The Hop Pickers in Ashford

Can't say much about it as it was Closed! Staying at Holiday Inn, we thought it would be nice to pop across for a drink. All in darkness. Went back to the hotel where they informed us it had been "closed for months". Maybe it might be a good idea to put a sign on the door saying as such! We walked down the road to the Beefeater and had a few drinks there instead.....

We went here to eat when we were staying at the nearby Holiday Inn. We were told that it was curry night by the hotel so went across there. The curry was very nice and very reasonably priced such that I would go there again if I was in the area. However, the pub lacks atmosphere so if that is what you are looking for you will be disappointed.

Having arrived at the Holiday Inn early and with the sun shining, we strolled over to the Hop Pickers for a drink, our kids having been enticed by the new-looking playpark. Doors locked. No signs of life. Other confused punters outside too. According to its opening hours it should have been open, so perhaps its only just gone under...

Looking to eat while staying at the Holiday In. So ordered drinks & looked at Menu. Not impressed with Menu or the place. Just no atmosphere,so finished drinks & moved on.

Very disappointed with today’s dinner had a roast as we normally do on a Sunday don’t know if the chef who normally cooks the dinner was on holiday but it wasn’t very nice today undercooked parsnips which tasted raw as same as the carrots .potatoes were very tasteless roast meat was not at previous visits the peas were ok 👍 gravy was watery no where as nice as previous dinners there in the past didn’t stop for pudding as was so fed up with the dinner overheard a couple on a near table saying not like normal they wouldn’t be returning staff were polite & helpful but shame about the food today

Nous étions pourtant un samedi soir mais pas âme qui vive dans le pub. Situé sur le parking de l'Holiday Inn, qui lui est très bien, nous pensions passer un bon moment, j'étais seul avec mes 2 fils. Après un accueil plus que genre "oui, c'est pourquoi ?" nous finîmes par nous installer dans une salle déserte. Nous avons donc mangé un repas très moyen qui de plus nous a été servi en 2 heures- Bref, à voir si l'hotel en face propose une meilleure prestation de restauration ou bien allez voir dans Ashford. Sinon peut etre pour boire une bière? Bref cet établissement n'a rien à faire là !

Been here a few times as so near our house. Rarely is there more that half a dozen people here. Beer and ale range ok, food is ok although I suspect its all microwaved or ready meals. Service a little hit or miss, although its better than the Beefeater down the road.

This pub is connected the Holiday Inn. Its smells, dirty seats with microwaved food. Avoid at all costs!!

Die Qualität und der Umfang des Essens (Bufett) war deutlichbesser als das etwas sterile Ambiente des Gastraums.

We went here for a family meal and were catered for excellently. It’s very much an old school pub with the local brews on tap and low ceilings with great character. The carvery was excellent with a decent range. The only negative was the lack of baby changing albeit not generally expected in a typical out of town pub.

Kamen rein am Samstag Abend und der Laden war recht leer. Uns wurde nach der Bestellung von 2 Burgern gesagt das wir bestimmt eine halbe Stunde warten müssen. Haben dann gesagt das es ok ist. Bürger war ok soweit aber es schien so als ob der Salt leider nicht sauber war denn irgendwas knirschte. Der Nachbar Tisch bekam das Steak auf einem heißen Stein zum selber braten gebracht. Nette Idee aber der ganze Laden stand in einer Qualm Wolke. War leider auch etwas lästig. Zum Trinken gehen voll ok.

We recently visited the Hop Picker on our way home from a day out . The staff were lovely very attentive ..but the food was poor . The menu was incredibly boring with "chips with everything". We ordered pie of the day ... the pastry was so hard it was inedible , and the addition of salad to peas and chips on a hot plate was very peculiar ! We decided not to have dessert! Nice staff let down by bad food ,we won't be returning !

Ate here twice recently while staying at the Holiday Inn next door. Not busy on either occasion but the food and service were fine and reasonable VFM.

This is a pub I had visited many times in the past whilst working in Kent so I was quite excited to go back. I was bitterly disappointed the atmosphere was terrible as well as the food. The place is drab and tired, the staff were testy to say the least. This is not somewhere I would go back to, it's one saving grace is the price, cheap enough not to be upset that you have wasted a lot of money. It is however time I will never have again unfortunately.

