Restaurant at The Sweeney in Shropshire

Do not bother with the Afternoon Tea ☕️ It is not worth it! We went nearly six years ago for my fortieth with family and it was beyond terrible, so after seeing all of the lovely pics and reading good reviews thought we’d try it again but if it’s possible it actually was worse! Stale cakes, solid macaroons with chocolate that had turned white, strawberries that had passed their best and cheap wafter thin ham and crispy cheese that had been left out too long, undercooked hard wedges and who likes the coffee bits in their coffee …? We will never go again! Wasn’t good enough all those years ago and hasn’t improved at all 🙁 Nice view of the gardens but that’s the only positive

We had eaten at the restaurant before and had been disappointed. The sequencing of the service was bad and one main course was refused because of the parsimonious portion size. No matter, we thought we'd give the restaurant a second chance. However this proved to be a mistake. A starter of focaccia bread was not delivered and had to be requested for a second time. It eventually arrived after the main courses had been served. We had previously seen the fish and chips which seemed to be a good choice and it was enjoyed by one of the party. However, when tomato ketchup was requested it was delivered with about 1 centimetre of the Heinz product in the bottom of the bottle. The other main course was an aubergine bake. It came up rather dry but worst of all the spaghetti which accompanied it was doused in a most unpleasant sauce which appeared to have been a poor-quality commercial product poured from a jar. Lovely people, but a new chef and staff training are both urgent requirements.

Our first visit and we will not be repeating it. I had black pudding and leek croquettes for starters. It is difficult to make black pudding tasteless but this was achieved. My main course was Coq au vin pie with celeriac mash and tenderstem brocolli. The pie was not just encased in pastry but armour-plated. The celeriac mash was actually mashed potato and the tenderstem brocolli appeared to be normal brocolli. I very much doubt that either the croquettes or the pie were made on the premises. I would advise the owners that, if they are going to buy food ready-made, they should at least try it themselves before inflicting it on their clients. The ambience and service were great - shame about the food.

On our short visit to Wales, we went to the annual food market in Oswestry. The only reason we came was coz it was pouring down with rain so we decided to stop for tea and sandwiches. Bad idea! Impressive grounds but food quality very poor, basic and tasteless. Service even worse, no sugar or teaspoons served with our tea, we had to ask for them.

Full of expectation but disappointed with the experience. The dining room had no ambiance and the table was poorly presented. Food was no more than cafe quality at best, edible but not memorable in a good way.