Malt Shovel Inn in Lichfield

I visited to try the Sunday lunch after hearing that the excellent Westwoods Bespoke Dining would be catering. Certainly was not disappointed. Staff were professional yet friendly, all dishes arrived swiftly and we were provided complementary bread to enjoy as well. Truly succulent beef cooked to perfection, delicious roast potatoes and excellent selection of veg including cauliflower cheese. Followed by the sublime chocolate and toffee torte that melts in your mouth. I believe the photos speak for themselves. Would 100% recommend to anyone craving a Sunday roast. By far one of the best I’ve ever had.

After being recommended to pop in and try a Sunday roast, we were most definitely not disappointed. We walked into a warm, friendly welcome and were seated straight away, our drinks arrived within minutes of ordering them. The menu all sounded delicious, after deliberation we both opted for beef. Our meal started with some warm bread and homemade sun dried tomato butter, it was delicious. The roast itself was superb, beef was cooked medium rare and melted In the mouth, crispy roast potatoes, the best creamy mash I have ever tasted, Yorkshire pudding, cauliflower cheese and seasonal veg cooked to perfection. I asked for extra gravy and it came straight away. Nothing was too much trouble. For dessert I opted for the Eaten Mess and wow I was not disappointed, homemade meringue, fresh raspberries and cream, my husband had frangipane tart and custard and said it was delicious. I can honestly say this was the best roast dinner that I have had out, excellent value, excellent service and outstanding food. We shall return.

Very poor food. Chips burnt and greasy. Pies burnt. Steak not cooked as ask. Place was empty so no atmosphere. Lasagne dried up and not much sauce. Microwave food better. The only good thing was the girls who served us. Definitely will not be going back.

Piping hot food, lovely atmosphere, super friendly staff who went out of their way to make our celebrations special, excellent fast service. A must place to return to. Recommended 100%

Absolutely amazing as always. The food is really nice and tasty - the mushroom starter is to die for!!! The menu has a lot of variety at reasonable prices. The service is fantastic. Was busy but the servers worked tireless to reduce any waiting times which were perfect. The manager Teressa was lovely, nothing was too much trouble for her and was happy to help. Atmosphere was lovely and the kids loved playing outside on the park. Definitely will be returning and telling others. 10/10 would recommend. You won’t be disappointed.

First time we have visited this pub usually go to ye olde windmill but that has gone downhill so have started looking for an alternative and I think we have found it both of us had the cod and triple cooked chips with minted peas and a lovely tartare sauce and what can I say it was fabulous could not fault it went down well with a couple of pints of golden glow, service was faultless and the pub itself was clean and pleasant surrounding s and it was fish Friday so meals was only £10 each well worth it and I will be back

Nice setting, quick service and good portion size also was piping hot !! Menu has good choices at each course, dog friendly also

Really enjoyed our meal, our second one sat outside and everything was spot on. Friendly helpful service and will be returning.

We found this place because of road works on our way to the ye old windmill. And it turned out to be a fantastic old pub. It is situated on a high hill in the east Staffordshire near lichfield. The villages on our way were lovely with lots to see and admire. The pub itself is situated in a very nice small picturesque village and has small private caravan site. The malt shovel is a very old and has several interesting out buildings. Inside it’s a joy to behold with nice clean seating and other facilities. Lunch was prepared to a very high standard and served promptly, & there is also a wide range of quality drinks. Overall a very nice dining experience and well recommended

We stayed on this site for 5 nights. The site was well maintained with good amenities. The pub owners and staff were very welcoming and hospitable and the food was excellent. Would definitely return to stay here again. 👍

25 minutes to order a first drink, 50 minutes to order food. Had to ask for the table to be cleaned as we were sticking to it. Mushroom soup was so peppery, it was inedible. The halloumi fries were burnt and greasy. Then came the mains – My burger was burnt, but the fries were under cooked. The risotto was hard and the sauce was like it was out of a packet. The prawn linguine had prawns which had not been cleaned and still had their digestive tract. The gammon was so salty, and was also undercooked. The manager was crying because she had had a busy day and was pregnant. We were told that her mother had left before Christmas and she was finding it too much now she was in charge. We had been before when her mother was the manager and it was excellent, but no more. She admitted that the food was awful as they were a chef down and her partner had stepped in to cook – so why did she allow it to leave the kitchen? She said that there would be no charge for the food. When it comes down to it, we go to a restaurant to have a wonderful meal and experience. We could have been telephoned to advise that the chef had not turned up. This would have been better than having to go through an awful evening. It was like a scene out of a drama, with crying, smashing of glasses, horrible food – just a nightmare of an evening and terribly managed. We will not be returning, even with the 20% discount offered. It was probably the worst meal I have ever had. Such a shame for a pub which was once excellent.

Visited here today to celebrate a friends' birthday. The member of staff who served us was smart and very friendly and efficient. The food was good. We chose the fixed price menu 3 courses cost £16. I had garlic mushrooms my friend had belly pork in hoisin sauce and we both had 1/2 a roast chicken with lemon and garlic then to finish off we both had the crunchie cheesecake. We were the only 2 people in there and it's a shame because evidently the landlord of this establishment is doing a great job offering a brilliant service hopefully as Spring and Summer arrive lots of people will go a ride our for lunch at this lovely pub.

