Old Hall Farm in Suffolk Coastal

We popped into Old Hall Farm for a coffee this lunchtime. Despite it being very busy we were served by a lovely, smiley lady.

We had Sunday lunch at Old Hall cafe, we enjoyed it so much. The staff were very friendly and helpful. I had vegetarian roast, it was one of the best I've had, the gravy was amazing. My husband had roast pork, he said one of the best he's had. Well done Old Hall.

I am writing specifically about the butchery department.... Excellent product range with a lot of their meat from the farm and helpful staff. Robert and his helpers are exceptionally good. Robert butchered a shoulder of pork for me today.. Nothing too much trouble. It was so nice and the best crackling.! Thankyou.

Have visited this cafe many times, usually excellent. However went with friends on Monday to meet for coffee, was very disappointed, service was to say the least slow, 1/2 hour wait for 3 coffees, 2 flat whites ordered were the worst I’d experienced, no taste and was basically a large cup of milky substance, even after requesting an extra shot not much improved, very disappointing.

Just had the most amazing breakfast here after being recommended to come by the owners cousin when I told her I'd be staying in close by this weekend, who I've been friends with for many years, so I knew she wouldn't steer us far wrong. The staff were attentive and friendly. I had the eggs benedict and my husband had the full English. Everything was lovely and we are returning tomorrow for Sunday lunch as well . Very impressed.

We were staying locally. We went here for lunch and to pick up some provisions. Food was lovely and the staff were very attentive. We then went and bought some lovely food from the shop. Provisions all sorted for the week.

Absolutely love this place!!! Have been coming here and ordering from them for years. Food is amazing and the animals are all so well looked after, love that they keep the calves with the cows.

It’s such a shame that the staff so badly let this cafe down. It has the potential to be a really amazing place. The food wasn’t bad, the view is lovely but I’ve been twice now, a year apart, and both times the service has just been dire. I know I’ll get the standard defensive response about raising it at the time but there’s nothing that could have been done, just don’t be so miserable and inhospitable. I certainly wouldn’t go back so there’s no point in offering a future discount either. It’s absolutely clear that they don’t want children there, just an inconvenience. I wouldn’t be surprised if the lady who does these responses is the same lady who works in the cafe and, I assume is the manager/owner. Unfortunately, if that’s how staff are led, it’s how they will all present themselves. We also overheard the table next to us talking about how awfully they’d been spoken to. I’m no expert but, having read the reviews, it seems like it might be an idea to have a rethink about the style of service and the training the staff get…or just carry on being rude and then being even more rude to anyone who dares to leave a bad review…that also sounds like a successful business model.

Afternoon tea for mums birthday on a Saturday afternoon. Firstly the lady that served us was very friendly and looked after us so well. Our table was booked for 2.45pm and had informed when booking,that mum was vegetarian. Was shown to our table and ordered our drinks. Our beautiful wooden platters of food and drinks were served within minutes. Sandwiches,scones (cheese and fruit) delicate individual cakes,macaroons,and a beautiful cheesecake were presented. Neither of us could eat all,so boxes were given for us to take the rest home. Our very tasty afternoon tea was perfect for a birthday treat and very good value for money. Will definitely recommend to all and will book again for our family.

We've been customers of Old Hall Farm for many years, starting from the days of the humble honesty box. Over countless visits—be it for food shopping, dining at the restaurant, picking up takeaway during Covid lockdowns, enjoying a coffee and cake, or meeting the delightful farm animals—we've consistently experienced nothing short of warmth and welcome. It was quite a surprise to encounter a wave of negative reviews recently. Yes, the restaurant (and I suppose the kitchen too) is small and can buzz with activity during peak times like weekends and school holidays, but this is no secret - and certainly not unique to OHF. We plan our visits accordingly, sometimes choosing quieter weekdays or allowing extra time if we choose to visit during busy periods like Christmas Eve or during events. The staff at Old Hall Farm are truly wonderful. It was disheartening to read some of the harsh criticism they've faced. Managing hundreds of customers daily is no small feat, and occasional hiccups are inevitable in any customer service environment. The staff and the management are always keen to put things right, they are very decent people who care about their business and their customers - it's always worth letting them know if your experience problems during your visit. They will do their best to make it right for you.