This is the perfect little pub/restaurant for dinner and a quick pint or two (or wine) for guests staying at the Holiday Inn (Ashford North). This pub is situated less than 100 feet across the hotel car park so again, perfect for the traveller who wants a nice meal, a great selection of drinks but doesn't want the usual hoytel food.

Desesperadamente tranquilo y necesita una reforma. Para una Guinness en un salto, pero sólo en conserva. Otra persona en el lugar que no parecía que fuera de elección. No me molestaría de nuevo.

We have eaten here a number of times while staying at the Holiday Inn next door and have always had a decent sized, well cooked meal. The staff are very friendly and efficient. I ponder how much control there is so that they do not compete with the hotel. There was no real ale style draught beer last time we visited and when we questioned this the barmaid said the management said turnover couldn't justify it. A Kent pub should be able to offer a Kent beer. They don't even stock bottles of Shepherd Neames Spitfire! The barmaid also said because they're a little way out people don't want to visit, but with some proper marketing the place could surely get more trade.

Although the menu was just general pub food there was plenty to choose from and all served hot in good portions. Prices were normal for a pub. There is a carvery on Sundays but we missed it because the pub closes at 5 p.m. It is fine for one off visit, but atmosphere not great - food was fine though. We did not linger with a drink.

Wij konden alleen gebruik maken van de Sunday carvery en vonden deze erg tegenvallen. De prijs was weliswaar laag met 8.5 pond, maar de kwaliteit was er ook echt naar. Het was kennelijk druk geweest en de tafels waren niet echt schoon en van de vloer kon letterlijk gegeten worden. Kwam allemaal niet uitnodigend over. Toen wij twee weken later weer in de buurt overnachten wisten we direct dat we daar niet meer gingen eten.

So food was what was needed after a long journey but nothing special. There was no real beer but there was cold white wine.Did what it needed and was there.

Went here on Easter Sunday for dinner.We had been told that the carvery here was good. We were told by the barmaid (Who comically was dressed in an Anne Summers bunny dress) that we could sit wherever we wanted to. We went up to the servery and asked for a piece of each of the meats (pork, beef and turkey). This was put on the plates and we then put what veg we wanted onto the plates.We sat back at our table and tucked in to our food. That being tough beef, fatty pork and the turkey was quite good.The potatoes were soggy, parsnips crunchy but not in a good way, roast carrots which simarly were crunchy and overcooked cabbage. Not at all good. On paying for our meal we strangely enough were not asked if we enjoyed our meal.

The service was good. The place was empty when we were there, so there was no waiting. The table was a little sticky but perhaps that is because of the stone grilling. Since there was no where else nearby except for the restaurant in the hotel which had a very good breakfast. The food was good enough.

Visited on Mother's Day and had the carvery. Very mediocre, veg was like warm and overlooked , beef tough. Would have thought that more attention would have been given the whole thing. Won't return.

Booked via telephone a table for 6, we arrived 10 minutes before our time and was told - we were early and she "ain't" got any tables ready. I said it wasn't an issue and we'd ordered drinks.. She didn't want to know, but said she could push tables together. Not sure what issue was in beginning. Anyway, sat down no explanation of what we had to do, order at bar or table service. The lady behind bar really didn't seem like she wanted to be there as much as wanted us there. I went to bar to ask what to do, she said order drinks and the chef would be out to cut the meat. I ordered 5 cokes and a white wine spritzer.. £18!!!We all then stood at the food station waiting for chef. We waited 15 mins, more people added to the queue. The girl behind the bar never once apologised for lack of the service, continued to serve people. In the end we left paying the bar bill. The lady wasn't even bothered that we were leaving. No apology still.. And chef was still no where to be seen.I will never go back here again. And this was our first time. First and last. Appalling service and attitude!

A sorry sight to see a empty pub on a Friday night which has a hotel right next door (and owed by them), we ordered some food and although it was nice it was not very hot, unfortunately not very good when you are the only people in the whole pub :-(

This place offers a real plus for staying at the holiday inn - i enjoyed the steak Night - you get a hot stone on which you grill your own steak. Nice formula. Nice staff. Beer is fine.

surprisingly very nice place to eat and relax. had a beautiful Thai chicken and chips, with lovely wine in front of real wood fire during the cold weekend spells. would definalty go again.