Had a Birthday family Sunday Lunch here , it was very nice Staff very welcoming and attentive Clean and tidy Lovely hot food well presented

Forget busy Lichfield pubs, The Malt shovel is a diamond. Always welcoming with good beer and food. The young bar staff are so attentive and helpful. The pub is superbly decorated and is a real retreat.

My family visited The Malt Shovel for Sunday lunch and what a lovely afternoon we had! The Restaurant is modern yet cosy, and the food was absolutely fantastic. My Partner and Father both had the Beef and commented it was the best Beef that they had ever had in a Restaurant - cooked to absolute perfection. We have already recommended to many others and we look forward to visiting again very soon.

We ate in the bar, had lovely baguette melts- the food was delicious and the staff friendly and professional

Went on a Thursday night , purposefully to avoid Boris’s eat out crowds.Food was on a reduced menu..fair enough...food was OK but not a patch on any of the lovely photos published. Problem was there was just 2 young girls serving the whole of the pub/restaurant, including outside. No replacement cutlery or serviettes after the starter was eaten and then it took an eternity for them to come whilst our food went cold wine glasses had not been washer or dried properly..smears close to beI gotdirty...and all this with a table booked at 6pmAlso, don’t sit in the lovely bench alcove, all it does is trap numerous annoying flysHaving not dined out for so long, and tried so hard to get it right....such a disappointment

Went into the malt shovel restaurant last night as it was a birthday meal for 1 of the 4 people. Not eaten there for over 12 months so after reading all the good reviews I wanted to see for myself. Restaurant looked great with lots of new work being done in there. We were seated at our table by a very pleasant waitress who served us all night. Drinks were brought to our table and must say that the GUINNESS was superb. We all had different meals so we could see the difference in food and if it was any good. I had a fish curry with coconut and sweet potato in like a mash but chunks of potato .. wow I loved it and wasnt sure about the potato but all lovely. 1 had the sea bass. 1 had the he mans pie and 1 the sausage casserole . And everyone said how nice it was ,and the sea bass was the best she had had anywhere. Even the chef came and had a word with us which I thought was a really nice touch. So yes lovely evening lovely food and superb staff. So 5 stars it is.

A once lovely pub, where you had to call in advance to get a table.

It’s such a disappointment seeing the change in the Malt Shovel after its years or popularity.

Been tonight for a family meal. Absolutely fantastic, we all thoroughly enjoyed it. Beautiful pub, very cosy. Staff very friendly

Aparecimos en un bocado para comer. Hemos estado aquí muchas veces, pero no por un número de años. Es un entorno encantador, vistas al campo. Fuimos los primeros en justo después de las 12 y nos recibió una señora joven educado y amable. El menú es variado, pero nosotros sólo queríamos una baguette. Las bebidas de los cuales vinieron rápido había una gran variedad. Baguette de gambas con patatas mi era preciosa, mi esposa tenía el tocino, champiñones y queso baguette sin el tocino, ya que es vegetariano y le gustó. Nuestra hija tenía una baguette, que de nuevo ella scampi disfrutamos, las chicas también pueden intercambiar sus fichas para patatas fritas de camote. En general, buena comida, buen ambiente, buen servicio. No es lo que parece

Lovely meal, great service and lots of choice. A lovely selection of real ale and other drinks too. Huge Yorkshire puddings, fantastic choice of deserts.

Esto no es una queja acerca de la cerveza o el pub en sí.

Esta es mi segunda visita a la pala de malta y de nuevo la comida fue fabulosa. He decidido, ahora es mi restaurante favorito en Burntwood. . El personal es muy amable, nada es demasiado problema. Cada uno de los 3 campos era delicioso y te dan un montón de comer, además los precios son muy razonables. No puedo quejarme. Recomiendo

Pensamos en probar este restaurante de nuevo después de no visitar por un buen tiempo, llegamos a las 7 de la mañana y nos llevaron a nuestra mesa. El personal era amable y servicial explicando a nosotros las opciones de comida, decidimos los dos campos por £10. 00, ambos teníamos pollo con salsa barbacoa y Goujons una ensalada para empezar, que era muy agradable. Para nuestro plato principal tenía una hamburguesa con ensalada, una buena porción de patatas fritas y una salsa, mi compañero tenía pastel de carne con cerveza con patatas, guisantes y una buena porción de tamaño de nuevo.

This is a favourite restaurant of mine but the Sunday lunch was very disappointing ..I had lamb and it was tasteless like sliced prebought stuff not nice at all .My son had steak and said it was lovely .

Esta fue nuestra primera visita después de ser recomendado por amigos y tengo que decir que, más que a la altura de las expectativas. Aunque un poco alejado de la zona principal estaba lleno y el ambiente era muy bueno. Todo el personal era muy acogedor y amable, el servicio era bueno y la comida era de primera clase. No cabe duda de que volveremos pronto.

Magnífica comida, excelente servicio y ambiente agradable,

Ayer venía con Allan y compré mi hija y nuestras nietas para comer el domingo. Jane y el personal era extremadamente servicial y amable. Dos de nosotros tuvimos una cena de los domingos y tres comidas vegetarianas sirven todos juntos. Una comida reàlly maravilloso y un ambiente encantador. Gracias.

