Poachers Pocket in Mendip

Visited with a group of friends and a couple of our toddlers. I don’t usually leave reviews but definitely have to for this gem. We all had lovely meals, the landlord and his team were so friendly, welcoming and attentive. What I personally love is how family friendly they were, we will definitely be back.

Huge portions of delicious food. Only order a starter if you're absolutely starving!!

Not been to the Poachers since it reopened. A real village pub with all types of people. The menu, it might look like a usual pub menu, but the quality of the cooking was amazing, especially the Stilton and celery soup. I would think it is all home made, by the quality, nothing bought in. Really friendly accommodating staff, made the meal even nicer Looking forward to going again, even if I ask for two lots of soup as a starter and main! I don’t even like Stilton, but it was lovely.

We are so pleased to see the Poachers Pocket back open again. We’ve eaten there twice since Martin became landlord and also popped in for a decent pint on some Sunday evenings. Just like the Poachers of old, the food, drinks and service is excellent. We will definitely be making this lovely traditional pub a regular place to eat. Well worth a visit whether you are a local or passing through the area. 10 out of 10

We visited the Poacher's pocket with our two young children for Sunday lunch and it was delightful! We were seated in the sunny and warm conservatory area of the restaurant and our orders for drinks and food were taken straight away. The staff were welcoming and so kind to the kids. There was a substantial outdoor area where our children could have a run around. There was plenty of seating, not to mention a working fire adding to the atmosphere. The food was top notch! We were served massive portions packed with flavour. I am so impressed and looking forward to heading back again!

We were greeted with a warm welcome and had a nice chat with the new manager. The service was good and the food was exceptional. Wish we lived closer so we could visit more frequently!

Great this place has reopened. Do support to keep our pubs alive. Great to have the fire lit. 3 good ale choices so hard to beat.

Great new skittle alley. Tasty food. Great atmosphere. Obliging staff.

Excellent pub food, reasonably priced. Great atmosphere. Beer in excellent condition. Very friendly staff. Would thoroughly recommend.

Absolutely wonderful. No fast food. All cooked to order and extremely tasty. Service was great. Definitely will return.

Just been taken over by new owners, we went and reserved a table and came away with such a well presented meals which were cooked to perfection. My wife had the Salmon with prawn sauce superb, my Son had the braised beef which enjoyed with vegetables for both dishes cooked so well,.I myself had the pie of the day with chips which was great, They were all presented piping hat and despite valiant effort we failed to finish them all, but were well satisfied by the care and attention to detail by the staff, Think its well worth another visit soon Considering our evening its good value .

This pub serves great quality food and ensure there is plenty of it. Very impressed, very personable waitress. Well worth a visit.

We visited the Poachers Pocket for a cider, and to check the place out. New owners are lovely, can't wait to try the food. Bear garden looked amazing, again can't wait for some decent weather to enjoy it. There is a beautiful well at the back of the garden. The interior is beautiful, and multiple fire places, which is a big win in my books. We probably spent an hour chatting to the owners, which was lovely. All the best to you! See you soon, Chloe (and Bill)

This local favourite went down hill and then closed. Great that it has just reopened under a friendly and experienced local publican. The Wadworths beer is well kept - and Swordfish, which I tried yesterday, can be difficult. Martin the publican claims it is a limited menu but for lunch today we were well satisfied with a homemade 6oz burger served with plenty of trimmings plus french fries (more than I could manage) and coleslaw. My buddy had a good sized fried cod with proper chunky chips and mushy peas. All washed down with Thatchers Gold and Madri respectively. This is still a traditional pub and others came in just for a pint or a coffee (served in smart individual cafetières). A pleasant garden or a choice of a number of different seating/ eating areas. Dogs welcome. We are lucky to have this "proper" pub in the village and it looks as if it is destined to return to being a very popular venue for locals and visitors alike.

As of 9th March 2024 - this place is SHUT - the b&b told me at booking that there was a rumour that the pub may close BUT on my visit it was defintely closed - the website looks as if it is open, I e-mailed the manager who said it was closed due to a kitchen refit - no sign of any workmen as I went past on a weekday and there is a notice on the pub saying that it is looking for new management to run the pub - Hope that it is not too long before it reopens

Today we enjoyed a Sunday lunch at this pub, our first ever visit. The roast lamb and a fish pie were all very delicious, in fact the lamp rump steaks were outstanding, succulent and a real treat. The vegetables were really tasty. We were asked what we would like to drink before we had even sat down. - a sign of a warm welcome. There was a good choice of puddings and the coffee was fine. A thoroughly enjoyable lunch all round.