Stinks and bad staff don't want you in there .Such an awkward feeling when you walk in,and staff unwelcoming and rude.

Only went there because there there was an hours wait at beefeater. Wished we had waited.We should have guessed on entering....we were the only people in there on a Friday night.I had tagliatelle which to be honest looked like they had opened a tin of spaghetti. My friend had the pie and the puff pastry was burnt and the pots were dry and the pie mix was very watery. The other 2 had gammon which they enjoyEd. I wanted to complain but because we were with company I didn't want to make scene.Won't be going back

The hotel definately needs updating, but the food is fantastic, would recommend eating here. Staff always very pleasant and friendly.

good food at very good prices, good selection on the menu and specials. Staff very friendly throughout our time there. Ideal if staying in the holiday inn.

Food was well priced, with very large portion sizes. I didn't see the specials when I visited (thursday was curry & beer), had I seen the flyer, I would have tried that. Service was friendly and efficient. Would definitely recommend this as an alternative, if you're staying in the Holiday Inn.

Our group had the Tandoori Grill which was excellent, Rump Steak and Fish & Chips were also very good. Not much left on the plate. Kids meal was also very good.

Visited this pub yesterday for the first time, really wish we had read some of the reviews on here before making that decision! From the outside, it looks like a lovely pub however, the inside tells a different story! We arrived about 1pm and were the only 2 in the entire pub, which we thought was surprising as they offer Sunday carvery. The lime green walls and peeling paint work did not give us much confidence however, you cannot judge a book by its cover so decided to stay and eat. We were given a tiny plate with the meat of our choice. After the meat was added there was hardly any room for anything else. I opted for beef which was a little tough but the meal as a whole was not too bad. We chose to sit at what looked like the cleanest table however, there were nut shells and other bits of food/rubbish on the seats and on the floor. We won't be visiting here again.

Orders two ultimate bacon and cheese burger with soaking wet salad and chips. The burger was tasteless looked like a dollop of mince meat flattened and drowned in grease when brought to the attention of waitress her reply was we sell lots of them and still managed to give us a bill for £45 .Do your selves a favour and go to the beef eater up the road!!!!

Popped in as staying in the holiday inn. Went for a drink, almost £10 for a pint of cider and 2 soft drinks. No atmosphere, limited choice of drinks. Needs updating, very tired. Would not visit again!

Lovely food but after a very long wait part of the main order was missing. The dessert was forgotten completely. The dining area is shabby and could do with some investment. The waitress was very pleasant and tried her best in difficult circumstances.

Traditional pub on the outside, sparsely decorated on the inside. Food and service is good. If you are staying at the Holiday Inn next door you can charge the meal to your room.

Myself and my mother recently stayed at the Holiday Inn hotel adjacent to the pub before going away on holiday. The hotel restaurant wasn't open for about another hour when we wanted to eat so we walked across the car park to the pub instead but really wish we hadn't. There was hardly anyone in the pub and it had absolutely no atmosphere at all. The food was quite expensive and was not very nice at all, in fact neither of us finished our food and we both decided to leave. I would recommend either eating in the hotel restaurant or go somewhere else entirely, it is not a place I could ever recommend to anyone.

Just a stones throw away from our hotel we decided to give it a try. I tried a dish I haven't tried before anywhere and will never again but that is just personal taste. My main seemed perfectly fine although the addition of a salad along with my peas threw me a little as to me it's an odd combination. My husband's meal was rather dry as was my sons burger. Garlic bread and chips were done well and the desserts were the best part of the meal. The one member of staff we did see was polite and happy to go the extra mile. Would we go there again probably only for drinks and dessert.

We ended up here on Easter Sunday as the pub we had booked didn't look as inviting in real life as it did online! This pub was welcoming, open and the staff were friendly. The carvery was plentiful and tasty. A good choice of meat and a range of veg. The staff were attentive and there was a steady flow of people through the doors. The carvery food was replenished several times whilst we were there! Good value for money and welcoming. Don't go expecting full waiter service... Order at the bar and help yourself to carvery but we had a good meal and enjoyed our visit!

A nicer looking pub next to Holiday Inn m20Not over busy for a Friday nightMust be a business pub during the week Food goodReasonable prices Local beer ok

I went there a couple of times while I was staying at the Holiday Inn opposite the restaurant. One time I went with a group of 10 people and it took them ages to bring the food. Food itself is average, the indian dishes are ok.

