The Farmers Arms in County Durham

Enjoyed there fish and chips, Lovely atmosphere

Lovely food and service but very dark inside a bit more lighting please couldn't see my lovely lunch.

My experience was not the best it was quite expensive but i go back as it is dog friendly. And the food was nice.

Great time had at the Farmers market, definitely will be back.

Wow what can I say….. absolute hidden gem. Not our first visit and definitely wont be our last! Booked late afternoon for bank holiday tea with friends who were visiting from Nottingham. Party of 8 Seated fairly quickly as our table was ready and waited for us. Drinks and food were great value and made to order so we had a little wait for food but being freshly made this wasn’t a problem at all. All staff were great in particular Yasmin (?) our waitress who was super efficient. Perfect!

Fabulous 3 course dinner with friends...starters, mains and dessert were delicious. Staff very friendly and helpful.

Visited for the very first time tonight! What a place!!! It looks like your average village pub on the outside but let me tell you the food is top notch. They have a 3 courses for £10. But if you want some extras or certain dishes there’s a small supplement. For starters we ordered calamari and garlic mushrooms. Mains we ordered a chicken parmo and a chicken kebab Desserts we had chocolate brownies. Portion sizes are perfect. Food is absolutely superb. SUPERBBBBBB!!!! Can’t fault anything! Dogs are allowed in the bar area and not the main restaurant section. But that’s fine. Staff were very very friendly and attentive. Welcomes us and the dog. Can’t wait to return.

Visited at Friday teatime with friends without booking and a table was available. We all had the special 3 courses £10.00 available until 17:00. Meal portion size for 3 courses were smaller and food was not over filling, quality and tasty. The pub is located in a quaint village off the beaten track. Pub was rather dark inside but managed to sit in a window seat as we had an elderly lady in our company and parking is a bit tight at the rear of pub. Sunday Lunch was recommended to me by a friend.

This place is a hidden secret value for money YES! quality food YES! friendly accommodating staff YES! if you can go GOOOO!!! ALSO 3 courses for a tenner don't walk RUUUNNNNN

Lovely Sunday dinner, quick service and a very nice atmosphere. Fairly reasonable prices as well so can’t really complain!

Stopped here when we were passing through the area. It was steak night although the full menu was available. Great 2 courses, great service and great value for money. Pop in if you’re in the area!

Dined here tonight food was first class service from our waiter was outstanding nothing was to much trouble for him highly recommend we will be back

What a fabulous place for a wedding. From arrival to departing everything was spot on. Food delicious Staff attentive and welcoming We will be back when visiting Thankyou

The food was very nice, and at a great price also

Food was preordered as there was a large group of us. Both my kids were without the fries that were ordered and both came with onion chutney on their steak sandwiches which was ordered to come without (I even checked with staff and they showed me the email stating I had already requested this so it was not a problem) I also asked to change my partners chips to fries, again I was told this wouldn't be a problem, this also did not happen. I ordered halloumi fries (which were on the email) and awert potato fries, when I asked where these were I was told no halloumi fries had been ordered and that they will go get the sweet potato fries. Then to top it off (bare in mind everything was preordered) we were told that they had ran out of waffles and that those who ordered waffles would have to have pancakes. We preordered so this should not have happened.

Sirloin steak was overcooked, The chips were burnt, The cheeseboard was a joke, The prawn pasta was a salty sloppy mess, and the staff have a boat as much charisma as a fart in an astronaut suit, This was on a Tuesday evening maybe they have the YTS scheme in doing work experience, and you would think a restaurant would have salad cream and brown sauce, unfortunately not , If they cannot get the basics right then I think this Pope will go downhill quickly

The food was excellent however, the service was slow and the restaurant was real cold

3 courses for a tenner unbelievable Fist visit the food was very good for the price although there were a lot of supplements. Mind came to £14 still very reasonable I will visit again

The chips are delicious, taste like home cooked chips, sticky toffee pudding, what can I say wow😋

Food was lovely just not a lot of teatime choice. Well worth the money though we will be back.

Went for a Sunday Dinner after a camping trip. The menu was great with decent veggie options as well as the classic. We were on a table of 8 and the service was great, food delicious and prices very reasonable, would definitely go again and recommend. We sat inside but the beer garden would be great on a sunny day.

Went for the lunch time 3 course special. All the food was lovely. Quick service and pleasant staff. Will definitely be back.

