The Fancott in Central Bedfordshire

Looks lovely from outside, all lit up and inside oldy woldy, which seemed really nice. Menu looked good and was looking forward to eating somewhere different as haven't been here for over 20 years.....but...how very disappointing, had pre booked for table of 8...ordered roast dinners but had run out of roast potatoes and chicken wings..!! Most orders were over cooked and dry, staff tried their best but clearly not trained in how to be happy jolly with customers and slow with getting drinks as took half hour to bring to the table...twice..! After 40 minutes of ordering food, was then told they had run out of certain items on menu...hence roast potatoes with roast dinner..was offered chips..!!? Check stock when your customers pre book....Will give you an idea on orders...especially a sunday as a lot people go out for a roast dinner..!! Sorry...maybe see you in another 20 years if the fancott survives..!!

The new owners turned the pub around, wise to book beforehand get very busy. In the summer Mothers day onwards you also have the railway kids love it.

First time going here and it's wonderful. Staff are friendly and good. Food was lovely and a decent price. Service was very good. Definitely going back x

Great family place with amazing atmosphere, there’s a little train in the back that young ones can ride and enjoy! Would recommend if in the area. Big open garden space in the back as well Got a nice lunch sandwich meal which was well worth the price ! ♿️ accessible outdoor seating

Just a warm welcome from ALL staff fantastic food. Free motorhome parking. Do not hesitate to visit. Our dog was also made very welcome

Very traditional English pub. Good menu. I stayed in the car park in my campervan, which was brilliant. Would love to visit again in the summer when the mini railway and beer gardens are open.

Omg fantastic all round atmosphere and lush food

Fabulous 80th birthday lunch in attractiverefurbished country pub with nice garden lots of parking space and minaiture train. Really friendly and helpful staff and gd food for 23 mixed age guests, from 1year to several of us in our eighties. Attractive dining room nicely set out for us and decorated by my family I love being 80 and really enjoyed my very special celebration, Many thanks to all at The Fancott Arms, Auntie P

A good pub, situated just a couple of miles off the M1, making it a perfect pit stop on trips north or south. It's easy to book through Google Maps, and we enjoyed the extensive pub grub menu. Lots of choice, including fish & chips, bangers & mash, chilli con carne (both a meat and veggie version), and lots of desserts, including chocolate brownie, and sticky toffee pudding.

Nice big pub. Very warm and welcoming. Very busy. Great buzz. Dog friendly, nice fire. Sunday Roast. Beef was good, lamb good, pork belly wasn't pork belly, just sliced pork. All tasty though. Great veg ( but they forgot cauli cheese.... devastated! 😆). Really nice people. Motorhome stop over. Great quiet spot.

Brilliant stopover for our motorhome was made to feel extremely welcome and we will definitely be back many thanks 😊

Lovely meal. Great service. Beautiful setting. Will defo go back.

Friendly regulars. Not sure what they spent the time and money on in the refurb and why. Beer used to be good but today was just ok. The new paint smell will keep me away for a few weeks.

Was recommended to us by our Estate agent as we are moving to Toddington later this year and it did not disappoint. Warm and welcoming ambiance, cozy dining room and food was fantastic. Started with the Halloumi fries and two glasses of Rioja then ordered the Sea Bass Fillets and Chicken Milanese Beautifully cooked plated Would definitely recommend this as a great place to eat and drink and glad it will be our local soon. (and, as a bonus there is a miniature railway attached that open Sundays)

Excellent, friendly tasty food nice enviroment

Great family friendly pub. A bit expensive but the miniature railway was great for the kids

A lovely pub, a bit pricey thou, however the food/drink and service were exceptional so the prices are kinda justified, It is the perfect place to go with a family if you have young kids, There was a nice play area shaded by the trees in the back , Worth a visit, the staff were really accommodating and pleasant

Lovely place, lovely food & Ali and Stella were wonderful too, loved the decor also, look forward to returning.

Very helpful staff excellent food we stayed here two nights in our motorhome would definitely recommend it

Very pleasant pub, nice food, great garden if you have kids.

Had a lovely afternoon eating and drinking in the garden . Service and food were excellent 👍🏼

Quick service, clean pint! Child friendly, bit pricey, worth it tho, all round thumbs up.

