The Farmers Arms in County Durham

Visited for a very large party but the service, food and atmosphere were all excellent, despite the challenges for the kitchen brigade. Portions were enormous and I left feeling absolutely stuffed. Great venue 👌

As always heard great reviews of the pub so decided to take the plunge and pay a visit but unfortunately one of the worst dining experiences I have had in a long time . To be fair to the manageress she did not charge us for the food but first impressions wernt good . We were seated and ordered our drinks then 10 minutes later we ordered our food an hour later we received our starters well 3 out of the 5 did . I went to the bar and asked what had happened to the other 2 starters and was told they had lost the ticket . They promptly came out with the two missing bowls of soup . Another 30+ minutes later was when it really fell down 4 Sunday diners and 1 bacon cheese burger . 1 dinner was cold 1 had a big hair in it all had veg missing and Yorkshire pudding . Also my wife and mother in law ordered beef dinners 1 had 2 slices of meat the other 3 . I ordered the trio of meat which was an extra £4 but actually had less meat than the other 2 . Unfortunately my visit was rather shambolic they would need to do something spectacular for us to return

Lovely country pub/ eating place. Small car park at rear. Comfortable seating, smart helpful staff. Funeral food was savoury and varied.

Booked in for Sunday Lunch, long wait to be served (waited 40 minutes) main Sunday lunch was good, ordered pigs in , very poor, bacon was not wrapped around the sausages and was far too well done. Drinks ordered but staff didn’t know what beers were available only the lager. Quite dim inside at certain tables, lighting poor.

Lovely meal for 9 persons. We all loved it.

Went with my 2 sons ( 16 and 5 ) had the 3 course for £10 menu, selection was absolutely fantastic was basically the full menu to choose from, had a little hiccup with my main course but was dealt with, with no problems at all and offered a discount/refund. Staff were fantastic, My 5 yr old had the childrens 3 course meal (6.95) would have probably fed me. Will definitely we going again. Thankyou to all at The Farmers Arms!!

Alright little pub, food was the best part, presentation of food was lovely and the three courses for £10 you can't complain

First came to eat here in November. The 3 courses for £10 is a great deal and the food is nice enough. However, the place was nearly empty and yet the service was unbelievably slow with over an hour between the starter and the main so in the end we got the desserts to take away. Decided to try again a couple of weeks ago to see if it would be any better, unfortunately not. Sat right next to the toilets with whiffs of an unfortunate smell. Staff did not smile once and once again the service was really, really slow. Unfortunately we will not be back again, as ultimately the food is not good/cheap enough to balance the terrible service and the long wait.

The food was gorgeous well worth the money thanks x

Can’t recommend highly enough! This fantastic venue, fantastic staff have delivered the best evenings and lunches, their warm hospitality and best food always! Value for money exceptional and the staff are wonderful and always so obliging. Thank you!

Experience ruined by staff who had attempted to steal sunglasses from my partner. We had gone for a look outside after our main course waiting for desserts and the table was cleared, staff denied all knowledge but only after confronting them they advised they found them In the toilets. Clearly guilty, don't trust coming here if you value your possessions, terrible and an experience I won't forget

Absolutely beautiful good, service was amazing. Such a cute little place, with quirky decor. Lovely atmosphere nice and busy!

Went in for a grandkids 19th birthday party lovely place food was delicious all the staff were lovely and very welcoming great place and will definitely return couldn't fault it and not a bad price either

Had a lovely meal and the pub had a good atmosphere, the staff are all friendly. We will be calling back for more lovely food 👍

Had a birthday meal for 7 adults 2 children very tasty meals and lovely staff

Booked for Sunday Lunch. Our drinks order was taken quickly and drinks brought straight over. Unfortunately we waited 40 mins from ordering our dinner. There were plenty of waiting staff on but the problem seemed to be the kitchen. We were just about to walk out when our meal arrived. It was nice enough although the beef wasn’t up to standard. Last time we had dinner there it was lovely, so we were disappointed. We then had to wait 15 mins for desserts. If the kitchen can’t cope maybe they shouldn’t take so many bookings. It has put us off returning

First time we've been for a Sunday lunch and wasn't disappointed lovely food and lovely service .

came with a few friends to this beautiful place and the customer service was amazing! Abbie was very polite and welcoming and the food was FABULOUS!!