Recently friends and family have been sifting through the many offer available on the World Wide Web. When it was announced that we had indeed booked a 2 course meal with a glass of wine for 11 quid the fear set in... Really what do you get for that sort of money these days I was thinking possibly Dog or Cat. So of to darkest deepest Hothfield we went. Not really knowing what to expect and knowing that this is a holiday inn hotel well played on my mind a little. Some time you have to step out of your comfort zone a little and we did. I'm so happy to report that starter of deep fried Brie with a little spicy sauce were wonderful followed by a steak on a very hot stone which was hellishly good. If I can find one complaint it would be the non availability of a decent coffee to finish my Nescafé days I'm afraid are behind me..the picture is proof of just how good it was

A family event with a buffet supplied - service was friendly and quick - generally all good - I liked the fireplace/range (which may have been a replice but gave a good atmosphere.

Tried The Hop Pickers for the first time this evening mostly because we had a very good deal through Groupon - starters, steaks and prosecco at a very reasonable price. We were pleasantly surprised. Lovely old building, spacious and we'll set out. Very friendly service. Good choice of starter and mine was massive. Almost a meal in itself. Enjoyed how steaks were served at table virtually raw on a massive hot stone so you basically cooked it yourself to how you wanted it. Great novelty value. Steak was good quality. All in all, a very enjoyable dining experience and we will definitely return.

We had a voucher for starter, stone cooked steak and a glass of prosecco. It's was a super bargain and to be honest we were not expecting too much for the price. We were very pleasantly surprised. The restaurant was quiet with only one other table occupied, it was warm and comfortable and the barman/waiter was nice and friendly. Our starters were lovely (I had prawn cocktail) and the steak was excellent. I would advise anyone to go for this deal or visit anyway.

Looks nice from the front but......The smell of a deep fat fryer was a turn off and then coupled with a bar bill for £7.70 for a pint of carlsberg and a 330ml magners !! I'd go up the road to the beefeater

this is where we usually come for a quick, quiet Sunday roast. staff are friendly in here and quick to serve. food is a little bit pricey now its part of the hotel which is a shame, but still worth the journey out here for a guaranteed table and a quiet meal. we find this never to be busy on a Sunday unlike the other places in the area that do a Sunday lunch. Food is ok, could just do with being hotter! the pub does have WIFI, just need to ask for the password. I cant comment on what the main menu meals are like as we only ever come here for the Sunday roast

Wonderful Food, Wonderful Service, Brilliant bank ground music. The food was cooked to perfection, portions very generous. Waiter/Bar so very helpful.

Seems nice. But food is overpriced and was much better before it became part of holiday inn. The atmosphere is nice like a proper old pub and staff are friendly. Its just a shame that its all hotel prices on food and drinks

a great breakfast , plenty of choice and all very tasty the cooked breakfast I had was really nice and the poached eggs were great

Nice friendly staff food was ok but small ish portions kids meals a bit pricey but again ok Food was hot and didn't have to wait to long

We stopped at Hop Pickers on the way to Folkestone for dinner instead of stopping at the motorway services. We sat outside and enjoyed a delicious meal. The food was good value and there was a great choice and the service was excellent. I would definitely recommend it and will certainly return next time I am in Kent.

This place clearly only stays open at all because it has a captive audience across the car park.... The guests at the Holiday Inn. My food was cold when it arrived, although it was a very large plateful. We waited almost an hour for our food after ordering. Would not go there again.

Had a decent meal here having booked at Holiday Inn. Fairly average cuisine. Service was pretty quick. Staff were very friendly and helpful

Typical pub in a very quiet area, nothing fancy but food was very good and good value. Imaging most customers would be from the Holiday Inn opposite.

This pub is situated by the Holiday Inn Ashford North.i visually it looks as if it could do with a bit of a makeover however the food was outstanding. We had a little wait for food however realised the reason for this when it turned up. We had the special curry and tandoori grill and it was all freshly cooked obviously with all fresh ingredients and was absolutely delicious.

valentines night - only one other couple in-- may be this was a sign of popularity drinks expensivefood Ok - but no more staff friendly

After not being able to get a table in the hotel restaurant I decided to eat here as it was next door rather than having to get in the car and go somewhere. There wasn't many people in the restaurant which concerned me a little, but it was a Monday night. The staff was very friendly and polite and was happy to take my order for the spaghetti putenesca. The dish arrived promptly, was nice and hot and very tasty. Although it was not my first choice I was not disappointed.