Food excellent, Staff and service first class.Well worth a drive out .Thanks to Jayne and her team , see you soon. Shez & Andy

El Malt Shovel está ubicado en un precioso pueblo tranquila en el campo, con vistas a los campos. La comida es excelente, y recién preparado. El propietario es muy eficiente y es muy simpática.

About time I gave a review about this first class establishment. Being born and bred locally have been lucky enough to have spent time here since I was a nipper when my old man was inside supping a pint or two and I was outside with a lemonade and a bag of crisps back in the late '60s! Roll on 40 plus years and it has never been better. The character of this rural chorley pub remains unaltered however along with the traditional quaint bar it now has a stylish extended restaurant which serves superb cuisine thanks to chefs Jonny and Dave. Service by Jason, kayleigh, Alison and Sarah is warm and friendly. Thanks to licencences Jane and John for a walk welcome every time and a great experience to follow.

Fantastic food,friendly staff and great value for money-would definitely go back.Would recommend the steak sizzler, steak pie and fish and chips. Busy place so definitely need to book.

Our family had Sunday Lunch here today. Have been previously on a few occasions and always great value. Nothing too much trouble for Waitresses. Very helpful and cheerful too.

Been here with the mrs a few times. The steaks are out of this world!Last visit was the Valentine's Special so they had a set menu. I was sceptical of this at first bit it did not disappoint. Even my fussy other half was satisfied.Staff are all very nice and were really attentive, particularly of the mrs who was pregnant. Quality pint too. Would highly recommend.

Pleasant atmosphere, good beer and very good food. Staff helpful and friendly. I had the fish and chips and would highly recommend. A good size potion, piping hot and lovely crispy batter.

Hmmm was ok nothing spectacular iv ate at better places for much cheaper prices. Food was nicely presented staff Were polite service however was slow. Wouldnt go back in a hurry

Great food great ale great service faultless . Probably the best in the area meals are plentiful but it's not quantity over quality here you get both.the bar has a lovely open fire and has that homely feeling a must try for everyone

We have been to the malt shovel on several occasions before it was taken over and was a bit concerned the standard of food and service would suffer. But we had no need to worry as the new owner haven't dissapointed. The food is very good and the service is very good the staff are friendly and efficient. It is still very popular place to go to so don't expect to walk in and have a meal straight away as they are quite busy due to the food and service on offer. All in all well worth a visit

The decor may not be swish and sophisticated, but the atmosphere, setting and service are exactly as you would want for a country pub.3 of us visited for the first time on a Sat lunchtime. Good menu choices, we all went for a sandwich, which did not end up been a light portion at all, fresh, quality ingredients were used.Service was good, friendly, but not intrusive or pressured.A nice afternoon and good value for money. Worth a trip!

smashing pub/restaurant nr burntwood staffs1st time we have visited but will certainly visit againthe food was excellent the menu was well laid out and informativeand very reasonably priced the portions were large and sumptious

Visited last night for dinner 4 adults and a picky 11 year old ! One of the good things about this place is they do not pretend to be anything other than what they are. Terrific pub grub, well cooked great service in, a very busy atmosphere. This place is 'top notch' and obviously run by people who know the hospitality industry so should ' nt come as a surprise to have a first class experience. We would all like the best for half the money,which we know is not possible, but this place comes very close !!! Good luck to you all.

I went Sunday with my husband and have been to the restaurant many times and always find the service is spot on. Friendly staff polite. Delicious home made food where you are not waiting around to be served. Meal sizes are on the large side which is a bonus. We will be back, keep up the good work a lot of restaurants could take note from the Malt Shovel

Lovely little pub/restaurant just outside Lichfield, i visit here usually in the summer and have food outside. Decided to eat in this time, the food was fantastic and freshly cooked. I am certain the land lord served us our drinks and he always really friendly, staff are very polite and attentive. Will continue to visit.

Went for the first time tonight after moving to burntwood a few months ago. Overall a fantastic experience. Friendly staff who made you feel welcome. Our meals were fantastic. Perfectly cooked and all home made. The food isn't "cheap" but the quality of the food is worth every penny. Can't wait to go again!

Faultless - great food, great service and friendly homely atmosphere. Never lets you down! Great varied menu and great specials board and there chips are the best in town!

Loved the location, the style, the ambiance, the food, everything was delightful... Highly recommended.

Have visited this establishment several times and we make the trip from Loughborough. We have never been disappointed whether we have just had a drink, bar snack or restaurant meal. Yes it gets busy but what place wouldn't when it is such a good place to be. Staff are friendly and its dog friendly too in the bar side... Don't understand the bad reviews - they must have been very unlucky if they really did have a bad experience. Recommend the Malt Shovel unreservedly!

We went to the Malt Shovel on Monday night 10th November.Again we had a warm greeting from the staff they are so polite & friendly.We shared a starter which was great.My husband had the mixed grill.He said its one of the best he has had.I had the duo of pork it was divine.Both meals were cooked just right could not fault. The Malt Shovel have a good choice of food on the menu and the standard is excellent.I would say its one of the best we have been to in the area.So well done to all at the Malt Shovel keep up the good work.

Only living a short distance from here we go quite often for a drink, the bar area is a little small & crowded at times but its the gamble you take,however the choice of beer is always good and well kept in general as a member of CAMRA is nice to see this.In the summer and warmer weather you can sit outside as well in beer garden etc on the front.