Came for lunch today with my daughter & 94 year old nana. Food was fabulous as was the service. Nothing was too much. Thank you again to Colin & staff for yet another 5* meal. We will be back xx

Sunday lunch was just awful today, too many bookings and a lack of someone in charge. Waited for over an hour for our meal which was cold when it eventually arrived, lack of vegetables with added string on beef, sent back. This was then microwaved which spoilt meal. Had to order drinks at the bar as no staff came to serve us. Waited for 25 mins and then collected drinks that were standing at the bar but not brought. Also had to order food from the bar as again, no service. Table booked at 2.30pm, food arrived after 4pm. Lots of disgruntled customers, won’t be back.

Chinese New year Sorry didn't take photos food look too delicious. Three course meal £20 per person. Food outstanding. Thanks to the chef. Staff extremely friendly and helpful. Atmosphere was just perfect. Restaurant very quirky. So clean. See you all again. Very soon

Incredible value for money. Service was brilliant with friendly staff and the food was great. Will be visiting again soon and have shared the details with friends who will be visiting too

This is the last time I will eat here! Firstly the food is good for the price you pay (3 course deal). This is massively let down by extremely slow service and a clear lack of staff. The owner needs to listen to customer's and take on board the comments about the service and not say "you've ordered 3 course's it normally takes over 2 hours in any restaurant." Wow talk about lack of customer service! The restaurant wasn't busy at all (about 25 people dining) and we waited over an hour for dessert! I did finally get an apology whilst I was paying the bill, but sadly won't be returning again!

Food is amazing and 3 courses is well worth it, though there are supplement charges for many of the dishes. Homemade chips are to die for! Good portion sizes. When we visited, there was a couple in the bar area with their dog and another family of 4 and a child in the restaurant, despite this, service for food and drinks was really slow. I had to leave my table several times to ask how to order food (as menus were just dumped on our table) and again for cutlery and thirdly for condiments. Starter and mains were a reasonable time considering the meals seemed to be cooked from scratch though there was a bit longer wait of nearly 25 mins for desserts (crumbles and custard) to arrive. We’ll definitely be back, especially now we know how the establishment operate and to expect to be there a while (nearly 2 hours for us).

Lovely lunch and very cheap at £10 for 3 courses. Staff were lovely too and food very nice so will be back. Did feel £5 each for lime and soda was a bit pricy though Dog friendly too

Visited twice within ten days and each time the service and food couldn’t be faulted. Lovely home cooked food in a delightful quirky pub. The price was amazing ( 3 courses for a tenner) and just what is needed in January. Keep up the great work you are all doing.

Def different to last visit. Not enjoyed it.meat very fatty.not much sunday dinner for your money.staff bit miserable,no cutlery so had to ask. And 2 other tables was left dirty with plates. Def let down. Loved it on last visit.

Absolutely beautiful food. The price is also Amazing. ( Tree course for £10 ). The atmosphere is really nice. The staff are very polite, friendly and professional. Only downside dogs are welcome. I love them not when I'm eating. Should have separated the area for twisty people like me ( sorry). I will definitely return. Thanks Lisa

14 of us attended for food and drinks. The decor and atmosphere is amazing and staff were very welcoming and friendly. The food was great value for money and everybody in our party commented how delicious their food was. Not one single complaint. We will definitely be back and highly recommend. Thank you Farmers Arms, a true gem of Shadforth.

A good choice of food and very good quality.

Food was lovely, I had a roast chicken dinner followed by sticky toffee pudding, only negative was the heating , it was a bit on the cool side.

We saw the £10 for 3 courses offer, so we decided to give it a go as we enjoyed our last visit about a year ago. We were certainly not disappointed. We both had the broth to start with, which was nicely peppered. Next, we had the chicken parmo and the katsu chicken curry again they were really nice. To finish off, we both had the sticky toffee pudding we paid £1 each extra for ice cream on one and custard on the other . Again, the staff deserve a mention as they were warm, friendly, and attentive throughout our visit. (1 year ago )~ Not sure about the outside appearance as I preferred the old colour as the dark paint makes it look a bit drab. Inside is a bit quirky which I liked, but it could do with a fresh lick of paint in a few areas and some of the chairs need cleaning as there are a few stains on the seat material. The staff were warm and friendly, making you feel welcome as soon as you entered. We really enjoyed our meals which took a bit time to arrive but they were nice and hot when they did.