We've been eating at local pubs and restaurants on a frequent basis recently to find the best places to recommend to our holiday guests and have decided old hall farm will be our most recommended fire Sunday lunch. Prices are very reasonable for the quality of food, gravy is amazing which makes all the difference, plenty of flavour and all the trimmings you could wish for with no bland, limp vegetables in sight to our delight! We visited as a party of 7 so ordered a selection of meats and all were tender and tasty. Children's portions were huge and even the red cabbage didn't put the fussy ones off commenting that it's the best roast they've ever eaten! The restaurant was busy so I'm glad we booked ahead, staff were rushed off their feet but still served us with a smile and patience. Service was a good pace so we didn't feel rushed even though people were waiting but we were too full to try dessert. Once the hangry teens were fed even they were persuaded to enjoy a walk to take in the beautiful setting and enjoyed visiting the animals which made it more of a day out for everyone. Our little dog was welcome too which was appreciated.

I’ve been to OHF many times, and always had a lovely time. Usually I visit for coffee and cake, and never manage to get out of the shop without buying something else. The cafe has a great selection of cakes, the chocolate cake was delicious. It’s also wonderful to be able to walk around and see the baby cows with their mum’s, and watching the cows be milked. There are geese, ducks, peacocks, goats, donkeys, sheep and an emu where you can get up close with, making it wonderful to take young kids. Highly recommend a visit, not just for food and drink.

I'm a regular visitor to the shop and always grab a coffee or tea when I visit. Sometimes I meet friends here for breakfast or lunch. It's great value for the quality, the quality is very good (I especially love the breakfast). The team is helpful and friendly. The dairy products and meat are so good, I don't buy milk anywhere else, partly for ethical reasons, partly because I want to eat clean food, raised in a regenerative agricultural setting. The ethics of free range and chemical free are important to me. Last week I splashed out in the shop and treated myself to a piece of steak and it was absolutely the best meat I've eaten in a very long time. The farm setting is lovely. I wish the farm walk was longer but I can see why you wouldn't want the public wandering all round a working farm. I do love how Rebecca keeps in touch with her customer base with video clips of the cows on social media. How about some video footage of the hens, too? I work from home and a visit to Old Hall Farm is one of my favourite ways to break up my day.

We have been many times before, both just us and with friends. We always spend money in the butchers and deli, as the meat (especially the Sutton Hoo chickens) and local cheeses and pies are excellent . Our previous visit to the cafe wasn’t great, but we decided to give it another go. Big mistake! Before I start I notice that any negative review is met with a defensive response “you didn’t bother to mention this at the time”. The attitude is that the staff are faultless and the customer is always wrong. Never a good approach. Having been in customer service for many years before I retired I would like to point out the 2 rules of customer service. Rule 1 The customer is always right. Rule 2 you believe the customer is wrong. Refer back to rule 1. ( Meaning it is how the complaint is handled.) So we went Friday to meet a friend as we have several times in the past. I emailed to book a table for 12:30, and got a response that it was booked for 12:45. Fair enough, and I told our friend 12:45. We deliberately arrived early to shop at the butchers and deli. We spent approx £65, and have to say that the butcher and the young lady who was dealing with the deli and the till, were excellent and very customer oriented. We took our shopping to the car and went in to the cafe. We waited at the “wait here to be seated” sign for a good 5 minutes with the 2 staff chatting together behind the till, and totally blanking us. When one eventually deigned to come over we said our booking was 12:45, we were told it was on the list for 12:30, the time I had originally asked for but told we were booked for 12:45! We said we were waiting for our friend and shown to a table and 3 menus placed there. We wanted water as my husband has to take tablets a while before eating, but before I had a chance to say another word, the very offhand waitress had gone. After a few minutes she returned and asked if we were ready to order. I pointed out we were still waiting for our friend (it was still no later than 12:30) but said we needed a jug of water. OK she said. It did not come. A simple request for water!!!! Our friend arrived, and the same miserable waitress came to take our order. I pointed out we had been waiting for water for some time. She replied “it’s coming!” in a very offhand way. We ordered our food including a glass of wine. The water eventually arrived with the glass of wine. It had taken over 20 minutes just to get water. Unacceptable!! The food arrived and was poor to average. Ham, eggs and chips - in the past lovely slices of gammon. This time plastic packet ham, eggs with rock hard yolks, but excellent chips - the best bit, but clearly frozen bought in. I asked for replacement eggs as mine were inedible, which eventually came. The other 2 meals were vastly over salted. We had to ask if there was any dessert, as the same miserable waitress didn’t even ask if we wanted any. So disappointed after our previous experiences going back several years. The staff need to be trained, and the food offering has gone downhill. I am fully expecting a defensive response, even though we, and the friends we have been with, have spent considerable money in the past, both in the shop and cafe. And we did point out shortcomings when we were there, but the staff were totally indifferent.