Food excellent and very good value. We went in there to eat when staying at the adjoining Holiday Inn just after lots of other people from the Holiday Inn had done the same so there was quite a wait for the food and there was only one person serving. However he was very helpful and apologetic for the wait. Even with a number of people in there there was no atmosphere or any background music which is the reason for the average rating. If you like somewhere quiet to just sit and talk this is ideal. Note this pub is closed on a Sunday night.

Wonderful welcoming service on my arrival. Good beer in clean glass. Ordered meal, Breaded brie followed by steak. MMMMM it was lovely. Unfortunately not a great sweet menu, but to be honest, the starter and main didn't leave too much room. Sat in garden to watch the sun going down. A very pleasant meal, many thanks

I thought the price was a tad expensive,until I got my food.I wasnt expecting a plate full,so was pleasantly surprised. I had fish and chips...the fish was cooked to perfection and broke up as you cut into it.

Myself and three friends visited the Hop Pickers today for Sunday lunch. Being in the catering industry myself I was dismayed to see that the same carving knife and fork and the same chopping board were used to cut the roast beef, pork and turkey, causing cross contamination. Had we not been the first ones in the restaurant today I would have asked for the items to be washed before cutting our meat. I should have said something to the chef but I did not want to make a fuss about something he's probably been doing for a very long time.

Visited here on the off chance of them having a table for seven. They managed to accommodate us. Both my Father and I opted for the Tandoori Mixed Grill on the specials board. The rest of our party opted for meals from the standard menu. All the meals were great however the Tandoori Mixed Grill was fantastic! Staff were friendly and polite and the restaurant was clean and tidy.

We stopped in the holiday inn and this was on the grounds of it. it has a great selection of location beers which were nice. The place is a basic country feel and is very clean. We had the fish and chips and scampi. This was definatley what I would term as proper pub grub. Lovely food in a nice surrounding. We has a lovely bottle of wine with the meal and the cost was very reasonable. A play area out side for the kidsPity this place is know where near I live. If I use the hotel again I will definitely book a table there again

Lovely friendly lady behind the bar who warmly welcomed us. My husband enjoyed the beer from the local micro brewery & a good selection of bottles & spirits. A very basically furnished place but comfortable & functionable. The menu is small but caters for all. The draw of the place is the hot stones for cooking your steak I tried rib eye for the first time & throughly enjoyed the whole experience I had a lovely rare steak that stayed warm the whole way through my meal (very rare for this to happen pardon the pun) reasonable prices would recommend to all

The pub offers good pub food in a friendly atmosphere. A variety of traditional and themed menus are available to ensure there is something suitable for everyone including vegetarian and gluten free options. Good real ale is provided by The Old Dairy Brewery, a traditional microbrewery based nearby. Facilities include live Sky sports, an outdoor kiddies play area and free wifi for customers who purchase a drink or a meal. The food was good, the beer was good and the service was good and it is convenient for the HI opposite

We have been to the hopickers several times for sunday lunch staff are helpful but not very attentive they serve three meats on the carvery if you ask for one of each you get a total of three pieces if you want one type of meat you get two pieces do not quite understand that but food overall very good

While staying at the splendid holiday inn ,we thought it would be good to pop across the car park for a drink and snack.It was friendly and we both wish we had had more time for another visit.

We called in this pub at lunchtime on Sunday for a quick drink. They were serving a carvery which looked good and the restaurant and bar were busy.We decided to go back in the evening for Dinner. What a disappointment. We were the only four people in the pub. The manageress/owner/barmaid was polite.The food was way below average and the wine list was non existent.Maybe being a Sunday we hit an off day, but frankly the food was way overpriced and nothing special at all.

We were here on a Sunday night. It wasn't busy but it was quite difficult to find someone throughout our time here for extra drinks and even the bill at the end. The food wasn't particularly cheap but the quality if it was. We ordered the liver and colcannon. There was loads of liver. The colcannon was mash with cabbage on top. I had the fish pie which was left. It was very plain and dull considering what we paid for a small portion. Overall it was an expensive mistake. Not bad, really can only be described as just OK.

