Red lion rocester in East Staffordshire

Very poor meal, Ham salad looked like someone put a bag of lettuce from the supermarket and a bit of very cheap ham. Bread roll inedible. When I mentioned to server, got a blank look and “do you want another roll” No I wanted a decent ham salad. Clearly no qualified chef or staff with any responsibility. Don’t bother eating here. Waste of money.

We visited Willows (previously Tutbury Tearooms) for lunch. There was a good selection of meals, snacks and drinks on the menu, although there didn’t seem to be a children’s menu. The cafe was comfortable and nicely decorated. The food was nice, but very expensive. £9.75 for a jacket potato with cheese (plus £1.50 for each additional topping) is far too much!!! My son had two potato waffles with grated cheese and baked beans, which cost £9.99!!! We left feeling negative due to this and are unlikely to return.

Being back in Burton for another pub crawl we thought we would look this place up again for probably the last time as it is due to close at the end of October in an act of complete vandalism by Molson Coors, showing a total lack of respect for brewing history by planning to redevelop the site for offices. Have these people no morals or respect? Clearly not. As for the tap room and restaurant itself, it’s a fairly sterile corporate affair but at least the hanging pub signs in the restaurant section does try and give it a bit of character. And in my experience the bar staff serving behind the bar have always given the impression that they are suffering for their profession and would rather be somewhere else. Although cannot comment on the food as we have never eaten here and again were only here for the tap bar bit, but can certainly pass judgement on the ale and in that respect the beer was very good, but then you would expect it to be as it is the official tap bar for the Heritage Brewery, embedded in the National Brewery Centre next door, and they don’t have to travel very far. The Tap bar has six hand pumps and for our visit these were dispensing the Heritage Brewery Masterpiece IPA, Heritage Gold, Charrington IPA and Oatmeal Stout as well as Draught Bass and Elgood black dog on as a guest. I went for the Oatmeal Stout. It is not one of the best tap rooms I have ever visited, but it is probably one of the most famous, so I will be very sad to see it go, if this act of vandalism is allowed to proceed by the local council and the local MP. If it is then the very soul of Burton on Trent will go with it.

Excellent breakfast. We had two mediums. They were tasty and good quality ingredients. Service was friendly and quick. Really good value for money.

Absolutely cracking pint of Pedigree. They're dog friendly. Not tried the food but looks very nice. Thursday night is quiz night. Overall out of 5 I'd would have given it a 6 . Will be going again. Need to try the food !