Now we know it does a good range for Veggies, we shall return!

A great bar and restaurant menu, plenty of choice and some fantastic daily specials. There is a daily lunch offer that is excellent value for money.Staff are very friendly and helpful.

This is a hit and miss type of place. Sometimes the food is good sometimes awful same could be said for the service. They are doing some work around the Hotel which is very much needed. Not a place I will go to again

My husband and I visited today for lunch.We both had the gammon and chips.The meal was well presented on the plate.The chips were golden and tasted lovely. That gammon steak was just the right thickness and lightly smoked.All the staff were friendly polite and well spoken.A lovely lunch..thank you.

I was very disappointed with the accommodation. It was the worst out of 10 different places we stayed on this trip. The staff were fine, and the food in the bar was nice.

My husband and I booked the New Years Eve festivities at The George Hotel in Swaffham. We had never been there before and were very pleasantly surprised. The venue had been decorated beautifully and the food was excellent and plenty of it. We thought, considering the date, that the price was very reasonable. The only fault we can make is that the disco late in the evening was more suitable for very young people and not for the age of most of their clients. You couldn't dance to it, only move about on the spot. Only one Abba tune was played and during that everyone got up to dance. That surely should have told the disco man that he was almost certainly playing the wrong type of music with the one exception .

Reserved a table in restaurant for lunch for three. Went to the bar to find an amateur barman busy serving others. Slowly. No acknowledgment of our presence. Waited ten minutes until he got around to us. Served us drinks but had no idea which table we should go to. Finally found our own way there.

Booked a room for our wedding night stay. No effort was put into this whatsoever, Very disappointing. The room only had one light out of 5 that worked other than the bathroom. Very uneven floors that creaked with every step. Steps down into the bathroom. Double glazing didn't work lorries could be heard outside the window (main road). Breakfast appeared to be a chore for the woman serving us (a smile would not have gone a miss). Was told after check out that they don't do wedding night rooms unless you book your whole wedding with them. shame this wasn't explained at the time of booking , we would have gone else where

Sadly The George Hotel is typical of those which are somewhat overdue refurbishment. The rooms are adequate but the bathrooms are not. Attention to detail could help with cleaning shower heads to remove heavy limescale. I even took the shower head with me to reception when I checked out to show how bad it was - that's a first. Not well received!

The George is your typical, reliable, hotel restaurant style pub. There is a good selection of beers and the staff are helpful. Just the place to take granny for Sunday lunch, but equally suitable for an informal business meeting.

Went to have a meal with friends , food not too a good standard, service needs improvement as well. Chips didnt taste fresh more batter than cod on fish. Salmon was rather tasteless . Very small portion of vegetables. Half filled glass of soft drink.

We called in - without a reservation - for Sunday lunch and they did manage to accommodate us on the last available table. A better than average carvery with good quality meat - and plenty of it

Food was awful, chips tasted old and of shoots asked for all meals to be changed they came back all mixed up and fish was cold had my chips changed to seeet potatoe fries and they tasted of cleaning fluid asked for refund which they did. Very disappointing as had a lovely meal in summer

The great fish and chips. the service was very good. the hotel was very clean and welcoming. The family was very happy

The roasts are amazing! I would recommend as a afternoon for a Sunday Roast its so good and the staff are very helpful.

Back again to the George for Carvery with friends, just as good as last time. Word must be getting round as they were full. Catering for over a hundred. Keep up the good work.

Excellent carvery , we had 3 courses , all very nice. Great table service , good veg choice, nice roast potatoes, parsnips, Yorkshire puds and beef was lovely !! There was 8 of us and we all thought it was very tasty and good value ! We all travelled from an hour away and would visit again.

Excellent, lovely food, service good. Gluten free choice amazing I had a perfect apple pie, pastry so good

Had an excellent carvery at the George. Generous portions. Food was all hot and staff very polite and helpful. Will be going again soon.