I have eaten at the Hop Pickers on a couple of occasions whilst staying at the Holiday Inn over the road. It is handy that you can charge your food to your room if you are staying at the hotel. The decor is a bit tired and the atmosphere is quite cold.On both occasions several of the beers were off which was disappointing. The beer that was available was well kept however.The menu is predominantly a grill menu with a few non grill options. On both occasions my food was fine, nothing special, but no real issues. One slight concern was the grilled meat has a slightly tainted taste to it, I would imagine the grill needs a good clean... The portions are very generous however. Price wise the food is good value for money. The prices are a little cheaper than you would expect from a hotel restaurant, which is essentially what this is. The staff were very friendly and did their best, but the pub always feel understaffed. The food was served very quickly though.

I remember a having a couple of really great Sunday Carvery's here a few years ago so decided to try it again.We called at about 4:30 and our first impression was, are they still serving? as there was no sign of staff behind the bar and just a couple of families finishing their meals. The waiter in charge of the carvery explained they just had beef and a small amount of pork left. That was OK with us so we had a roast beef carvery but by 4:30 what was on offer was a bit tired. I can see the dilemma, if you only have a few customers you don't want to waste food.Anyhow, we had a very generous portion of beef which was good but the vegetables were a past their best and I'm sorry to say they roast potatoes were nowhere near as good as I remember them, my wife said they seem to be frozen roast potatoes.

The pub is just across the car park from the main hotel. It provides a range of meals as well as a bar offering the usual well known brands. However it also offers real ale from a local micro brewery which is a welcome surprise. Staff were friendly and helpful and there are areas to sit outside when the weather permits. A welcome change from the more usual hotel bar!

The staff are welcoming and the local beer was excellent on the day of our visit. The food that we consumed was also of reasonable quality and the tables were pleasantly located in an unspoilt pub atmosphere.

what a find, excellant food and service. children catered for too. a small play area in pub grounds let our kids let off steam in between courses. staff very helpful and friendly, would recommend this pub again and again

Food was excellent and great value for money - brilliant staff! Will definately be going back again, as enjoyed it very much.

This was my first experience of being in England and first meal in England and I was very satisfied! The atmosphere was wonderful as was the service and food. All around great place!

We ate here while staying at the HI next door, hoping that it would be better than the hotel restaurant.I started with the "spicy chicken wings" which turned out to be reheated grilled wings with some sweet chili sauce over them. They were cold, so I sent them back. To be fair, the waitress took them off the bill before I asked. The stone grill steak is very good. However, the large dining room was quite smoky even with only two grills on different tables. It must be horrendous if there are 50 or more. Beer was good, and the waitress was superb both for service and her handling of my complaint.

Had a meal here while staying at the hotel next door. They had what seemed like quite a lot of staff working and the food came out pretty swiftly. The staff were all friendly and helpful.We both enjoyed our meals, I had a Korai curry which I'd not tried before, but would definately have it again. The Wife loved the pie.Finished our wine in front of the log fire, which was great.

the pub on this particular evening was badly under staffed. we had to wait half an hour for the waiter to take our order- then 45 minutes for the food to arrive! my parthers food was o.k , nothing special, mine had been micro waved and two of the vegetables were not cooked. we ordered a drink which was forgotten, and had to order again! the food arrived with the wrong cutlery, a steak knife for a fish course?Our dessert arrived with no cutlery!we obviously made allowances for the staff shortage, but we were served by one of the bar staff who was trying his best but obviously wasn't trained in waiting at tables, and he was tying to run the bar as well. we probably will not return for a meal.

We had the Sunday carvery lunch here a couple of weeks ago. On offer were beef, turkey and pork and a very generous selection of fresh vegetables. The meat was very moist and the chef was generous with his servings! The others in my group said the pork crackling was fantastic - cooked to perfection. All of the vegetables were fresh, not frozen (with the exception of peas of course!) and it was a very nice touch that the savoy cabbage had chopped smoked bacon and pepper added which really brought out a completely different flavour. None of the vegetables were dried out or watery even though they were kept in a bain marie (or however it's spelt!). And the gravy..... well, that was absolutely delicious.At £7.95 is was the least expensive carvery meal we've had in and around Ashford, and I have to say the quality of the food was the best we've experienced recently. I liked it too that it wasn't overcrowded. Maybe this is because it's a little out of town? This will be our restaurant of choice now I think.