Having read the reviews i was looking forward to a birthday meal with my familythe reviews said was reasonably priced, varied menu and good portion sizes.This was wrong!!!The menu was small,only two meals on the specials board,my 18 yr old daughter struggled to pick a meal she wanted (opting for the burger,which was average)when the food arrived there was 1 vegetable dish of chips(more like wedges) between 3 people!the steaks were £16.00 each (which to be fair was nice ) there was 2 onion rings for each meal which were greasy.the lady next to us left!!my wife had scampi (£9.99) which were dry and very small ( like they had been bought frozen from a supermarket from the) with peas and wedges the beer is excellent do yourself a favour,when you get to the crossroads at gentleshaw,turn left and go to the windmill!!!!

I have been to the Malt Shovel numerous times for lunch with friends and family and have always have a fantastic meal. The food is always freshly cooked, with fresh ingredients, not pre frozen like many other pub meals are. It is also very well priced, and not too expensive.

Having recently turned 40 my colleagues at work suggested a meal to celebrate ! As we are a national company a lunchtime meal was better so people could still get home at s reasonable time on the evening.Researching pubs nearby head office and The Malt Shovel came up as a possibility although nobody had visited here before. It was such a great choice the staff could not do enough for us.The pub is in a lovely setting in the little village of Chorley and I did wonder if it would feel "clickish" with the locals, thankfully this was not the case. The staff and other customers were very friendly and welcoming. In fact the pub was really busy, surprising for a Wednesday lunchtime.We reserved our table and placed our food orders in advance and these were delivered within a few minutes arriving in the pub. The food was delicious and arrived fresh and hot. They even got all of our deviations from the menu correct. I am not a big eater so ordering the baguette and curly fries meant I could not eat it all, however, I saved half the baguette and the pub kindly provided some foil for me to wrap it to takeaway for later !A lovely olde world pub with fantastic service and menu choices.

While staying on the caravan club CL the last 2 weeks i have eaten in the Malt shovel restaurant 3 times. Last night prompting me to write my latest revue of the Malt Shovel. Arranged to eat Tuesday night as my brother and sister in law who live in Shifnal had never eaten here before . Table was booked for 7pm and i arrived 1st due to a diversion in the lanes as the malt is in a lovely village called Chorley. Received a lovely welcome when we walked in by Ricky the barman and Lanni the waitress.Ordered a drink at bar while waiting for brother to arrive and set up a tab for the evening.Much easier than paying as you go along. Brother arrived ordered drinks then taken through to restaurant by Lanni , sat down and menu's were brought to the table. There is the normal Malt menu , a specials menu plus as it was before 7.30 a early evening menu. 2 decided to eat off the early evening menu and 2 off the specials menu. Brother and his wife both ordered the SMALL FISH AND CHIPS of early evening menu, while i went for the rump of Lamp and Sue ordered a cod and salmon medley with cheese and Mediterranean bread crumbs with new potatoes and salad. I had chips and peas with my Lamb. The food was delivered to the table and Wow... it all looked fantastic and was hoping it tasted as good as it looked. No worries there all 4 of us said it was all beautiful. My lamb in a beautiful sauce was very large ,melted in your mouth and was so lovely . And the chips at the Malt are Legendary and a must as so nice. my meal was just fantastic nothing else i could say about it . The cod and salmon medley had exactly the same response .... fantastic.. The only problem we had was with the 2 meals of fish and chips off the early evening menu. It says on menu SMALL fish and chips with mushy peas . Well anyone ordering off this menu do not believe what you read on the Menu.. It is not small fish and chips at all !!!!!! in fact they were both very large fish and chips. And funnily enough i had the Small fish and chips last week for my last meal. And they are without the best fish and chips you can buy. Which was agreed by my brother and wife. 4 FANTASTIC MEALS and 4 very happy people... Had to wait a bit before ordering sweets to make a bit of room for them as such large meals. And it was worth the wait .... 3 of us had the Raspberry Eaton mess and 1 had the baileys cheesecake. Again ,,, wow all lovely but i did know the eaton mess would be as i had this sweet there with my fish and chips at last meal. Which just shows how good it is as ordered it again. So to sum it up .....Fantastic night , lovely drinks , lovely food and the staff were just brilliant ,so friendly. Not my 1st time eating there and definitely not my last. I would so recommend the Malt Shovel because i think you could go there , Choose absolutely anything off any of the 3 menu's . And every meal would be brilliant. Never disappointed here they have everything just right and not mentioned chefs or kitchen staff ... But with food like that they also must be excellent ,, thanks for a Lovely evening Steve Lloyd.

We visited here on Sunday, we had not pre booked but called in on the off chance. The staff were very accommodating and friendly. Food was absolutely fantastic and brilliant value! Will most definitely be returning! Thank you very much

We went to stay at the CL originally for 2 nights but we were enjoying it so much we stayed for 5 ! The pub caters for all tastes and ages. The real ale is excellent and kept well and the Stella tasted, just like it should, fresh and not too sharp !The food is excellent all freshly cooked and very, very tasty..Yummy ! I would doubt that its the cheapest pub in the area but then again they serve more than just normal 'pub food' and its well worth any difference. The staff are very friendly and attentive and Jane and John are superb hosts.I would also add that the 'locals' are very friendly to strangers too..... I really don't know how people can find anything to complain about with The Malt Shovel.We don't live locally but will certainly be visiting again when next in the area.

