The Staff of Life Inn in Calderdale

I recently visited the Staff of Life for Sunday roast, having moved to the area and been on the hunt for the best one around. After trying several places and feeling let down, this pub finally delivered on the high praise I’d heard. The roast dinner was delicious —especially the rich, flavorful gravy. Portions were generous, and the cozy, traditional English pub atmosphere, complete with a welcoming fire, made the experience even better. The staff were friendly and made me feel right at home. They also offer tasty starters and desserts. I’ll definitely be coming back!

I've visited here many times and the food never disappoints. Nice vibe to the place and the staff are friendly and professional. Couldn't ask for more out of an establishment to be honest.

It's always great food and wine. And the owners are fabulous!!

Never fails been few times bit not for a while Great food , good menu choice too portions size are spot on just delish. Well return again soon fab service Friendly cosy

As always excellent food, atmosphere and staff. Traditional surroundings with the quirkiness of being of the border of Yorkshire and Lancashire.

Lovely Sunday roast, warm welcome and excellent staff. Car park just down the road from the entrance. Extensive menu. Will be back.

The best cheese board in the world,nice beer too.

All three people's starters and mains and the one dessert tried were absolutely excellent. Cullen skink a standout. Great service too.

Lovely Sunday dinner had by eight of us, the beef just melted in your mouth, we wii certainly be back x

Excellent once again. The pigeon starter on the specials is amazing

Great pub, very good menu, kitchen, and staff.

Couldn't rate the rooms as we only used the restaurant. The food was up to it's usual high standard and the staff great. Highly recommended.

Great food, spot on service, and very fair prices. The pub is very quaint, and will be on our roster of local eateries for as long as it carries on impressing.

Had been meaning yo book here for years, so glad we got around to it! Staff were lovely, the pub is quirky and cosy. Food was absolutely fantastic, can't believe i had a pudding too! Highly recommended.

Great pub, great restaurant, great breakfast. Really Friendly. Lovely atmosphere. Good quiz on Wednesday evenings. What more could you ask for?

I ate the food so quick I didn't even get a picture. 😅. Very cosy, reasonably priced pub food.

Had lunch there was very good as was the service would definitely recommend 👌.

My name is rubel. I'm From Bangladesh. When i was looking job. Im gone this shop.this shop mam & sir kindness. Sir & madam are very good behave. I wish this rasturant are day by day easily group. Thanks

Wonderful old fashioned pub. Good choice of ale's and a fab menu of tasty food which is served nice and hot. Sweet menu has proper desert's like cornflake tart and custard, non of that corporate chain rubbish. Staff all lovely and nothing too much trouble. Will definitely be visiting again soon.

Excellent food and service in a wonderful atmosphere

Visited for Sunday lunch and a little liquid refreshment at Easter. Excellent food and a great menu, friendly and efficient staff, very good bar choice - feel lucky to have found this real gem. Five happy customers.

Food is Excellent, beer best kept around. Sensibly priced.... Service is really good.

Went for lunch after a hike. Hidden gem!

Great quaint place. Been here several times. The food is excellent. A good selection of choice. A good family run pub. Lost a point on service because no follow-up on how was the food and male waiter forgot twice to re order our drinks. Ended up going to the bar myself but, don't let this minor blip put you off. The food as I said is excellent. The walls are covered with historic photos Be aware parking is approximately 50yrds to the right of the pub as you look at it

Great meal Saturday night with friends, cracking atmosphere and food.

Brilliant pub, nice food, friendly staff

A beautifully British pub with excellent food. The staff are very friendly and provide a warm welcome. There is a car park located nearby up a set of stairs. The food is brilliant with lots of choice.

Service was great, staff were warm and welcoming. Had a lovely meal here, and definitely good value for money - can tell all the food is homemade too! We will be returning, thank you!

Lovely food, good service and friendly staff. Car parking is a bit of a faff though.

Super friendly staff and locals, food was fab and enjoyed the quiz and banter.

This was our first visit since the pandemic and we weren’t disappointed. The ambience, service and food are excellent. I had a vegan pie and my partner had steak, we both enjoyed them. We’ll definitely be back.

My first time staying at the Staff of life and hopefully it won`t be the last. I stayed overnight one weekend in July, meeting friends for dinner who live near by. I have to admit, that I`m biased when it comes to pubs like this, as I absolutely love independent old pubs that are full of character and charm and the Staff of Life has bags of both. My room was really, cosy and comfortable, with a bathroom that had obviously been recently refurbed and had everything I needed - tea, coffee etc. However the rooms look out onto the busy main road outside, so there is a bit of road noise ( not the fault of the pub ) The interior of the pub is truly stunning, quirky and genuinely unique. Part old fashioned pub and part cellar, with loads of local art on the walls that`s for sale. The staff are all really friendly and they have a cracking selection of real ales on the bar - I had a perfectly kept pint of Hen Harrier / Bowland Brewery. The menu is really varied and has a good selection of veggie meals. We went for fish and chips, gammon and ragou. All were perfectly cooked and loads of it ! I slept like a log and had a wonderful breakfast in the morning - there was that much to chose from outside of the cooked breakfast, it was hard to know what to have ! All served by the gent who I assume is the owner, who has a wicked sense of hunour. There was no set time for breakfast too, which made the morning much more relaxed too. I wouldn`t hesitate to stay or eat there again and I`m really looking forward for an excuse to go back again !! Ps - It`s easy to miss the pub car park, which is about 100 yards up the road from the pub ! ( I missed it )

Really nice food and friendly staff. Can easily be missed drove past it without realising as no signs outside and not well lit . Car park short walk away. Would visit again.