Good choice of Sunday roast options and tempting selection of desserts. Friendly, attentive staff, will be returning.

We pre-ordered our food due to a large booking (which was fine). The meals arrived approximately 45 minutes after being seated at our table. Food arrived at a good pace there after BUT unfortunately some meals were cold / lukewarm. Food was very good but would have been better if it was hot. We were seated in the skittle alley and it was freezing. Most people ate their food with their coats on. Radiators only just warm not hot so couldn't have been turned on much before us arriving. Not sure if it warmed up or if we got used to the cold in the end. Staff friendly, quick to serve and very welcoming. Great range of drinks just a little on the expensive side. Overall a good experience. Would not return in the winter as it was simply too cold.

Sadly this is not the pub it used to be. We were surprised it was dead quiet on a Saturday night but its January so maybe that was it. We were expecting great fish options because thats what the website said but sadly this was not the case. I had the seafood platter, which was a frozen selection whacked in the airfryer or similar. Others had seak, which was excessively fatty and chicken which was barely cooked. We decided to cut our losses and went elsewhere for puddings. Also it was freezing in there. To put a final nail in the coffin for us there was only one alcohol free beer option which was disappointing. Hopefully things will improve but we certainly won't be rushing back.

Excellent food & service, could not fault either staff very friendly and food was very good, tasty and plenty of it. Will be back.

Great lunchtime experience. Friendly welcome, excellent service, log fire and huge bowls of Irish stew. Perfect lunchtime winter feast.

Absolutely awful. Food was awful, staff were awful chef was awful. Just awful all round really. Don’t risk it.

Attractive building, welcoming staff. Surprised to find it almost empty on a Saturday evening. Problems started with the beer - the only draught ale on offer was sour. I was told 'nobody else has complained'! A replacement Guiness was £6.00. Dinner was reheated / microwaved meat pie with very oddly textured pastry and a slab of lukewarm 'duchesse' potatoes. Not very appetising. My wife said that she enjoyed the fish - obviously a better choice! Not a good experience - we won't be going back.

I enjoyed my veggie meal but there was no other choice, maybe add more. My friends enjoyed their meals. The poacher was welcoming with the fire alight.

This used to be a pub which would struggle to fit you in on a Friday. Now under new management or ownership, we were the only ones there for a while. The menu is very good, though the prices are quite high, and the surroundings pleasant and cosy although a light outside the pitch black entrance would have been welcome on a November's night. The food all tasted lovely BUT my fish had bones in and one of the prawns still had shell attached. Apparently the chef did not have his glasses on! I told the waitress that I couldn't tip, not because the service was bad but because no offer of any compensation (free dessert, reduction in bill perhaps) was offered. As we left she said see you next time, I thought no, probably unlikely.

Visited with two friends for their birthday. Food was excellent, service was friendly and efficient. Prices were also very reasonable. Great bar area too.

Haven’t been for a while, though we go as new owners, very impressed with the new menu, food was excellent. Lovely service, friendly, and good timing with service of food. Definitely would recommend.

Lovely meal for a group of 6 of us staying in the area. Food was cooked to perfection and the choice was great. So much more on offer than just the usual pub menu - although if you want the usual pub fare it’s on the menu. Service was quick and friendly and nothing was too much bother (we asked for some variations on a couple of the meals). Will definitely return when next in the area.

We had a lovely meal there yesterday lunchtime the food and service was excellent.

We’ve have been staying in Somerset on holiday and have visited this lovely pub twice .. once for Sunday lunch which was absolutely gorgeous , beautiful tender beef with all the trimmings . Dinner in the evening was just as delightful , friendly attentive staff . Thank you we will definitely be back

Lovely old pub beautifully kept. Great food, I had duck spring rolls with salad and a creme brulee, a starter and a dessert rather than a main. Perfect portion size for me! My friend had a steak which he loved. Planning to return shortly!

Great to see this pub open again! Really friendly and welcoming team, they couldn’t do enough for us. The menu was varied and reasonable. The mushroom and cream sauce with the chicken was lovely. My fish loving friends were raving about the vermouth sauce on the hake. The garden is lovely with pretty views and a well, and dog friendly too. We will be back for sure!

Recently reopened and an improvement from our last visit in 2022. Good menu choices and food was excellent. Good beer choices. Very friendly landlord.

Absolutely wonderful food with great service. Lovely pub in a tucked away location. Well worth a visit. Thoroughly recommended. 👍

This used to be a great little pub but now with its stupid prices the place is always empty!!! The stode in cranmore is the same. Trying to hard to be something there not!