Food is well cooked but heavy, especially in the summer! No lighter bites (until I spied the Summer Salad menu but it was too late!) and no Specials Board

It was getting late and we were undecided as to where to have our evening meal. Called into The George on the off chance and were made very welcome despite the hour. We had Salmon and Liver & Bacon for the main courses, both were really excellent in both taste and presentation. For sweet, locally produced ice-cream was beautiful and coolingly delicious. Nothing seemed too much trouble for the waiting staff who were attentive without being intrusive. We were so impressed by this excellent hotel that we ate here on two further occasions both of which lived up to expectations. Would certainly recommend this establishment for evening meals any day of the week. On a Sunday evening we had a most tasty roast beef meal with all the usual trimmings which could not be faulted. A superb restaurant which we highly recommend, not just for the food, but the overall 5 star experience.

Not many choices in Swaffham in the evening but the George does offer good value and some intersting choices on the menu.

Good food, but get there early as it gets very busy. Good varied menu and friendly helpful staff make this appease the place to ear.

Arrived without booking asking for table for 4 which we were told was fine, we had a long wait before anyone took our drinks order and just as long wait get the drinks. The starters eventually arrived and were ok, we were offered extra bread rolls which the men enjoyed. We went on to sit there for 30 minutes plus waiting to see someone to order another drink but nobody appeared. Eventually our main corse arrived and we ordered a fillet steak which arrived as a mixed grill, when we made the waitress aware she relented taking the mixed grill back and blamed another waitress. When the steak came back it was cold and unedable and plonked next to a few chips, we asked where the accompaniments where and the waitress replied that we just asked for steak and that’s what we got. Anne the waitress proceeded to argue with all of us instead of just apologising and trying to rectify the situation. When we asked for the bill we were not even offered a complimentary drink we then explained to another member of staff that we were not prepared to pay for a mixed grill that we didn’t have let alone didn’t order and that we ended up with a cold gristly type of fillet steak with half the dish missing and no apology whatsoever. It has to be the worse customer service I have experienced in a restaurant, such a shame we can’t support local restaurants such as this due to one member of staff letting the place down.

My family and I have often eaten here in the evenings, and found the food and service to be very good, and good value. On Sundays, however, the carvery is the only option. On Easter Sunday it was packed, and service was extremely slow.

Went to the George for my mums wake. The buffet was really nice plenty of food. Everyone said how nice it was. Staff very nice and friendly made us welcome as such a sad time for us

It is ok for an evening in company. The salad was ok but not a lot of choice for vegetarians. The restaurant staff was friendly. Nice open fire. Central.

When we first came to Swaffham we found this hotel and we were pleased with both the food and service. However one evening last year we were dealt with by a fairly unpleasant individual in the bar. Totally disinterested and as they say you only need one bad experience.

We recently had an extremely nice family meal here. They were very good in accommodating us all and giving us the time to enjoy family time together. The only reason not 5 stars is that the service although very good and friendly was rather slow even though there were not many in the restaurant at the time.

Had evening meal in the bar on way home from north Norfolk. We were pleasantly surprised. While an older building it was clean and fresh / modern internally. The ambience was good as was the service. There was a great choice of food and the portions were generous at a reasonable price. We would certainly return.

The George at Swaffham is a meeting place for two sides of the family, being half-way between our homes and so ideal to exchange Christmas presents. We normally have a bar meal and they are generally up to standard -- acceptable but not memorable. The bar is usually very busy which means the place is popular, but often there is a wait between ordering and getting the meal. Only on one occasion has the wait been excessive, and that was several years ago. Pleasingly, on our last visit, in December, there was no obvious long delay which made us all very happy.

A lovely old hotel, well looked after, and a lovely Christmas Meal, table ready for us although only booked about an hour beforehand. This hotel is right in the centre of Swaffham with a large car park, so very convenient.

Had lunch in their restaurant today with friends, never been here before but just a 20 minute drive away. Good...

Booked in here for Sunday lunch. Well our table was ready but it took an age for the order to...

Decided on the George after trawling round Swaffham looking for an eatery that was open. From the varied menu I...