Food was delicious with a great choice and great value. Staff very friendly and attentative. Great atmosphere. Would highly recommend and we will definately be back

Brilliant food great value 3 courses for £20.00 good portions. Great menu lots of choice. Service excellent staff very friendly and attentative. Lovely surroundings would highly recomend and we will definately be back.

Really nice food only one girl running the bar and serving the tables run off her feet Really good customer service highly recommended

Nice food although I have never had a parmo that small, even when I've ordered a half parmo, but it wasn't as expensive as most places. .

Pleasant staff and food. Nice for an easy lunch, though quite a few 'supplement' charges that soon mount up!

Had meal here with family on Tuesday night. The place looks nice and clean and warm easy to park. Yes the food served very slow Yes missing the food I ordered But doesn’t matter for just £10 per 3 course meal. What can you buy for £10 nowadays. You know what food was actually really nice. Young staffs tried their hardest to serve people, you know what that it is good enough. Only suggest is to build a better kitchen team. For standard festivals menu you should doing better and faster so front of house team will not too stressed. Overall great meal and great time Well done 👍

Absolutely fantastic meal! Super friendly staff who couldn’t do enough for us. The food was beautiful and great value for money three courses for£10! Will definitely be back👍

Fantastic food and service. Great ambiance.

The food is great... service was fantastic... the black pudding scotch egg is to die for...

Just got back from the farmer's Arms with my husband, 1duck and liver pate and 1 tempura prawns, 2 turkey Xmas dinners, 1 Xmas pud with brandy sauce and 1 bramble crumble with custard plus a drink each bill came to just under £32 ABSOLUTE BARGAIN. All served by wonderful staff nothing was too much trouble, definitely recommend this place

Absolutely beautiful Sunday lunch 😋

Went for my birthday easy to book a table friendly staff and good food 😋

We came down late evening for the 3 courses for £10 menu and despite a large party in, we got seated and served straight away. The manager came over and explained the Christmas Fayre menu started tomorrow (29/11/23), however we could order from this menu tonight if we wished! And it definitely did not disappoint! The winter broth was absolutely incredible, I had the chicken supreme which was to die for and my partner had the turkey dinner, which “is the best turkey he’s ever had”! We cannot wait to return!

We came down late evening for the 3 courses for £10 menu and despite a large party in, we got seated and served straight away. The manager came over and explained the Christmas Fayre menu started tomorrow (29/11/23), however we could order from this menu tonight if we wished! And it definitely did not disappoint! The winter broth was absolutely incredible, I had the chicken supreme which was to die for and my partner had the turkey dinner, which “is the best turkey he’s ever had”! We cannot wait to return!

4 of us went for lunch without a booking. Got seated at the front and menus promptly brought to table. Had the 3 course special for £10. Didn't seem to busy, but ended up spending 3hrs sure to slow service. Food was good but let down by a slower than expected service. Not sure if it was where we were seated or them being caught out by more fingers than expected and not enough staff. Would return but would hope faster service next time.

First time here at the Farmer's Arms for lunch. 3 course's for £10, food was great and so was the service. Would definitely recommend.

Food was beautiful and staff are brilliant...

Decided to visit in the week after a great Sunday lunch a few weeks ago and we weren’t disappointed. We both chose the 3 courses from £10 with plenty of choice and after the barman’s recommendation chose the scotch egg to start which was a great choice. The hubby had a chicken parmo and I chose the burger both came with triple cooked chips and were lovely . For pudding we both chose Apple crumble but had mine to go as was stuffed and they were happy to pop into takeaway container. With the rain lashing down outside and the comfortable , quirky atmosphere and pleasant helpful staff inside we both enjoyed a great lunch and will definitely come back again. For 3 courses and a couple of drinks each £36 , can’t go wrong. Only downside is the parking but I’m sure when it was built in this lovely village many years ago they didn’t anticipate the amount of cars that would follow.