My husband and I have visited the Malt Shovel in Lichfield on many occasions and we have never had a bad meal. The food is always of a high standard and the staff are always very pleasant and only too happy to help if you need assistance with anything. Would defiantly recommend. Keep up the good work Malt Shovel.

Last visit was jan 14, went a few nights ago & WOW the service & food was superb !They have certainly upt their game as it was packed! I haven't seen it like this for a very long time.Presentation, food portions, & the meal was perfect!The makeover on the menu was excellent allowing the chef to cope!Well done malt shovel will definitely be returning

Have visited twice before but not on a Sunday at lunch-time. Restaurant has a good following and well deserved from our visit this time - a shorter menu as would be expected on a Sunday but with one or two specials on the board. We all opted for the 'Sunday-lunch' which was excellent - good meat and Yorkshire pudding with fine array of plain vegetables with new and roast potatoes. Deserts were good and overall for value was as good as you can possibly get. Staff are well trained under the supervision of hands-on Manager/Owner and everything as it should be in a pub/restaurant. Real ale, well kept, adds to the pleasures of the pub which will continue to draw in the locals and even those who have to travel a little further. Noticed one or two adverse reviews which cannot in any sense be an accurate reflection of service and quality at The Malt Shovel and puts into serious doubt the authenticity of the reviews.

I first came about 4 months ago, there was not anyone to greet us and just walked into the restaurant, we waited 5 minutes before we even saw any members of staff. I could understand if it wwere busy at the time but i was not, only 1 other table. When eventually served a young who we thought was a customer approached us and took our orrder, she didnt seem bothered (poor attitude). Food was average to good, presentation not to good on ourstarteers ( bit sloppy)That time before that we were greetd but had dificulty attracting the attention of the staff as they seeme to be more interested in there phone or chatting to each other. They seem to spend most of the time in the kitchen, food was ok but because of the unprofesional staff that doesnt seem to have any management then me and my wife will not be coming again, Hope you will take this as advice rather than retaliate on the defence

Discovered this pub on Tripadvisor when looking for somewhere new to go for weekday lunch. We were not disappointed and have visited several times since.The pub provides traditional pub grub food to an excellent standard - piping hot, generous portions and very tasty. Pricing is reasonable - the fixed price lunch menu is particularly good value. Staff are very friendly and welcoming. Service speedy - although we have always visited at early lunch time in the week.Highly recommended! (Wonder if the previous reviewer went to a different Malt Shovel pub as our experiences are very different to theirs!! Nobody in the pub under the age of 40!!!)

Noisy pub, under age drinking, lousy food, lousy service ......about sums it up!!!!! Will not be back.....trash

Had a really nice meal here. Steak was the best I have ever had, cooked to perfection. My partner had the Hunters chicken and said it was the tastiest and most succulent he has had. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was lovely. The only thing I could find to moan about was that it gets very busy. But I would definitely recommend.

I visited this pub for lunch as part of an all day ride with Cannock Chase Trekking Centre. I was impressed with the facilities for tying up the horses safely and noticed there also seemed to be places for people to pitch caravans too. The village location was charming and there was a nice outdoor area for eating. The staff were unfailingly helpful and friendly, and my tuna melt baguette and chips were yummy and just what the doctor ordered after a hard morning's riding. Recommended - with or without a horse!

Took some family friends here last week...as have visited in the past and had good experience. However, service was slow (table booked for 7 and food arrived at 8), food was average and environment was very crowded and noisy. Perhaps a victim of the Tripadvisor ratings? Could do with removing a table to make the room less crowded and the dining experience more intimate...plus easier for staff to get through the crowds with sizzling food plates!

Fabulous visit to this Pub. I recommend the Beef & Guinness Pie. Real pastry !!Best ever. Party of 8 and well looked after by the staff. Lovely location.

I am a great fan of The Malt Shovel, the place, the food, the friendliness of everyone there, and I simply don't believe one or two of these reviews, which must surely have been posted by or on behalf of competitors out to discredit the restaurant and gain some advantage from that. I think the large percentage of very positive reviews tends to suggest that I'm right.The restaurant is very popular, which again tends to prove my point, so can be rather busy and, as everything is cooked fresh in the kitchen, there can be a short wait between courses, but I think it's no bad thing anyway to let your food go down before the next course. I know I certainly need that, and it's nice that you are not rushed to finish your meal and vacate your table. I have eaten many times at The Malt Shovel over quite a number of years, and have never had a poor meal at any time. Most recently I went there with my wife, brother, and sister in law for a lunch-time meal - very unusual for me as I don't often eat much at lunchtimes - but the quality and service were great. All four of us made different food choices, and we all agreed that it was all absolutely excellent.I have just called Jane and made a booking for us to take a friend there on Monday evening, and I am looking forward to it immensely, with no concern whatsoever about disappointment.I recommend anyone to try The Malt Shovel and I'd be amazed if they'fail to enjoy the food there, but it can be very busy so I always call to book. So if you can, make that call a few days ahead, especially for Fridays and Saturdays.Finally, I'd just like to add that I am a totally independent customer of The Malt Shovel, with no axe to grind nor any reason to show favour, which I honestly don't think is true of one or two of your "reviewers".

Possibly a victim of its own success. The food was average, the service was poor and value for money was poor. Seems to be a place for the 2 bit millionaires to show their faces. Why anyone would visit here when the trooper is only down the road astounds me.