Visited here a few times on visit to Swaffham very helpful staff and food great good prices. Even found us...

Good place to spend a night, bed comfortable and even though bedroom on front of hotel the traffic noise was reduced by secondary double glazing.

I first stayed at 'The George' several decades ago, stopped using it about ten years ago as it was pricing itself out of the market, however, I noticed the pricing is becoming realistic again, so I gave it another try.

Looking for an evening meal on Sunday in Swaffham, there seemed to be a limited choice, and at first I was reluctant to eat in what is an upmarket hotel, but was pleased I did.I had a bar meal in a well appointed and humming bar, with good bar food served promptly by friendly staff.The range of beers was good and price of the food was reasonable.

We visited here on the recommendation of a colleague. We were not disappointed. My husband had fish and (proper) chips. I had the liver bacon and onions with kale and mustad mash. The meal was served by a very pleasant young man and we didnt have to wait too long (which was great as we were starving). Only criticisn was the price of soft drinks, especially coke. However we will be back.

We dined twice here, ordering:Sea BassChicken OsLinguine with Sea foodMacaroni cheese with hamThey were all better than expected and served in a reasonable time at a reasonable price

A great pub and restaurant with friendly staff. We went here for a family dinner and it was very enjoyable with good food, beer and desserts.

Did not stay in the hotel but decided to have an evening meal. We both chose pasta dishes which were delicious and filling. We pushed the boat out and had desert too. Good value for money, clean and friendly staff.

Been here couple times and always the same. Food is very basic and served as pub grub. Prices are good and most of the staff are friendly and helpful.

This was a very interesting and entertaining day.There is so much to experience, one hardly knows where to start!!!Town, pit village, Pocklington Manor, the waggon way, funfair etc.There is an vast collection of historic artefacts including enamelled advertising boards, early vehicle maintenance equipment, mining tools and equipment, furniture, hot se drawn vehicles etc.You can travel between sites on a vintage bus or tram or if you feel strong and the weather fine you can walk.Each site is maned by a well informed, helpful volunteer. Appetising refreshments can be purchased at several locations.The only disappointment is that a day is not long enough!!!However the annual entry ticket does allow you to visit as many times as you like during the year.This was a very interesting and entertaining day.There is so much to experience, one hardly knows where to start!!!Town, pit village, Pocklington Manor, the waggon way, funfair etc.There is an vast collection of historic artefacts including enamelled advertising boards, early vehicle maintenance equipment, mining tools and equipment, furniture, hot se drawn vehicles etc.You can travel between sites on a vintage bus or tram or if you feel strong and the weather fine you can walk.Each site is maned by a well informed, helpful volunteer. Appetising refreshments can be purchased at several locations.The only disappointment is that a day is not long enough!!!However the annual entry ticket does allow you to visit as many times as you like during the year.This was a very interesting and entertaining day.There is so much to experience, one hardly knows where to start!!!Town, pit village, Pocklington Manor, the waggon way, funfair etc.There is an vast collection of historic artefacts including enamelled advertising boards, early vehicle maintenance equipment, mining tools and equipment, furniture, hot se drawn vehicles etc.You can travel between sites on a vintage bus or tram or if you feel strong and the weather fine you can walk.Each site is maned by a well informed, helpful volunteer. Appetising refreshments can be purchased at several locations.The only disappointment is that a day is not long enough!!!However the annual entry ticket does allow you to visit as many times as you like during the year. This was a very interesting and entertaining day. There is so much to experience, one hardly knows where to start!!! Town, pit village, Pocklington Manor, the waggonway, funfair etc. There is a vast collection of historic artefacts including enamelled advertising boards, early vehicle maintenance equipment, mining tools and equipment, furniture, horse drawn vehicles etc.. You can travel between sites on a vintage bus or tram or if you feel strong and the weather fine, you can walk. Each site in maned by a well informed, helpful volunteer. Appetising refreshments can be purchased at several locations. The only disappointment is that a day is not long enough!!! However the annual entry ticket does allow you to visit as many times as you like during the year.