Lovely location in beautiful village. Perfect village pub with wide choice of drinks and great pub food menu. Fantastic to see this is supported by locals as well as visitors. Long may it last

Food was nice once they got my order right, unfortunately we were seated right next to the kitchen doors even though there was ample seats further away but on the whole we will return but not on the same seats.

Been a while since we were here but thought Sunday Lunch would be a good reason. Menu hard to find on web but found it online copy of Facebook page. £19.95 for 3 courses, £10.95 for 1, desserts £6.95. The plate was sufficient and tasty,...

Me and 2 friends went for tea, as they’d never been before and wouldn’t believe that good food could be served for such low prices and I was proved right! Monday to Wednesday they have 3 courses for an unbelievable £10 and they do it...

Great food , dreadful slow service . 3 courses for £10 - take note of what you are ordering , you pay extra for custard/cream etc even on the desserts . All the added extra’s add up !!! Came away without desserts despite waiting way...

Amazing food, was delicious. Went for date night and if dad amazing. Staff where lovely, especially the bar man who’s cocktails where out of this world. He also check we where okay and was so finely and funny. Think is name was mark? I don’t...

Mint food and lovely decor nice place all round.

One of my go to places lovely food and drinks 😋

Excellent day for my mum's 90th birthday, staff were great and a big thank you to the chef for the surprise sweet plate for mum, she enjoyed it better than the birthday cake 😂

Lots and lots of supplements which significantly increased the cost of meal which was advertised as £14.95 for 2 courses. Very disappointing that we were even charged £1 for each small bowl of tarte sauce!!!!! Also very extensive menu which we found on Google was in fact not the menu that was offered when we visited the Farmers Arms. All in all, sadly a very mediocre experience.

Delicious food and lovely place.Bargain for 3 course meal.

very disappointed. service so slow for all it was not that busy. starters were nice but not as hot as could be. long wait inbetween for main course. chicken parmo was a joke really. so small and over done. chips lukewarm. salad greasy. sat some...

Meals here are great, especially Sunday lunch but thought we'd try week day menu, 3 courses for £10!! ......(small supplement on some dishes) still a fantastic deal. To top it off, it's dog friendly otherwise we'd have never have tried it , thank you.

Went for the "three courses for £10" deal. Not actually a deal as the portions are tiny and then you have to add on lots of extras. My carbonara was the worst Ive had in any place anywhere. My friends "well done" steak was still...

Can't get robbed for what they charge you.

Great Sunday lunch, friendly staff. And dog friendly!

Very good place to eat good for kids Dog friendly private cabin booths outside Spot on

Love the Farmer's Arms, food is amazing, good beers and atmosphere is good.

Nice food but small portions for price

It is a lovely place and does some really good offers. We had 3 courses for £10. Forgot photos of starters, but it was nice. The only issue was that it was about 40 mins to get our starters. Another issue was that I had garlic mushrooms with toasted bread. I would rather have the mushrooms on the side and not on top of the toast has made it soggy. I also ordered a latte which came in a tiny cup. Minor issues and certainly would return, and the food is nice.

Visited on a Wednesday lunch time for the 3 course special as a party of 4 adults and 2 kids! We all really enjoyed our meals! Great service and lovely food! Fantastic value! Would definitely recommend - Thank you

Superb steak night here tonight. Will definitely be going back. The only thing I'd criticise is only one little piece of bread with the pate. Lots of pate but nothing to put it on. Pate was delicious too. Still give 5 stars though.

Very nice Sunday lunch and friendly staff

We had a booking tonight at 7pm 26th July and I'm not the one to usually complain, but I have to say I was really disappointed. The children's burger buns were burnt, and we asked for steak ( rare ) and it was completely dry. We also asked for some salt, and the staff didn't bring it over , infact were still waiting for it ,and we had to wait for our drinks a good 10 mins, in the end we went to the bar ourselves .

Went for a meal with my wife for our anniversary. We had starters, sirloin steak, and fish and chips followed by sweet. The food was cooked to perfection. The service was excellent. The only issue we had was with the parking, it has a small car park and limited space at the front. We parked at the side of the pub and had to ask someone to move their car to enable us to move.