My partner and I came for Sunday lunch today (28th April). We both chose the pork shoulder, as we have done on numerous occasions over the last year or two. When the food arrived, it looked nice, apart from the fact that we only had one slice of meat, compared to two on previous occasions. The meat that my partner had was extremely fatty, and she had to leave most of her slice as it was mostly fat. When the lady came to collect our plates, my partner explained to her about the amount of fat. She said that she was sorry, and that she would have a word with her Manager. When my partner went to pay the bill, she explained what had happened, but the lady at the till was very rude and abrupt. She said that's what pork shoulder comes out like. My partner explained that she was aware of that, but we had never had meat like that before from there. There was no apology from her, which was very disappointing.

A beautiful, friendly place to stop, admire the scenery and meet a few of the farm animals too. The cafe offers a wide range of delicious treats and meals/specials. Do try the cakes ( gluten free on offer too) and the raw milk hot chocolate! Dog friendly and the puppy chinos ( pupacchino?) are approved by my furry friend!

We've been here twice to eat and, once you get served, the food is really good. The first time the service was slow, despite out being the only people in the restaurant (it was first thing on Sunday morning). The second time we went for brunch and left after 15 minutes. The staff were standing around talking and, though they looked at us a few times, did not come over to take our order. It may be their usual customer have all day to eat, but we wanted to have brunch before going on to do something else. It's not a bad place to eat, the food is lovely (as is the location), but it may take some time before you get served. Look at other reviews, as it seems our experience is not unique.

Lunch was OK, just about, but this is about the butchers. I had forgotten that some months ago I had a rack of lamb from here which was tough and inedible, really poor and ended in the bin. On a recent visit I bought a leg of lamb, queried that it looked fatty and was met by a stony response from the butcher...it was awful, tough, fatty and expensive. AVOID

Best breakfast I've had in years best butter around anywhere amazing bacon stands up to anything, given quality of the produce very good value. Late had good quality coffee sorry but milk texture needs work(bit flat)

Terrible service received and unfortunately we did have to leave without our drinks or food. Upon arrival we were told we had 1 hour to eat as the table was booked out from 12:30. 40 minutes after ordering we asked if our drinks would be long - we had not received them and tables that had arrived after us had received their drinks and food already. I should point out the restaurant is not very big at all and one would have to be blind or exceptionally ill-equipped when it comes to perception to not notice the table they served had been sitting for so long with no food or drink in sight. The person behind the counter said they would check with our server and come back to us. A full 5 minutes later we were told of an error on the till prevented our order being processed and our food would be prioritised. This of course is not an issue - mistakes happen - but it was now 12:13 and we were still expected to leave by half past 12. The server, clearly not well versed in Customer relations then said we would need to move if we are to have our food. We said we would rather stay put (after sitting there for 45 minutes by this point we were invested in our table and not happy to move all of our things together with our 4 month baby in tow). Our server - once again evidencing that not all people are able to work in a customer facing role - advised us the table was needed so we had to move and that was that - terribly rude and very abrupt. At this point my baby was fussing - we were thirsty and hungry and we made the decision to leave.

Lovely setting but staff not friendly and very abrupt. We were made to feel bad for not booking despite there being a few free tables. Only had 2 coffees and scone but service slow. I went to til to politely ask where our cake was as my diabetic friend had injected for it 25 minutes ago and was told things came out in order of taking it. This was strange as my scone had come out 10 minutes before. I was award they were busy but it wouldn't be hard to say what they said with a smile. Such a pity.