Stayed here the other week and found the staff helpful and courteous.Didn't have an evening meal here as we were eating out but did enjoy a very extensive breakfastBedroom was very nice and well appointed

Had a really lovely meal here following my son't move to the area, staff were so friendly and polite and looked after us even though they were really busy. Would definitely use this hotel again

Things are not the same at the George,we wonder if there is a new manager, we know there is a new chef. 2 of the party had fried fish and scampi, both were overcooked and a dark brown colour and also the chips.The staff are not so helpful now and when booking a table over the phone the receptionist was quite sharp and rude. We go often and always spend over £100. for a party of 4 people for lunch. May try somewhere else next time.

We had a family lunch here, it was a very relaxed and pleasant occasion sitting in the lounge area. We all had the special Mothers' Day lunch, two of us had roast beef and two had sea bass with a chardonnay sauce and boiled new potatoes. Vegetables were included - mange tout, carrots, cauliflower and long stem broccoli. It was all well cooked. Afterwards two had chocolate fondant with coconut ice cream (delicious!), one had banana pavlova and one had panna cotta with rhubarb compote. Coffee at the end came in pots, enough for two cups each. A lovely Sunday lunch was had by all.

We stayed at the George Hotel for a week end and really enjoyed it. Beds (we had a large twin room), were good and so was breakfast, with full English and a choice of continental which I (being Italian) highly appreciate and not often find in Britain. Some of the features (like the bathroom) are not top of the range, but put the price in the picture, and everything sound about right. Personnel was also nice and professional. Convenient car par which, like the hotel, is right in the middle of town.

Our daughter visited unexpectedly one evening and we decided we'd eat out. Our usual favourite restaurant was (unusually) closed so we had to think of another place. We had never eaten at The George before so thought we'd give it a try. We phoned, booked a table for half an hour's time, and arrived on time. The receptionist greeted us promptly, deduced we were the party that had phoned shortly before and showed us to the restaurant. It was great - prompt and polite service, excellent food and very reasonable prices. We'll definitely go again!

Called in for light lunch with family - very nice light lunch menu and extremely friendly and helpful service. Prices very reasonable.

Ate lunch here after being let down elsewhere. The bar menu was imaginative, the service good and the food tasty. Tables are rather close together but they weren't too busy when we visited. This old building has been cleverly renovated to provide plenty of space. Worth a visit.

Unfortunately the George didn't do anything to "write home about" in relation to their mid-week Christmas lunch offering........just all rather bland and unexciting

The breakfast, a great choice from buffet to a cooked meal. English breakfast as always, try the smoked haddock and poached egg.. Evening meal was pre- ordered, from traditional roast, the vegatarian option was not a success with me.

The experience in staying in this hotel was memorable. The hotel is conveniently located at the heart of the town. The hotel building has a lot of character. You can see the old and new mixture of it's design. We were courteously greeted by the hotel staff who always wears their smile and had the chance to talk to it's awesome Manager who is so professional and friendly. The room is large with tele , welcome amenities and has a free wifi. It is very clean and the bed is comfortable. The hotel price is reasonable and good value for money. The breakfast food served was good. There is also an ample parking space. I will definitely come back to this hotel again and would certainly recommend it to everyone.

the George's restaurant and bar is a very elegant place and the food is very well prepared and well served. The menu offers a large choice to satisfy many. I recommend without hésitation this cosy place with a car park handy.

Well cooked and presented. Staff attentive and discrete. Highly recommended. Breakfast selection was extensive and locally sourced

Went here fir a Christmas meal. Very good food in a very clean environment. Tasty and ample. Choice of two or three courses

We have dined here on several occasions the latest being Sunday a week ago and we received a friendly service. The meals we had were well cooked and presented

I was impressed with this place. You do have to order everything at the bar, whereas it looks and feels like a table service kind of place - that said, the staff were great. It was a Wednesday lunch, the place was busy (always a good sign) and the menu was very varied. The food arrived promptly and was extremely good. Decent value for money too.. I'd go again

Have had meals in the restaurant before but felt it expensive and very slow service (and the restaurant only had six other diners in it).Went for the Sunday carvery roast lunch which was OK but I would avoid the beef next time round.Not expensive.