Visited today last minute for Sunday roast and what a great decision that was! Large choice, generous adult portions and half portions for the kids. We all had clean plates at the end and the staff were fantastic. Reasonably priced as were the drinks. We will be back, thank you!

Lovely little pub, food was great and the service excellent. Will certainly be back!!

There are fewer things in life more reliable than a John Harrington Sunday roast dinner. There are fewer things in life more reliable than a John Harrington Sunday roast dinner. Our first visit to this lovely pub in a quiet location,but well worth the drive just for a Harrington roast. Friendly helpful staff and good drink selection. Great food and very reasonable price. We will be back soon for the slow cooked belly pork.

The Poachers Pocket was always the "go to " pub for an amazing Sunday Roast. Unfortunately standards have slipped beyond repair. We ordered 2 roast sirloin of beef, and 1 roast belly pork. The beef was swimming in the gravy that resembled dish water , the roast potatoes were burnt, soggy, and cold and look liked left overs, and the beef, while I tolerate a little blood, this looked as though it had just come from the field with the amount of blood on it, and what's more, we specifically asked for no blood! When we complained and asked for it to be cooked more, it was returned in an even more soggy mess, and with absolutely no apology. The yorkshire puddings were like leather and burnt. The vegetables which consisted of cauliflower cheese buttered cabbage and a few green were cold and tasteless. I have tasted far better microwave instant meals. There was no attempt to rectify any of these issues, and to add insult to a disastrous meal, no attempt to compensate even a small portion of the bill. The manager didn't appear to be concerned about our complaints, and the customer service was just as bad as the food. I understand the manager is new, but carry on in this manner then it won't be long before the business closes again. An absolute disgrace on all levels. The belly pork was also unappetising and stringy, so it seems to be across the board. So sad when it used to be a lovely thriving pub. Stay home and have beans on toast, far more acceptable.

What a wonderful pub/hostalry this has been for years, ambient, friendly and fabulous food with a crowd of locals whose support kept it a popular place to be. A new opening so the opportunity to try a new experience. However whilst the waitress was friendly the dining experience was diabolical. The Steak was totally covered in pepper and inedible, with this identified to the staff, no offer of replacement was made, where I was advised to eat around it. To end the evening, the bill was brought and they had charged for the inedible meal. Questioning this the chef advised there was nothing wrong with the meal and deducted the cost of the meal not eaten but advised the free dessert my partner was given was no longer free. To receive a bad meal is one thing ....... but the bad attitude has certainly endured I will not be going back.

There are fewer things in life more reliable than a John Harrington Sunday roast dinner. Our first visit to this lovely pub in a quiet location,but well worth the drive just for a Harrington roast. Friendly helpful staff and good drink selection. Great food and...

I went there with my family tonight for the first time since the new owner took over, and as we’d been there many times before i did notice that the menu had become much more limited with more unique meals. As a picky eater I found it difficult to choose what to have - hence the four stars - as I also wasn’t presented with a children’s menu (I’m not even sure if they had one) which would have much simpler foods that i would like. I also noticed that there was not many options for vegetarians, there was maybe one or two. Apart from the authentic, yet small choice of meals they had to offer, the waitresses were lovely and made us feel welcome, the owner was lovely too and even sat down and had a chat with us when he wasn’t busy, and the service was very quick and well carried out. I just think that older/wiser folk would enjoy this pub more as it doesn’t offer typical pub grub, and could be appealing to those looking for a fancier place to eat, that has reasonable prices, and has fairly large portions. I recommend this pub to any family with older teenagers or above, or couples who have no children at all, mainly for the fact that the meal options are limited, and not suitable for picky eaters. But other than that, it is a good pub!

This pub is different to the old pub for the menu and we found it much better! Welcoming friendly staff, good range of drinks. The food tastes fantastic, the 3 of us had a 3 course meal each,well presented & tasted divine. We will definitely...

absolutely disgusting how he speaks to his waitresses. i’m disgusted with the way he messages his waitresses. so rude. what happened to the poachers? we want the old owners back!!! but unfortunately that won’t happen. don’t recommend going there you get treated like dirt. vile...

Wonderful menu that genuinely was difficult to choose from as there were so many delicious options. Had the lamb which was so tender and plentiful and the vegetables were crisp and a good range. The chocolate truffle torte was the best I’ve ever had, so...

I’ve been going to this pub for over 30 years. I’ve never been so disappointed with the quality of food and service. Sadly this place is now awful. The food was disgusting. We ordered steak, pie, pork mandolins and beef strips. The steak was meant...