Always a good pond and a pleasant time at the Fancott

Nice location - visited on a sunny Monday evening. It wasn’t really busy, but incredibly had to wait 1 hour 10 minutes to get 2 meals - a burger and chips + halloumi and chips. No apology throughout. It’s a shame as it’s a nice location but clearly the staff need to be a bit more attentive. The chips were cold when the food came but I had to move on and didn’t want to give the staff a hard time who are just the middle men here. Management should take note

Food was alright, chef was on his own so had a wait. Generous glass of wine though

Used to be great but has gone down hill...over cooked food. Had to search around for cutlery Tables not cleared and seemed to be short staffed..Sorry Fancott.

Drinks were good, food wasn't too bad to good. Unfortunately they were short staffed that day due to 3 or 4 people not turning up but the staff that were there did an excellent job under difficult circumstances on a very busy afternoon. They tried to start cheerful and courteous. Respect to them and thank you.

Country pub tucked away near Toddington. There is a decent garden and play area, and plenty of space inside. Staff were helpful and attentive. Food was good. Plenty of parking.

Lovely local pub with a great pub garden a good size play area for the kids. Wonderful staff

Arrived with a friend and it was closed !! 7pm at night!!

Visited on a fairly quiet Tuesday lunchtime and had booked prior. Seated straight away in a window seat looking out front of pub. Service quick and friendly and food ready in reasonable time. All freshly cooked and tasty. Prices about average for pub food and overall a pleasant lunch. Would revisit and evening when busier may generate more atmosphere.

We were a party of 4 on Friday 28/6/2024. The pub and garden were not busy, however the service was incredibly slow, and at least 1 other party left after 2 hours and no sign of their meal. We were fortunate that we did eventually receive our food, which was of a reasonable standard. Whilst the staff were very apologetic, there was clearly an issue in the kitchen, and there seemed to be no-one with sufficient authority to deal with the issue. The whole thing was very disorganised, and let down the Fancott, which from previous visits I have found to be a decent place to visit. At the very least, if there are issues, the staff should be upfront with customers as to the likely delay.

Not great food. Not great service.

Staff were Friendly but incompetent. No soap in the toilets which was pointed out to them numerous times but never rectified. For this fact alone I’d avoid. Booked for a party at a cost of £150 and then they called last orders at 9:30pm due to the restaurant being quiet Food was good but probably contaminated with urine and faeces due to no soap!

Lovely pub with miniature train .... food is nice .... very welcoming.

Excellent food. Very friendly service. Absolutely okay in terms of price. There was even a parking space with electricity for our motorhome.

My partner and I arrived and were seated...over half an hour later we had to go and find someone to take our order, I asked what larger were available, and was told " I'm not sure, go to the bar and have a look if you want to" we had decided what we wanted to eat, given all the time from being seated and placed the order for food with the drinks, off goes the waitress, only to come back 5 minutes later to ask if we were ready to order our food! The food did arrive quickly... but unfortunately was not that good, tough meat, overcooked veg and probably gravy made from granuals, along with soggy roast potatoes! We declined pudding, were not asked if we would like anything else...like maybe another drink...then waited another half an hour in the remote hope of seeing a staff member to pay the bill and leave, resorted to going to find a member of staff, of which there were plenty around the bar happily chatting away to one another, the bill paid we eventually left, and will most definitely not be back, maybe they were busy I hear you say, the two other occupied tables consisted of 1 table also waiting for a bill...and another who had waited 40 minutes for their food, again we will not be back...ever!

My partner and I have just got back from booking Sunday lunch at the Fancott. I have to say we were extremely disappointed! The service was totally non existent! We sat for 30 minutes after being shown to a table without even being asked for our drinks order, eventually I had to go and ask a waitress if anyone was actually coming over to take our order. My partner asked what beers were on tap only to be told by the waitress that she didn’t know and my partner should go to the bar to look for herself! We then gave our food order only to be asked 10 minutes later if we wanted to order food by the same waitress who had originally taken our order! By the end of the meal, the staff were virtually non-existent (I noticed when we left they were all standing round the bar) and, in spite of there only being 4 tables occupied in the restaurant area, we waited a further 30 minutes or more for someone to even bother to come into the restaurant area so we could ask for the bill! Had the food been amazing I could have overlooked the shoddy service but it was mediocre at best! I have to say, we will not be back ever and will not be recommending it to anyone we know or associate with!

We had the Sunday roasts and they were lovely. Ate inside as our preference. Service was good

This used to be a great pub for eating. Since the change of hands I wouldn’t recommend this to my Dog. Avoid Avoid Avoid

We went to the The Fancott bank holiday weekend ordered drinks and dinner but unfortunately they had a power cut the owner apologised [not being he's fault] gave us free drinks

Lovely little pub. First time there and took the kids to see the little train there but unfortunately it was not running when we went, however there was a play area that kept them busy. Decent food and neck oil on tap. Will go again

Easy to find, staff friendly, car park quiet.