Went here with a Groupon Voucher with my disabled son and his girlfriend. Was distinctly unimpressed with the outside of the pub which looked rather unkempt. Also, being next to a Holiday Inn did'nt really fill me with a warm feeling. However the inside of the pub is very nicely decorated , the staff were really helpful and pleasant, and the food was of a very good standard. I had the 'stonegrill' which was delicious., and with proper chips. Dessert was a fairly standard selection, but with good portions.Very quiet when we visited, yet still with a pleasant atmosphere.Well worth a groupon visit.

We had a three day stay at the adjacent Holiday Inn in preparation for a cruise, and decided to try the Hop Pickers with our family from America. Jake was so fun - explained the menu and took a genuine interest in making sure our dinner was excellent. We loved the cooking stone for the meat, and all the food was prepared well and to our liking. instead of going elsewhere to eat on our other nights at the hotel, we chose to go back to the Hop Pickers. This restaurant was clean and priced well. Considering coming back for another cruise so we can visit again!!

I was getting a bit concerned that I hadn't managed to have a curry during our Uk trip. I was so happy to find this restaurant/ pub served authentic and scrumptious curries. Where we live in S. France they are hard to come by! We will be going back on our next trip.

just had a carvery with my family. Sorry not too impressed a choice of two meats turkey or beef. I chose the beef this was cold and tough glad i got a good set of teeth still left a lot of gristle. My wife had the turkey this was very good apart from a little cold. the veg was a little under cooked I like my veg nice an crunchy but this was a bit too raw. I had a glass of house wine £4.80 I thought was a bit steep. I must say the service was very good. We will not be going back

It was cheap, but the food was not hot; kept in tureens for you to help yourself but had gone lukewarm.

We dont normally write reviews, but having visited on Monday 5th and enjoyed our evening so much I wanted to help promote this pub. We used a recent groupon offer which made the evening great value for money, but to be honest the prices were very reasonable anyway, and the full menu offered a good variety of dishes.The 'Stonegrill Dining' was something new to us, but i would definately recommend it - gone are the days of describing how well you want your food cooked ! All the ingredients appeared fresh and the presentation was very good. The young lady on duty was both very friendly and efficient, checking regularly that everything was ok, and she was on hand for drink refills, to promptly clear our empty dishes and to offer the dessert board. Her English skills were also exceptional for a second language.I cant be all positive, so just 2 very minor negatives - the fabric clash between the reasonably nice curtains and the very old fashioned tie backs/surrounds was quite disturbing ..... and the log fire whilst very nice and atmospheric leaves everything you wear with a strong smell of smoke - maybe a hardwood or coal would help this. The free WiFi and tv with Sky Sports football in the bar area were nice additional attractions, as are the outside seating and play areas for better weather. There is a note to check Twitter for the latest offers, so using the Wifi we did, only to find the last update was nearly 3 months ago ! Overall a very nice experience and we will definately be back in the near future.

Visited this restaurant with friends after seeing the offer on the Tastecard site (which I'm a member of.) This boosted the value for money into the stratosphere with a 50% discount on food but to be fair it wasn't that expensive to start with. If you're using an offer, just be sure to check it on the day as some of the staff had been given conflicting information about the offers (not really their fault.) This wasn't too much of a problem to sort out but just meant that I had to prove what the deal was at the time (thank goodness for mobile internet.)Apart from the children we all had the Indian buffet. Although not a massive variety of dishes they were all very tasty. A curried mince dish, tandoori chicken, fish curry and a cauliflower curry dish. There were some cold salad options as well as onion bhaji, poppadoms and nann. The restaurant itself was pretty quiet and the buffet didn't get refreshed the whole time we were there so not sure how it would be later in the evening but it was certainly fantastic when we were eating.Our children ate from the children's menu and that was a very nice option. No sausage and chips option or turkey dinosaurs so this place gets a big thumbs up from me.The restaurant has more of a feel of a pub about it than a dedicated restaurant but that's no bad thing in my opinion. All of enjoyed our food when visiting this place and we'll definitely be going back to try other option in the near future.