A frequent visitor, so we knew exactly what to expect. Opted for the three courses for a tenner. Food spot on as always, all four of us thoroughly enjoyed, yes you pay a surcharge for chips, custard etc, what do you want for a tenner. As always, we will be back.

Staff absolutely lovely and plolso professional. Food gorgeous ( sorry to photos again too nice to wait around to eat lol. Don't think the offer is as good as before. Lot of astrix beside most of the menu now. Thanks to the staff.

The biggest issue here was the wait, which soured the whole experience. If you’re waiting an hour between courses you’d think the waiting staff would be more attentive with drinks and time assurance, but there either wasn’t enough staff or we were just out of view to be considered. Had to get up three times to flag someone down for a drinks order, cutlery and then the bill. By the time the food came our table was just too hungry to complain about the extremely average food. We weren’t looked after, weren’t impressed, won’t be returning.

3 courses for £10. The food was amazing as were the staff. Highly recommended.

would not recomend. will not go again

I have been going to the Farmers Arms for years. Long before its name now and the current owner. Therefore this review is a little overdue. In all that time I would definitely say it’s the best it’s ever been now over the last few years. It been consistently good, serving up great food and drink offering great value. The hanging kebabs are the best ones I have had anywhere and the Sunday lunch is a regional award winner and once again great value.

Just had a fantastic, delicious three course meal. I had Black pudding scotch egg, followed by the Bishops Bait Cod Burger and then Bramble apple crumble and custard. My better half had potato skins and lamb koftas and brought her crumble home for me to have later :) Tremendous value at 3 courses for £10. The quality was amazing. Highly recommend

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

Went for Sunday dinner, 3 courses for £19.99 each! The garlic mushrooms were the best I've ever tasted, the soup of the day (tomato and basil) was lovely. Portion size of the dinner was huge I couldn't finish, but absolutely delicious. Ended up sharing the sticky toffee pudding with ice cream. Would definitely recommend!

Situated in Very pleasant village, Good ‘proper’Food with excellent Value special menu , Staff - a credit to the Pub , Certainly we’ll return , Well Recommended.

We have been here before and yet again another fantastic meal. All meals are excellent quality and very reasonably priced. When for the three course menu, but had to bring the deserts home as we were totally stuffed. We will definitely 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

My partner celebrated his 70th birthday at the Farmers Arms on Good Friday. There was a party of twenty three of us, friends and family. The service was excellent as was the food. Thankyou Colin and your hard working staff for helping to make the evening a success.

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 staff was great and was very polite the sunday lunch was absolutely fantastic up to my standard of a sunday lunch would recommend

Me and my partner love this place! Great, friendly staff and can not knock the service nor the food. We love the 3 for 10 menu and the add ons are totally worth it and still makes a cheap and cheerful date night. The Sunday dinner are a must try as they are exceptional well done to all participants.

Honestly beautiful food really enjoy coming here and haven’t had a bad meal yet. Staff are amazing and can never do enough for you. Thankyou to you all I will be back and highly recommend

We went here on Sunday for lunch as a family of four.The food was amazing the staff was great the atmosphere was good. would highly recommend this place will definitely be back!

As locals living practically a stones throw away from this pub, we've given it multiple chances, hoping for improvement with each visit. However, the consistent pattern of excessively long waiting times and poor quality of food become disappointingly predictable. It's disheartening to witness a decline in quality with each return, leaving us questioning whether it's worth our time and proximity…… after our most recent visit for Sunday lunch it was the same outcome (it was not that busy). After 45minutes of waiting for our main meals, no attention from the waiting staff and terrible undercooked vegetables on the roast dinner we have decided never to return again. I would much rather go to other local pubs in the surrounding area which are consistently better with quicker waiting times, attentive staff members and better food. Such a shame.

Great for lunch everything was amazing and the staff were brilliant couldn't fault the meal the portions were huge but didn't stop me eating all of it

Cannot fault food or service for this place but they advertise £10 for 3 courses rubbish! Mine was £17 even custard was an add on what a joke

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 👍

3 days after visiting the pub for a meal, I am still going onto the Wife about how good it was and it's on the doorstep. So pleased I saw the flyer on Facebook with the £10 three course offer. Four of us went and not one complaint!!!! Staff - great Food - great Service - fast 100% we will be going back soon!

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

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

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

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

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).

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!

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.

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.

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

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 👍

Fantastic food and service. Great ambiance.

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👍

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!

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.

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!

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 😂