There were 14 in our party the service was excellent extremely friendly staff the food was great totally recommend this pub well worth the 260 mile round trip to meet up with family we will certainly meet there again We’ve just visited again and it didn’t disappoint . The staff were extremely friendly helpful and the food was excellent and a nice pint This is our half way point when meeting relatives and it makes the 130 mile trip back worth it

We had a lovely welcome, when we arrived and asked if we could stay in the car park in our van conversion. The manager said normally they ask for people to eat who stay but the kitchen was shut so we each had a drink before heading back to our van. The pub was lovely and welcoming, with different menus through out the day.

Not what it's used to be! Still looks nice but doesn't feel the same. Garden is still nice with the train and kids park. Food was half decent for the price. Was charged £3.25 for pint of lemonaid the first time and tried to charge £5.95 the second time. When I asked why she couldn't tell me. Either way be careful once you have had a drink.

Visited with family (two adults two kids). The back garden is a good size. Kids have little playground to keep them occupied. You can see that families with children and dogs are always welcome there. Good parking. Food was tasty and quickly prepared. Nice portion size. Would definitely recommend. Worth driving past one or two other local pubs on the way to The Fancott. Just go the extra mile (or two).

Excellent food, service and price. It's been a while since I've been there with kids but happy to return again.

Booked about three weeks ahead.for mother-in-law birthday. My husband informed when booking his mother was disabled,Could not sit in the restaurant as thought was put in the bar area.sitting area not suitable for anyone that is disabled and no visible signs of disabled parking or access to the building. We all had a roast dinner to my horror our parsnips were so hard and my veg looked like it had been thrown on the the plate. We used to come here regularly but I can assure you I will never come again and never recommend friends family and colleagues to come or anybody that has disabled family etc total bill was £90.00

Super nice staff. Let us stay overnight in our camper-van and use the outlet for free. Food was good too!

Nice pint, great for families with the miniature steam railway and other kids activity. Disappointed with the 🧀 in my roll

Great pub.quick service and good food.will be returning.great roast dinner.and a lot of it to boot

Nice place..food was good...service ok..

Good friendly helpful staff. Excellent food and ambience

Friendly and very helpful staff, food was wonderful. Great value for money.

Well what a lovely experience. after a very negative review from myself in July 2023 we returned with a voucher from the Fancott to attend another birthday for my son. All staff were so pleasant and accommodating. Excellent value for the money and a very good sized portion for everything. The only reason I have given a 4* for service is that one of our party requested MAC-CHEESE and asked what it came with besides the extra bacon for a £, the waitress had no idea so went to find out only to report that was it. However it came with a bowl of salad that that member of our party wouldn't eat, if they had known the addition maybe he could have requested something different ? as it was he requested onion rings as a filler and paid extra. maybe waiting staff need to be more alert as to the menu, however I do appreciate how difficult this can be if staff are casual. Anyway we had a lovely afternoon, staff were lovely and the food more than we could eat, piping hot, lovely hot plates (my pet hate hot food on cold plates)

Best pub around for miles for food and drinks.

It was Brill 5 star's all the way will be back

Large pub with a great outdoor area for family's and children

It's a lovely country pub, especially in the summer as they have a small railway in the garden for the children.. unfortunately the day my friend and I visited for a late lunch the heating had broken down and it was really cold in the restaurant area, so much so I had to keep my coat on around my shoulders whilst eating my meal. Food was really good, but not particularly cheap, but was good quality and an ample portion. Also the barmaid/server forgot to bring my friends drink to our table after ordering, but in their defence they did give us a good discount on the bill due to lack of heat and service

Attended a friend's birthday lunch get-together and ordered the Sunday roast, a plentiful portion, well cooked and very tasty. The roast lamb was absolutely delicious and very tender. The food was served hot and with ample gravy. Would definitely recommend to friends. Diane & Joe

Raw chicken burger !! With no apology jacket potatoes very hard and like warm , hopefully this is not a regular occurrence here

Pre booked pre ordered food for 8pm for 12 people. Pre dinner drinks at 6.30. They knew we were there so no excuses. Starters arrived 8.20 onwards. Bottle of water 3 times ordered from bar. 2 mains so salty they were inedible 2 didn't arrive at all. They did very heavily discount the bill but this was supposed to be a celebration dinner for a specific event. We can't do it another day. Used to really like this place.