I have been here a few times for Sunday lunch and the food was excellent. The roast dinner was good quality and was lovely and hot. The service couldn't have been better.

I've eaten here three times , the first two visits the food was nice , not too pricey and the service is good. My third visit was not great. Starter of mushrooms with sauce that was supposed to contain Stilton , there was no cheese flavour at al l , although the mushrooms were nice.I then had a "Special" of Beef Stroganoff , which was very bland and not at all special!.

Eat here regularly and food usually very good but for a place that was clearly not busy the quality of the food was not good

7:15pm on a sunny Sunday evening, after a day touring North Norfolk, and we were looking for somewhere to have a nice meal.Arriving in Swaffham, we felt lucky to be able to park right in the centre - a good place to have a choice of eateries - only to find the local public houses had already finished serving.We were directed to the rather elegant George Hotel where they had a nearly full house. The menu had an excellent selection and there were specials on offer too. Not only that, we overheard another customer request something not on the menu who was told there would be no problem serving what they requested.Our small party ordered a variety of dishes which were obviously prepared to order and served by friendly, courteous, well-mannered staff. The meals were, in 3/4 cases, excellent and plentiful. The scampi and chips, unfortunately, appeared on a large plate with rather small portions of both, although there was salad too. Would thoroughly recommend the Steak & Kidney pie and mash!

Stopped here recently...very disappointed in high price for a poor room in need of a total re furbish, plumbing dreadful, windows not double glazed hence noise from traffic outside was shocking.No Wifi although promised on the website.Will not be coming again.

Stayed here recently for a couple of nights whilst I was here on a business meeting Good value for money food was good and room was clean

Been a few times for lunch, and occasional dinner, nice pub and restaurant, good function room for celibrations.

7 adults were all able to select from the specials or regular menu. Food was hot and of good quality, a pity we had to wait over 40 mins for it. We requested bread rolls which wre brought, would have expected them anyway.

where do i stat with the food! lovely, amazing and good value for money. I first went with my husband for a meal one evening and it was lovely we sat in the restaurant and has a good choice of food to pick from off the menu. It was cooked good and you could tell that it was very fresh. the service was very good too.

Popular with the locals and the food could be eaten in the bar or restaurant. There is a choice of about 10 standard meals and then a daily specials card.

Just spent 3 nights here. The hotel is pure 1970's. It is desperately in need of fresh decoration, total refurbishment and cleaning. The rooms needed a good clean, curtains dirty and dusty, kettled had to be cleaned before it could be used and the general look of the room was grubby and neglected. There is no double glazing in the hotel so rooms are noisy and chilly if curtains are open.Finally - this hotel has absolutely no facilities for disabled people. Very poor in this day and age.Needless to say I will certainly never be anywhere near this hotel again. 9 of my family were booked in and not one of them could find anything positive to say about the place .I will say, however , that the food was not too bad.

The food was of excellent quality and superbly cooked. There was an excellent choice from the menus.

Very poor, we used to come in on Saturday morning, around 11.00am, four of us for a couple of pints and a bacon bap. Stunned to find on 13 February that not only are there no baps offered but NO FOOD AT ALL until 12.00 midday. Great way to lose business, we live locally and Saturday is market day in Swaffham and I cannot believe how shortsighted the management of this hotel has become. We will not be bothering to call in again. Rubbish service!