Took out the family for Sunday lunch and can't fault anything at all! My Stella was full of bubbles, my roast beef dinner was fantastic and the staff are soooooo friendly. It's the best pub in burntwood by far (thank you)

First time back at the Malt Shovel since the fire but still as good as ever great service and good relaxed service and chips to die forDave

really good food and really good booze. I had a great time, and I think the food was good. Actually can't remember much of the night, which means it must have been great. Sorry I fell over and hit a few glasses on the floor, but I will be back, and I won't try and walk home again, The Police in Burntwood are bloody brill

Eight of us dined at the restaurant to celebrate a birthday. The meal was excellent, all meals came at the same time on hot plates. The chips (wedges) were very tasty. Portions were generous, so generous that we were unable to have sweets. The only thing I did't like was that I was seated on what can only be described as a bench type of affair and felt unable to be close to the table. Otherwise I would highly recommend the Malt Shovel Inn for a very good meal and good service.

We have eaten here previously and it is excellent , but very busy ! I suggest booking.We called for a nice lager and we sat outside in the sunshine .A well kept friendly pub .

We visited Saturday 31st May for lunch.The staff are friendly and helpful we had visited in April and had a lovely meal.This time again the food was excellent from the lovely starter to the mains. I had the sirloin steak which was cooked to perfection my husband opted for the mixed grill,which he loves especially the homemade chips. Unfortunately he could/nt finish all the food.But the nice thing is that they wrapped it in tin foil to take it home which was lovely. We only have praise for the Malt Shovel great food & lovely friendly staff.

We hadn't been to The Malt Shovel since the fire and change of management but decided to go there today with friends for lunch. The decor is a great improvement it's seems much lighter but still is in keeping with the pub. Three of us had the fixed menu and at £9·95 for two courses the value was fantastic. The mini fish was a good size and absolutely delicious, the fourth member of our group had the jumbo fish and it was huge... ! We opted for desserts and again we weren't disappointed. The waitress was very attentive so a very enjoyable visit, we won't leave it as long before we return. Thank you.

Pork belly, lemon and crayfish risotto and smoked haddock starters all delicious; the risotto had lots of fish but needed a little more lemon but was otherwise very tasty with substantial portions. Good service throughout the meal. Main courses -good selection to choose from but we all hjad steak. The special was in garlic butter with scallops cooked just right. Really tasty chunky chips. We were all too full to try dessert but will return. Excellent value.

This is a very good place to eat. The quality of the food was excellent and the staff very attentive and helpful. It is difficult to find places to eat that are consistent but this one is. I have now visited on a few occasions and always had good service and quality food. As regular on trip advisor I feel it is important to post reviews that are accurate and I can highly recommend the Malt Shovel for a night out.

Saturday evening meal with friends and a very good standard of food. Table booked for 5 but when arrived told not serving untl; 5.30 slight misunderstanding there. Drinks quality disappointing glasses not clean someone else's lipstick on my glass Rectified immediately and from than on the evening got better. Otherwise clean facilities friendly staff. The steak and ale pie was excellent as were the vegetables. Good quality steak well cooked and served. Desserts very good. Waiting staff and service was good. Many thanks and kind regards

The booking was for five, celebrating a birthday so we were hoping for something special. The menu looked good so we thought we'd chosen a good venue. While sitting at the table waiting for our order to be taken a waiter arrived to take a drinks order. Two of us wanted to know what beers were available on draught and were told, hesitantly, Tetley, Abbot, and a guest beer ( though he did not know what the guest beer was) he also reeled of several lagers even though he had been told we were interested on real ales not lager. He then recalled that "Banks's" was also on offer. One of these was chosen along with a Guinness and a bottle of wine. Twelve minutes later we were still waiting for the drinks when a waitress arrived to take the food order. She was asked where the drinks were and went to find out after taking our food order. The waiter arrived some minutes later, apparently resenting having to be reminded that we were still waiting; his manner was abrupt to say the least. Unfortunately, the "Banks's turned out to be mild and not the bitter that had been expected. Food then arrived and was pleasing, starters were well cooked and nicely presented. Four of us had chosen dishes with chips so we were surprised when the same waiter as before, arrived and told us "here is a bowl with chips for three", naturally we pointed out that four of us had ordered chips so he went away to find more chips. We also had to ask for the peas that one of us had ordered and for the sauces that went with the steaks and had been specified in our order. Clearly these issues delayed the smooth start to our main course. The food was however, well cooked and we enjoyed it. Two of us decided to have puddings and two cheese and biscuits. I ordered the fruits of the forest cheese cake so was surprised by the appearance of the cheese cake that was placed in front of me. I asked the waitress what it was and was told it was banoffee cheesecake. The waitress went on to explain that she was being encouraged to sell the banoffee! When I went to pay the bill, the waitress apologised for the problems we had experienced, saying that they were having communication problems but did not offer any reduction on our £147 bill. I'm afraid it will be a while before I would eat here again. A pity, as the kitchen can produce good food.