Lovely old pub with great food and service. Highly recommend!

Great night out, lovely food, Great service received from all staff. Would definitely come back here again in the future.

This is one of the best pubs me and my friend kian go to, we have now started goin in alot more frequently due to feeling welcome from all staff especially when they have a smile each better then the other

Good food, good service, doggy freindly, reasonable price, free park up in our campervan, will come back again.

Stopped in for a very late lunch. Staff happily seated us on the proviso we ordered within 5 minutes before the kitchen closed. Grateful we were accommodated we ordered 3 burgers & chips and 1 fish and chips. The food was prompt and hot, and the staff did everything to make our visit a pleasant experience. Overall, if you're looking for "pub grub" or something quick to eat, then the Fancott is your place. We only visited on a late weekday lunchtime. Therefore, we can not comment on evening or Sunday meals.

I have been coming here for years with my family. I have come down 6 hours from the North to go out with my family to the Fancott, which was booked 3 weeks ago. Today, on the day of our booking, with 7 hours notice, they cancelled our booking. Because it’s ’party night’. Basically, we have had our table, booked well in advance, thrown out the window to make way for larger tables that will pay more money on this one occasion. You’ve left my family with nowhere to go out tonight. How is anyone going to get a table with a few hours notice at Christmas? Disgusting. Corporate greed at its finest. We won’t be ever coming back don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of room for your parties next time. Enjoy your party night :) EDIT: In response to The Scamcotts reply, no, they did not email us on the 18th. Do you know when they did email us? On the 21st to remind us of the booking. I’ve attached this photo. :) Strange isn’t it? Reconfirming a booking that you cancelled 3 days prior? And then call on the day to cancel a booking that you have already cancelled? (Included an incoming phone call from you on the day too when you cancelled. Says yesterday, which was Friday 22nd Dec). Lying on a public platform is hilarious 😆 I’ll email you, so you can prove that you cancelled my booking 3 days before you reconfirmed it. And when you can’t do so, because you didn’t, I’ll await your apology when you update your reply. This wasn’t supposed to go so deep but I’m not being told I’m a liar. Posted original reply Also, who is going to check social media just in case their meal is cancelled? lol

We decided to go here for breakfast with Santa for the kids. Bad mistake! Food was bland and varied in temperature from mushrooms burning your mouth to beans as cold as from the tin. One breakfast came with the wrong egg. Ask for it to be changed, same plate came back with the egg swapped which too around 5 mins. In this time all other items on the plate had gone cold! 3 full cooked breakfasts served at the same time and had to remind them of the scrambled egg on toast which was yet to come (surely the most basic of all 4 dishes ordered) Money refunded for one breakfast as when it was sent back due to being cold, they had closed the kitchen and not able to make another breakfast. Free round of drinks as compensation, would have preferred a better experience than the refund and free drink. Won’t be returning!!!! Such a shame as this place used to be a high end country pub! Now a shambles….

Visited the Fancott Arms this evening and what a disappointing experience. The food was barely warm and the service was almost non-existent with the staff showing very little interest.

Overnight stay off grid in motorhome (dropping off for early flight at Luton airport). Only 1 electric hook up point. Water fill is possible ask at bar and kitchen staff will assist but we needed neither. Could hear some traffic at night but not bothersome, realised in daylight we were backed up to the motorway so that explained the slight noise. Caution, sat nav takes you to location opposite pub if you come off southbound M1 private residence. We had steak and chips both cooked to perfection. Helpful staff and very welcoming. Shame its so far for us to go.

Went to order food and was told the kitchen was shut. No explanation. Made do with crisps and nuts. Noticed other customers being served food from the kitchen. About an hour later a member of staff informed us that the kitchen had temporarily closed due to rainwater in the fryers but had been quickly reopened but no one had bothered to tell us. She said we could now order food but by this time it was too late for us.

Gave us our bill and when we checked it there was someone else's bill on there as well, 4 times we had to go back to them to correct it, sent two pints back as they were flat, informed us at 9 o'clock that it's last orders and that they shut at ten (should tell people that when booking) all the staff were sitting round in there coats waiting for us to go,Not the best.

A lovely proper pub with great staff and food. Beautiful big garden and miniature train track in adjoining land. An interesting place. Thank you. Julia

Lovely country pub run by a very warm, friendly and competent landlord. Food was good at a realistic price. Spent a very nice evening here. What more can you ask for!