Myself, partner and parents went there last night and were impressed with the menu.All freshly cooked and well presented with decent portions .Only downfall was there was no starters but as the landlord pointed out he was in the kitchen by himself so can't blame him and I see they were advertising for staff so I'm sure the starters offering will change.All round happy and came away nicely filled.

We decided to try the pub after it reopened ...what a mistake that was To start there was no starters on the menu which was strange We ordered Fish and chips , lasgane and 2x lamb dishes When the food arrived the chips were not...

Very friendly and welcoming including your dog. Superb food.

My wife and I spent 3 days staying at the old stables b&b in Chelynch, the poachers pocket is very close. We had an evening meal there each night. The meals were excellent and very good prices, the service was also excellent, we were so lucky to find this little gem, we recommend it, the pork steaks were to die for as was the seafood platter, thank you 🙏

Lovely food and excellent service at a good price , the seafood platter was amazing value as was the pork steaks etc

I'm so happy this place has opened again. Very nice Sunday lunch (roast)👍🏻

Pleasant enough pub. Food average. Service ok but lady behind the bar seemed a little out of her depth.

This Open Sandwich, which cost £9 consisted of 2 slices of brown sliced bread, no butter or even margarine with prawns in Rose Marie sauce on top of one slice. On the other slice were a few shavings of avocado with a dressing, a couple...

Great welcome, very friendly staff, food excellent .... However, management need to invest money in maintaining clean toilets, they're very tired, and somewhat grubby I'm saddened to say. (gents)

Food was served lukewarm with no call back to check if everything was OK. Products used low end with no thought to presentation. Pub had bar staff more interested in drinking thier own products than looking after the customers. Carpets threadbare and place could do with a good clean. More of a drinking pub than a place to eat.

great place to dine out very good food and drink fantastic staff

Had a great lunch for 6 of us on a wet and windy day. Had heard the lasagne was good and I was not disappointed. There was a good atmosphere with a wide age group of customers. I would visit again.

Our first visit today, but won't be our last. Traditional pub in a rural setting. The staff are very friendly, the food is lovely, and reasonably priced. Would happily recommend.

I've copied and pasted what I wrote in December 2019, as it's all still true: We like to call in for lunch every year between Christmas and New Year. We were greeted by the very friendly guy behind the bar. Delicious food at decent prices....

Booked for Christmas lunch with friends. Food and service was excellent.

Got us in without a booking . Lovely steak and chips . Looked very festive with all the christmas tree decs up

Good food efficient service and friendly atmosphere

Lovely pub,good food and warm welcome

Absolutely fantastic food all the staff were friendly and efficient and the landlord is brilliant recomend a visit we travel to meet family

Decent food with large portions. Lovely staff. Best to book in advance as it can get quite busy!

Called in on a reconnoitre as we had booked a meal for 2 days hence. What a find!!! Extremely helpful lady behind the Bar. Very helpful. 10/10 Had a Great Meal and shall definitely return. Very helpful team at The Poachers Pocket. Unfortunately the landlord is leaving at the end of January.

When I go out for a meal I'm not a fan of having to order at the bar I'd rather someone take the order. Also when asking for a diet coke I'd like to be told that its pepsi there is a difference and i will happily have something else. Food was nice and puddings lovely

Perfect place for a meal could not fault

Perfect experience we had creamy garlic mushrooms cheesy garlic bread and whitebait for starter and a steak and Stilton pie which was homemade and full of meat and pork loin in creamy sauce and along with the vegetables it was a fantastic meal all cooked...

Excellent prices for food. Superb value. Friendly staff.

Excellent food and very generous portions

Nice local food , all the pub classics at reasonable money and very generous portions.

Lovely atmosphere. Food delicious

We visited yesterday ,all 6 of us left feeling well fed by welcoming hosts. The standard was high, the amount of food was great and well worth the price paid. Definitely worth a visit to this quaint village pub. Thanks

Lovely food and well priced. Had a great roast. Don't expect anything gourmet, just honest and tasty food. Gets very busy so would suggest booking ahead.

What an interesting menu. We really ate well and much more interesting than so much pub food. Nice atmosphere and a delightful lunch

Always great food and great service, always make sure we visit for a meal whilst staying in Shepton. Keith Polly & Dee and the kitchen staff always work hard. Would recommend all the food especially the steak and ale pie.

Raced to this well reviewed pub to arrive at 14:50 on a Friday afternoon in 30+ degree weather. We were on a long hike from Frome to Wells and absolutely gasping for a drink. The front door was locked and what I can only presume...

We ate here after being recommended by a few locals whilst staying in the area for a week . We both ordered fillet steak and thoroughly enjoyed our meal . It was one of the best cooked steaks we have ever had along with all the trimmings .Friendly staff and good atmosphere .