A good place for a nice 3 course meal for a tenner

Fantastic deal 3 courses food served quickly piping hot you will not need to eat for 2 days the fish is the size of a whale and chips to die for great friendly staff will definitely return

Lovely food good service Happy and friendly staff

Went for a lunch deal, excellent value and food was good. Would go again.

We waited 1 and a half hours for our food and when the parmo and chicken burger came they were cold with lukewarm chips and the katsu curry had a fly cooked into the batter, the service was very poor not even giving an apology for an insect in the meal will never return again, the chef shouldn’t be aloud to work at McDonalds absolutely useless

Lovely dog friendly pub, quite quirky inside but I loved it. Great food good prices nice staff what more could you ask for. Ordered 2 rump steaks cooked to perfection decent size with lovely chips.

Good menu and food is great, lovely friendly staff at great prices.

Excellent lunch, thank you. Everyone enjoyed their meal and I was especially grateful to the chef for making all of my 3 courses gluten free. Considering I chose items from the £10 for 3 courses selection I was very impressed with my meal. We will...

Thoroughly enjoyed our meal, 3 courses for £10, can’t go wrong. Home cooked chips, fresh salad, lovely desserts. The staff were friendly and helpful, will definitely be returning.

Really cant understand the good/excellent reviews about this place,i've had better takeaways at a fraction of the cost.....3 courses for a tenner,course it is,portion sizes are disgraceful and the foods not the best

WOW absolutely great food at a fair price I will defiantly be back 👍🏻😁

Sunday lunch was awesome. Friendly staff, great traditional pub/restaurant.

Great atmosphere, lovely people, amazing food. Beers good too. Chose this pub as it was close to the A1, review on Trip advisor was good so took a chance. Excellent, best Sunday lunch for a long time, and portions were good. Extra sides were overly...

First visit, staff very pleasant and polite. Food was lovely, decor was lovely.

Beautiful family meal last night for my partners birthday food was fantastic great service would highly recommend this place

Great food and fantastic pub....

Excellent meal and lovely staff

Just done the three courses for 10 pounds and real, realy enjoyed it. The presentation, the staff and the food all excellent. We will be going back.

Popped in when passing. Gentleman waiter wasn't great, we asked for water to warm a bottle which we would be still waiting for if it was not for one of the lady waiters. I opted for lamb Sunday roast, waiter presented dish as "pork" I informed her that I had ordered lamb, she commented that it could be lamb and she may have misheard. On eating I couldn't decipher if it was lamb or pork. Mashed potato more on the puree side. A lot of gravy on the plate, roast potatoes undercooked and carrots and parsnip were too soft. Mashed turnip was lovely. Price was reasonable, less than £30 for 2 starters, an adult and a child's roast, a pint and a half of cola. 8 year old review... more peppers would be nice with starter, beef was too chewy, carrots too soggy and my Yorkshire pudding was too burnt. Looks nice in the photo though!

Visited today for lunch, place was quiet & cosy. I had the bacon cheese burger which was nice, chips were lovely so was the garlic sauce. Kids had chicken nugget meal & Mac & cheese meal, the kids meal also came with a starter and...

I have given this pub a 3 star that is for the staff and tasty Sunday lunch. .... The food was tasty but NOT worth the money we paid. The one roast potato I got was burnt and hard the Savoy cabbage was almost mush the mash potato mixes in with very nice gravy ran off my fork. This pub is dog friendly but while we were eating our lunch one of the dogs was licking their parts. We were with another couple which we met there and we all found this unexdptable . They had a small dog but would never take the to a place where they were having food...We will never go there again.... This is the first time I've have posted this on this on any site... A little overprice for poor food

Nice food nice price cheap real would return 😋

Super food, music and atmosphere on this Burns night special. Colin and his staff pulled out all the stops to ensure the packed restaurant was serviced well! A great evening!

A great cosy country pub that does amazing food at a great price.

I’m told the food is nice but didn’t even get round to eating it due to the shocking service. After waiting 15 mins at the bar before anyone even attended to us, we were told to find a seat anywhere and someone would be with...