Have not checked the Malt Shovel out since they had a bad fire. Attractive decor and furnishings.I booked a late lunch for myself and a friend and we were pleasantly surprised by the attentive service, the range of dishes, and the amount of food we were given. I enjoyed the roast turkey dinner with just roast potatoes and a dish of well cooked fresh veg. I could not eat the whole of the meal as there was too much for me to eat, not something I say very often. My friend had the Lasange which was full of meat and very tasty. The meals were both attractively presented. After a short break we tried the sweet menu having the apple and rhubarb crumble which was just the right balance of sharp amd sweet. The service was friendly and faultless. I shall certainly return there soon.

We have visited here several times over the last couple of years and the food has always been a hit. We came here a couple of weeks ago for Sunday lunch and had a lovely time. The food is always hot, home cooked, well presented and to a high standard. A good selection of vegetables and lovely starters and deserts. We have also visited at different times for evening meals and lunch. Each time receiving the same high standard and quality. Beautiful settings and pleasant staff. A true little gem

Arrived at the pub at about 6 o clock and were shown to a table for two. Ordered our food. I had goats cheese, my husband had Pate. Both were really lovely and presented well. Main course we had Fish Pie - which was amazing and Gammon steak - lovely.Both with fabulous chunky chips. The staff are very friendly and efficient.The only negative is the tables for two are all in one corner of the restaurant and you feel a bit "tucked away".Everything else is fab and we will definately be back.

We visited on a busy Friday evening. There was a large party booked and we had a small table near the fire place. There are quite a lot of tables in the dining area and the waiting staff did struggle to get by and serve without catching customers.The menu is fairly standard pub fare.We both opted for main course and pud.I had smoked haddock in a white wine and garlic sauce. I was a little worried about the garlic, but when it arrived it was delicious. My husband had pork, which was also well presented and cooked. Large sides of veg, salad and chips. Along with a bottle of wine we were short on space on the table and had to place the wine on the fire hearth. Not really a problem.Dessert: OH had the cheese board which was plentiful. The brie could have been a little riper, but that is personal preference.However my own dessert was a disaster. The raspberry meringue roulade. When it arrived there was a thin layer of what I thought was pastry around the edge and on closer inspection it was grey towards the centre. That was actually the meringue!!That said, the mark of an establishment is how customer complaints are dealt with. The dess-aster was taken away without fuss, an alternative offered and the manageress / owner also came over and apologised. I had a coffee rather than a replacement and this was not charged for.We will certainly be back as anyone can have a slight problem and the way it was dealt with was excellent.

My wife and I are now regulars, enjoying the excellent food, friendly service and relaxing décor.A recent trip on Mother's Day brought excellent comments from Mother as well, who is now looking forward to coming back at Easter.There is plenty of competition in the area and we've been to them all, but this is Tops!

We stayed for 2 nights at the rear of the Malt Shovel in our caravan as the field is a CL sites catering for up to 5 caravans.Spent a lot of time in the pub and had fantastic meals. First meal was Sea Bass for hubby and Salmon for me followed by delicious sweets.Excellent beer, we had Tetleys and Holden`s Golden Glow.Next meal we had Hunter`s Chicken and hubby had Wild Boar Burger, which he loved.Very friendly and welcoming hosts and bar staff...nothing is too much trouble for them.Toilets are immaculate!Will defintely be returning soon. Highly recommended!

I booked a table for 3 adults and asked for it to have space to manoeuvre 3 ageing people who wouldn't get jostled during the meal! That's exactly what we got. When we arrived we were greeted by a friendly waitress and shown to our table. We ordered drinks and these were delivered quickly and helped us browse the comprehensive menu. Our order was taken as soon as we were ready and the meal was served about 20 minutes later. Our main courses consisted of rib eye steak, sausage and mash and beef and ale pie, all of which were excellent and top quality. We had 3 sweets as well, all of which appeared to be home cooked and they were excellent too. Overall, I cannot fault the service and food quality and we all look forward to returning there sometime in the future.

booked a table for 20 for my sons birthday 8/3/14 been there a couple of times i've got to say it was one of the best nighst i've had, the meal we had the food was excellent didn't wait to long staff worked hard and very professional 10 out of 10 for value for money would recommend to anyone a big thank to to all staff and jane for a wonder full evening .

Going out with friends on a Saturday lunchtime, we decided to visit this eatery and I was extremely delighted with the quality of thee food and the value for money of the meal. The restaurant/pub is located in the lovely village of Chorley and, following a refurbishment, the venue was extremely welcoming.I had battered prawns with a chilli dip served with rocket. My main course was fish chips and mushy peas but the set menu had a lot of other excellent choices. The fish was superb. Fresh and good crispy batter. My partner had a very delicious liver and faggot dish and the rhubarb crumble with custard was to die for. The cost of the meal was £13.50 for three courses. Other dishes included fish pie and wild boar burger.The young, women who was our waitress, was extremely friendly and very helpful. All in all, it was excellent value for money. I would recommend it and will definitely go again.

We reserved a table for early evening,which on booking they commented on being the best slot for them as they had a large booking later.We arrived on time and were seated straight away,the food order was taken quickly how ever the starters took quite a while to come.In the meantime the open fire was lit and instant panic set in with the staff,there was smoke emitting from the fire and engulfing the entire dinning area.This was soon put right by all the doors being opened and apologies from the staff on the chaos and the drop in temperature.When the food arrived it was of high quality and plenty of it,the only gripe was the veg was a tad to al-dente for some of our diners liking.The meals were reasonably priced but the drinks weren't £3.40 for a guest ale with the geography in mind is a bit greedy as you can travel 5 minutes and shave a considerable amount off the price.To sum up, good food,decent service unless lighting fires but over priced drinks,will go back but will watch what drinks i'm ordering.