Evening meal with friends, amazing good, hearty food. All fresh. Staff absolutely lovely, so friendly and welcoming especially despite current times. Would highly recommend.

Four of us booked for Sunday lunch and couldn't be happier. Food was piping hot on arrival, good portion sizes and the food was of a good quality. 2 of us had beef, 2 lamb; the lamb was melt in your mouth and didn't have a bit of gristle or fat, just lovely meat. Roast potatoes also very good. Added bonus was the decent amount of gravy. So many places give you a dribble of weak gravy, but there was an abundance of good gravy.Topical review - owners are taking covid seriously and there are ample measures in place.Strongly recommend, will be back soon :)

Had a great family visit. Good options. Traditional type meals, hearty. Staff are friendly and attentive. Would recommend and visit again.

Had a lovely meal for my sons 5th birthday. We were staying locally while visiting longleat. Really good fresh traditional pub food, with very generous portions, and all the staff are very nice too.I had the chicken wrapped in bacon with Stilton sauce and it was My partner had the fish and chips which was huge.Shame another customer chose to take umbrage with my sons nervous cough. Like having a kid with a nervous cough in a pandemic isn’t awkward enough, she chose to stare at us and mutter under her breath. I would have happily explained if she’d chosen to actually ask me, but these people never do do they! Much happier just being ignorant and rude.

A group of us meet every week just for lunch, as we have done for many years.Covid precautions were OK.Service was a little slow, but adequate.Food was obviously freshly cooked, and generally considered to be tasty, and quantity for us old timers perfectly fine.Two of our group managed to get through to having a colourful Eton Mess.No complaints.

Great food. Had the macaroni cheese and knickerbocker glory. Can’t fault it as was delicious. The staff are friendly and attentive.

Popularity with locals is a good indication of a pub's quality. Friendly service; tasty fare, good value - what else could you want?

You cant beat it. Always a need to reserve a table. Don't just call in. VFM excellent. Friendly staff,

We have tried this place twice now for lunch but unfortunately they are not very interested in business or keeping the clients happy, the kitchen closes at 2pm on a Saturday!

I tried to book for Sunday lunch. There was no reply so I gave up. How do they expect to get business if they don't answer the phone.

After having great meal with neighbours there in December, decided to go again with relatives in February

We have used Keith and his staff for many years now, as a couple and as a family group of 12 plus. Weekdays and weekends the food is always excellent. A little off the beaten track, but well worth the extra mile for.

i was recommend this pub as a place to have a great meal so i booked a table for 7 for my 40th birthday.food was excellent, massive portions not very local to me (about 20miles) but i will return and recommend to others thank you for a lovely time

We were served vegan meals with cheese ontop! When we questioned this staff offered to scrape the cheese off. Our vegans had to eat chips and steamed veg. Then we were charged for the meals they hadn't had. Emails were unanswered, phone calls unreturned.Also,booked a table for a family but we're out on two separate tablesWould not go back.

Very busy however staff as friendly as always and food superb. We love it. Very accomodating for children

We like to call in for lunch every year between Christmas and New Year. We were greeted by the very friendly guy behind the bar. Delicious food at decent prices. All the staff were really friendly. Lovely old pub decorated nicely for Christmas.

I was quite upset when my works Christmas lunch was to be here - well there was no reason to be disappointed it turned out to be an excellent choiceAll three courses were delicious and although there was a bit if a wait for the food it was well worth the waitI would easily recommend this pub to one and all - well done and thank you!!

Amazing food, friendly staff and just a great pub. Go here for most family birthdays and occasions and never been let down. Food is home cooked and the portion sizes are very generous. Would highly recommend

Rustic pub with a real local feel. Went in for dinner and really enjoyed the atmosphere. Staff were friendly and the food was good, although I had the mixed grill and the meat cooked too long for my preference but was still flavourful. Had 2 dinners and 2 pints of cider for £46... a little pricey but it was a decent meal.

We arrived as the pub was about to open. Ordered drinks and chose our own table. We both ordered the same starter as we have been here before and thoroughly enjoyed it. Garlic mushrooms were heavily. We both chose from the main menu but whilst waiting at the bar my partner had a change of mind and chose from the specials board (there was a lot to choose from). The pub was fairly busy but there wasn't a wait for the food. I love the fact that there is NO WIFI so it's down to good old conversation. A nice friendly atmosphere with the regular sat the bar. Warmed my heart when an old chap came in with his own cushion and his order was on the bar ready for him b4 he even sat down. Highly recommend. If going of an evening book a table to avoid disappointment.