We have visited this hotel regularly over the past 40 years, when it was owned by Grand Metropolitan Hotels. It has passed through several ownerships since then - the Collins family being most successful – but, sadly, afterwards the Arlington Place Hotels, apparently drove The George Hotel, with others, into administration. It is currently owned by UK Holiday Group of Norwich, chief shareholder Mr Bennett, and operated by Anglia Hosts, a division of that Group. I hope my homework is accurate, but if not I happily stand to be corrected.Over all these years The George has been the acknowledged premier hotel in Swaffham, despite the activities of a few owners who, sadly, dragged down its reputation. One sad example was an RAF Officer retiree, who bought the hotel, and was regularly to be seen eating fish and chips in the Residents' Lounge, wearing only a singlet as a top. The top lighting at that time was a fluorescent light tube. His ownership did not last long!Under its current ownership it is evident that a great deal of money has been spent on refurbishing the hotel and its car park and providing a patio area for outside eating. This is very much to be welcomed and demonstrates the current owners’ confidence in the Hotel’s future. Restoration of the art deco clock on the frontage was a nice touch, very much appreciated by Swaffham residents,However in my experience the current hands-on management at this hotel leaves something to be desired. Previous reviewers comment upon the poor quality of the cooking. Such was my experience on two occasions in December 2015 at Dinner and at Lunch shortly afterwards. Moreover there appears to be an insufficient roster of waiting staff and sous chefs to cater for coach parties to the Thursford Christmas Spectacular, of which the management must, or should, have had prior notice. With insufficient staff rushed off their feet serving the coach parties it was inevitable, and duly occurred, that customers in the Green Room Restaurant would have less than attentive service.Upon going into the hotel for Dinner I found that the booked table had not been prepared, but after remonstration it was hastily arranged for us upon arrival of my guests. We, as a party of six, were the first to arrive for Dinner in the Green Room Restaurant. Then after taking our orders, there followed an unreasonably long delay before the food arrived. Vegetables were uncooked, the mains were not entirely as ordered and the plates were cold. We did not complain, as the waiting staff was very pleasant and what is done is done. On the second occasion at Luncheon, again the table booked was not prepared for us. We were shown to another table in the Restaurant. Upon pointing out this error to the assistant manager, he let me go to the booked table (which thankfully was unoccupied), while he disappeared rapidly - apparently in a huff – without ensuring that we were comfortably placed as pre-booked. The waiter, who quickly served us well, was very pleasant and efficient, but evidently too rushed to clear the surplus place setting, despite a request, which he ignored.The lesson to be learned here is clear. It is simply counter-productive to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds upon essential refurbishment, if senior management does not ensure that floor management is up to the job of serving customers well, in order to maximise the returns following the expenditure. Some advance in turnover following a refurbishment programme is reasonably to be expected. But it can be so much more productive if customers are content. Therein lies the prospect, if not the inevitability, of return bookings.So to the current management at The George Hotel I say – “wake up and serve”. I am too fond of The George Hotel to stay away; but I would like to see an improvement in the kitchen and Maitre’d departments. Before preparing this review I spoke to Reception asking for the Manager but she was not available. Reception referred me to the Operations Manager at Head Office. It seems she was on leave until 4th January. Away during one of the busiest periods of the year, when the Hotel could do with all the help and supervision it desperately needed. This says it all, really. A disappointment indeed. I really do hope they will take heed.

Shocking .we will never enter again.left waiting for menus which we got our selfs food was awful the service worse and the coffee tasted like it was from a cheap vending machine. We went with 14 people and once food was served we had to tell them they had forgotten one persons meal the Dover sole. This was then cooked in a hurry and when it did come (halfway through everyone else's meal) it wasn't cooked enough. We complained but the duty manager hid in the kitchen leaving the waiters to take the grief. No apology from anyone. A half hour wait for drinks and an hour for food . Once eating tables were never emptied of plates or glasses for a good half hour . Save your money and eat at the kebab shop round the corner.!!

Had a really lovely night at The George last night for our works Christmas Staff Party, food was brilliant and the staff were really fantastic, would highly recommend this venue for a Christmas Party, thank you everyone who made it so nice, we all enjoyed the evening :)

We went as a group for a Christmas get together buffet. Although they had been extremely busy and were not quite ready for us when we arrived, they were very accommodating. We had a good selection of sandwiches, with lovely pickle, I must say. There was an array of items on sticks and hot scampi. The food was soon eaten up! I believe everyone enjoyed it. Thank you.