We recently chose The Malt Shovel for a family meal to celebrate our sons graduation. Service was efficient and with a smile, the food was well cooked, presented and plentiful. A slight tinge to the evening was via customers moving from the bar into the dining area to play "noisy" dominoes, not ideal when trying to converse after our meal. Overall though would recommend a visit for the service and food which was very good.

I enjoyed a wintery Saturday Lunchtime at The Malt Shovel, the service and food was lovely. I ordered from the fixed price lunch menu it was superb value and very tasty, especially the Faggots. I hope to visit again soon.

I went to the Malt Shovel last night for a meal and had a lovely evening. We ordered from the fixed price menu which is available Monday to Thursday till 7.30pm. We each had 2 courses for £9.95 which was excellent value for money. In most restaurants when you have order off a reduced price menu you often get small portions or poor quality food but that is not the case here. The portion sizes were on the large side and the quality was fantastic. I had home made fish pie with their famous chips which was full of king prawns and salmon and my husband had the mini cod and chips which really could not be described as mini! We will definitely be going to the pub again - great food, fab service and at excellent value for money.

We had not been to the Malt Shovel for at least two to three years, not due to any problem etc but just that we used to frequent it regularly and really enjoyed the food and I think we got too used to the place and to prevent it becoming 'samey' we decided to spread our custom around for a while.Well having heard that they had been closed for a while due to a fire The wife, my Son and myself decided to give it a try and I'm glad we did. We had called to book a table and arrived in time for our reservation at 6pm. we waited only a couple of minutes which gave us time to check out what beers they had on draught then we were shown directly to our table and our drinks order taken myself and son having a pint of Holdens Golden Glow which was a lovely pint, tasty and smooth but a little pricey here at £3.40 a pint. The Stella on draught was £3.45 a pint.We perused the menu and our food order was taken. Two of us went for the Muscles (£6.50) as a starter off the specials board and the good lady went for the Breaded Stilton Mushrooms (£5.50). The Muscles were gorgeously tasty cooked in onions and cream with a decent portion of bread to mop up the juices. The mushrooms were also reportedly very tasty.We ordered another beer, another guest ale Wadworth's 6X (£3.35 a pint) which was decent but not as nice as the Golden Glow a little more malty than I like. Then the mains arrived and we all had different The Minted Lamb Shank (£13.95), Beef Stroganoff (£13.95) and Halibut with prawns in cheese sauce (£16.50). We ordered garden peas and chips to accompany the meals. All three meals were excellent nicely cooked and very tasty with no adverse comments from any of us. Being quite full we gave the dessert a miss and requested the bill. When it arrived the total bill was £79.95 (£63 food and £16.95 for drinks).On balance I think the place has been refurbished nicely, the staff were on the ball and the food is as good if not better than ever though I do feel that it's at the top end of the price bracket for the food (and drink) served... but hey, if it's good and satisfying then it's right... right?

This was our favourite pub before the fire so when it reopened & saw the fab reviews we gave it a whirl.Well....what a disappointment, we had an early meal & the restaurant wasn't very busy so the staff assumed it was ok for them to catch up on their gossip.We initially sat in the corner it was freezing cold, no heating & we waited for over 20 mins to be issued a menu.Eventually we relocated & viewed our menus & waited & waited & waited!! After we had been the restaurant some 45 mins our order was eventually taken. It was difficult to get the attention of staff as they were engrossed in chat!!We ordered the fish n chips as this is usually loverly, however the fish may well have not been fully defrosted before being battered as the plates were full of water!!We are regulars to this restaurant & were very disappointed indeed!

The food,staff and surroundings were excellent could not fault anything. The soup wasHome made and very tasty. The main courses were delicious and the fixed price menuWas excellent value. Definitely would reccommend.

We went to the Malt Shovel for a family Birthday Meal, there were 6 adults and one child. We booked a table in advance as we know the place can be busy.As always the service and food were to a very high standard! Everything was cooked to perfection and all of us were very pleased with the meal.Will most certainly be returning

It was very good before the fire of 2013 which closed the kitchen and restaurant during part of 2013.Went on the off chance that it was open tonight and it was.The food is better than ever.Had a lovely pint of Rev James as well.Most of the food seems to be home made.Glad it's back.Well worth a visit.

Had a meal in the malt shovel with my partner on a Wednesday evening. I could not recommend the malt shovel more. Both meals could not be faulted and the service was great. The menu has a good selection and the specials are that bit different. I will be going back very soon and would advise anybody reading this review to give it a go, you wont be disappointed.

The restaurant has reopened after a fire and we have been twice since, once at lunchtime and the other an evening visit. Both occasions the food and service was first class; specials on the board which we chose and thought that they compared exceptionally well with other regarded pubs and restaurants in the area. Good range of proper beers to accompany and all bodes well for the future of The Malt Shovel in this locality. Price about what you would expect, some cheaper dishes at lunch-time and usual menu choices. Fish was really fresh and good and the local pheasant with a great sauce was the pick of our dishes. Pleasant environment with polite and friendly service - the pub will soon be re-established as a firm favourite for eating and drinking.