Having been to a few very busy restaurants and staying close by, The Hop Pickers seemed like a suitable place to eat. I called a head to ensure that there was room for the large family group and was assured that it would not be a problem. Upon arriving the pub looked great and I thought what a great choice. It took a little while for a member of staff to appear and said that we'd be seated in a minute and he disappeared.This minute turned out to be nearly twenty! I then asked the bar maid and she told us that it would be about a further twenty minutes. So this is nearly an hour after my phone call to check availability. Finally we were seated partly due to a friendly customer who offered to move to enable tables to be close together.The food was ordered after an hour of being in the pub. Unfortunately the waitress returned after a little while to inform members that some items were not available. The wait was unreasonable and it was only after asking again how long it would and a threat of leaving that the food arrived! So an hour and forty five minutes after walking into the pub which was not busy compared to earlier venues the food arrived.The food which very good and empty plates were returned, the atmosphere was pleasant but unfortunately it was not worth the wait and the standard of customer service was not the best.

Being local we have eaten here before but only for an evening meal and were put off a bit by the person serving us. However one sunday I couldn't be bothered to cook so we decided to pop in and try the carvery. We arrived at 12.15pm which is a good time as it only had a few other diners. The service from start to finish was impeccable, and the food .... omg the best carvery I have ever had .... a choice of turkey, pork and beef with the largest yorkshires I have ever seen and vast choice of veg. Only minor critisism was I like my roast potatoes crispy and these were far from that ... but did not detract from the enjoyment of the meal. Rather unadventurus desserts but then you were so full from the carvery it really didn't matter. Extremely good value for money, will definetely go again

Ideale Ergänzung zum Holiday Inn gegenüber. Sehr schöner Kinderspielplatz. Getränke sind Standardpreis, schönes Kindermenü. Sah sehr sauber aus.

As a local man from Ashford, regularly recruiting for Catering & Hospitality industry - I had heard a lot about The Hop Pickers at Hothfield.Having heard that they had recently employed a different Chef, I thought I would give it another try..............and was not disappointed!! In fact, I was bowled over!The food was prepared and presented with obvious care..........and it tasted fantastic too! Ample portions of meat (Beef, Turkey & Pork on the menu when I visited)The attentive service was spot on......not overbearing, just helpful, polite and just how you'd want it to be! The value for money - well, you will find it difficult, ifnot impossible to find a better priced Sunday Carvery (£7.95 for an Adult) in the local area.I would recommend this restaurant to families looking for a lovley Sunday lunch in a relaxed atmosphere. Would definately be returning!

we were lucky to be staying at the nearby Holiday Inn on a thursday night and was able to have the Indian buffet meal which was excellent value at £10 a head with a drink of your choice from the bar . The Hop Pickers employs Indian chefs so the food was very authentic

We went along for the curry night £10 including a drink (ever thursday) great value and a great curry! You get a choice of a few dishes from the buffet and all of it was spot on, by far the best Indian food I have had for ages! Will be back again!

Very helpful bar staff. Excellent choice with house specialities which were far better than your average 'pub grub'. We had the volcanic lava rock brought to our table and cooked our own succulent steak. Would go again.

At at the Hop Pickers on a Tuesday evening; restaurant wasn't busy but despite this the service was on the slow side, and it took approx 40 minutes from arrival until we received our starter, and it was a while again until the main course arrived. Notwithstanding that my steak was beautifully cooked and the handcut chips were delicious. A couple of the party ordered the stone cooked steak, which was cooked by themselves at the table, a novel experience. Apparently the restaurant had been refurbished recently but it was difficult to see this and the curtains and valances appeared a bit dated, but it was clean and tidy.

Good food,well cooked and presented.Not expensive either.

Staying at the Holiday Inn, Ashford North (see separate review) we dined here in preference to the hotel restaurant and were pleased we did.It seems that a facelift has just been finished with clean paint everywhere and some rooms still unuseable. We felt the menu to be varied with not just steaks and tandoori, but good pub fare. I enjoyed the liver while my partner enjoyed her scampi. The portions were quite large and we were sorry we had no room for a pudding. Service was swift and friendly. The quality was shown when a lady at an adjacent table said that the steak pie wasn't very good, the staff asked if they could supply something else. This was done without any fuss or argument, and a replacement curry was provided at no cost. Truly a sign of good service. Value for money was also good.