Fantastic place to stop in your motorhome for free, Electric if required, just have a drink, and a bite to eat if you like, the food is fab.

The food and staff are no longer deserving of 5*

Very good choice menu. Food tasty and hot. Has a working train in the garden. Low beams inside. Staff pleasant

Awesome pub close to the M1 and allows overnight motorhome parking with a meal. It even has 3 EHUs!

I can confirm it is dog friendly. We were in the garden (nicely shaded on a hot lunchtime) but we were offered a table to eat from in the bar. Food was good and had plenty of choice.

Haven’t been there for a while and was not disappointed staff were friendly and lovely garden looks absolutely fabulous it’s one of our favourite places to go too. Had tuna and mayonnaise roll was lovely just one tiny little critique is that the roll seemed like it was a day or two old wasn’t the greatest but overall would Defoe give it 4 stars. Just one tiny little thing they used to have tuna melt on the menu was lovely now they no longer do it😢 wish they would bring it back lol

In a word , brilliant, kids loved the play area, food was very good as well

A pub as a pub should be. Warm welcome, good food and a nice atmosphere. And a railway as an extra

What an amazing Pub. Great atmosphere. Lovely people (that's you Laura, Rich and Ethan). Nice beer. Skinny fries. What's not to like. Oh and there's a model railway!!!!

What a lovely country pub. Never been before but certainly be going back again

Personnels charmants et accueillants, bien mangé

Booked a slot for 2pm 4/30pm arrived on time and was seated tables for 6 had to ask for the table to be cleaned the floor had food on it pointed this out to the waitress who said she didn't understand as no-one had sat there since the night before .We then asked for the dessert menu the waitress went to fetch one and came back and said the kitchen was closed. none of our party was aware of this had we been informed that it would be when we arrived,then asked if we could speak to the manager who said the price would be reflected in invoice.But on receiving the invoice it was not. was a special birthday treat found it very upsetting and in the meantime the manager was not available

4 ladies out for lunch, we each ordered a jacket potato, two of us beans and cheese, one tuna and one bacon and cheese. All the potatoes were undercooked, inedible, so sent back, they were returned, after, (believe it or not) being cooked in the microwave on the same plates. Hot dried out tuna and hot mayo, dried up beans and bacon as hard as bullets, the grated cheese had turned into a large solid slice on the bottom of the plates, UNBELIEVABLE! All returned and rolls ordered, a choice of bread would have been appreciated but there was only granary apparently. Huge teapots, that's a bonus we thought, but with only 1 teabag resulted in dishwater. Very, very disappointed, it has always been one of our favourite places to eat. It is definitely a no-go place now. I will just add that I have never, ever sent anything back in any of the places I have eaten in my life, I appreciate that not every meal is going to 5 star but this experience was something else sadly.

Lloc molt acollidor, menjar molt bo. Servei super amables ! Molt recomanable!

Private party under gazebo outside. BBQ was superb. Staff very obliging. A very enjoyable evening. Well done all at The Fancott.

We were at the fancot fest music festival day it was really good and will def be back next year ..we can't wait

Great place for food and drink. We have been here a few times and they always give great service and food is always great and hot.

Lovely atmosphere. Came here with extended family to recreate a photo on the train we had when we were kids. Staff were very accommodating and the atmosphere was lovely. Food was somewhat lacking, but still edible.

Been here a few times and it really is a great place. The staff is great, the atmosphere is great and the food is very good. I definitely recommend this place if you’re in the area.

Had lunch and a few drinks with friends. Would definitely go and visit again.

Really disappointing meals we hadn't been here for sometime the food was mediocre. Pie of the day too much sauce very little substance, seasonal vegetables were frozen garden peas! the mash had a skin on it. Half chicken was dry and had a tiny pot of coleslaw, no garnish it looked very unattractive. Children's meals were poor quality chicken nuggets and fishfingers. I did ask if ice cream or a drink was included for children which is usual in the majority of restaurants but was told no ( I think you need to reconsider this) The staff were really pleasant and helpful with finding a highchair. We paid £71 for three meals and two childrens meals plus three drinks normally I would happily pay this but I really felt this meal was not worth this due to the above sadly I wouldn't recommend.

Smell from drains in outside area. Partial menu only available. Further items on menu sold out. I had batter and chips as there was very little fish inside my batter.

I was so disappointed with the choice of food. Whatever I picked from the menu was not available.

I had my birthday here, absolutely amazing staff. The food was delicious! Highly recommend