Lovely olde worlde pub.Friendly atmosphere and best of all well cooked , tasty food. Three of us had the Sunday roast ( x1 lamb , x2 beef) and the others had burgers. We also had a selection of desserts and a bottle of wine .Really really lovely food. Faultless . Will definitely be going again . Thanks for hosting a great Father’s Day .

Our family of 5 had a celebratory graduation meal, my son and I had the chateaubriand for 2 which was cooked to perfection, my wife had a vegetarian choice also superb. Dessert choice was great, in fact, if I had had the room I would have selected 4! Service was very friendly and efficient, without being over bearing and on what was a cold and snowy evening outside, it was lovely and warm inside. This was our 3rd visit and we'll certainly be going again soon.

This place is an absolute gem! The food is incredible, they have great vegan and vegetarian options but it’s all lovely and rustic home cooked food. They have a great chef, puts Gordon Ramsay to shame! Please show these guys some love and go have a lovely evening with your family. Staff are really friendly too! Very accommodating, warm and rustic vibes.

We come Here a couple Of times a year, have done for maybe 10 years now. We always make a point to come in December for the Christmas menu. The Turkey dinner is always very good!! I got the soup, as well as the chicken to start! So good!

If you are looking for fine dining in the north west, at a really affordable price, this is the place. The steaks were amazing, the specials were inventive and all the meals were incredibly filling, full of flavour. I recommend this place anytime anyone asks for a place to eat at.

Family meal celebrating a birthday. The Staff of Life has a brilliant atmosphere, the food was fantastic and every single one of the staff was friendly, professional and just so lovely. Thank you for a wonderful evening.

We arrived at the Staff last Saturday evening for our anniversary meal. From the moment we walked in the staff were lovely. We returned to the pub after 7 years as it was our local living in Cornholme. It was a nostalgia trip and it exceeded our expectations. I am not a vegan but decided to to have the vegan pie. My wife had the Tuna. Well what can I say, it was the best food I have ever had. Delicious, hot, tasty and served on time. The whole experience was fantastic. It's always been a good pub and now it's even better. Complements to the chef. On the Sunday we went for lunch at the Ram, oh dear. Please go to the Staff of Life 👍

We had a really excellent meal this evening, I had the pan-fried venison in a cherry jus, hubby had cod in a seafood curry sauce. The menu is varied and the food is quality. Highly recommended this place!

Totally fabulous family meal at the Staff this evening. The food was amazing, really something special, and I love that the regular pub favourites (fish and chips, gammom) are still on the menu, alongside, scallops with black pudding, and venison steaks. Great, speedy, friendly service and delicious food. Couldn't have asked for more. We will be back again and again and again. Well done Staff team 👏

Had some lovely food here one Sunday lunch, i opted for garlic mushrooms from 2x course special menu, served with chunk bread omg they were delish, sause was so creamy, i then had traditional roast beef, it melted in your mouth served with all trimmings, my hubby had the mussels, big dish of them served in white wine sauce and chunk bread, then belly pork off normal menu, great portion size. I topped off with sticky toffee pud which again was to die for. Not the cheapest place to eat but the quality was amazing, they do plenty of different drinks ie hand pull ale, wine ect. The staff were brilliant, and the building is very quirky and oldy worldly and from outside I would not think to go in here but was recommended, beautifull food.

5 of us booked a table for a meal, the pub is full of character and a warm welcome and good atmosphere. The food is delicious, well worth the price and a good choice for Vegan and Vegetarian. Excellent service by very friendly staff. 10/10

We stayed over at the weekend as we were in the Hoofstones fell race Sat 22/01/22. The registration was in the pub; which was a nice and warm, friendly welcome on a cold Saturday morning. After the race the presentation was held and around 30 tired and hungry fell runners ate chip butties and drank pints of real ale to celebrate. Such a great atmosphere. Afterwards we headed to our room for a wash and a nap. The bed was comfy and the shower was welcomed. Everything was clean and well presented with tea/coffee and toiletries provided. We came down for dinner at 7pm and had a fantastic meal with a relaxed and cosy atmosphere all night. The staff were very attentive, the landlord couldn’t do enough and the food was fantastic. I thought… this can’t get any better, what more could you ask for??? There was more to come! In the morning, we headed for breakfast into an amazing wood panelled dining room with an old cast iron fireplace. Attention to detail was amazing - fresh fruit, yogurt, full cooked breakfast etc and we doggy bagged some of it for our hike (with permission!!). The art and culture of the place is such a bonus; we enjoyed browsing the books, maps, and paraphernalia of the local area and enjoyed chatting with the landlord to learn more about the place in the breakfast room. We will definitely return as this might now be one of my favourite places that I have stayed at; and we stay at a lot of places! Cannot recommend highly enough.

Beautiful atmosphere friendly.food excellent. Locals made me and my partner very welcome .log fires. This old pub is beautiful inside. The rooms are very comfortable and clean . Shower gels and shampoo are supplied. Infact it was so good i have booked again for next...

Every year without fail we come here for Christmas dinner around the 22nd/23rd and it never ever disappoints! The food here is always so good! And the service is great with very friendly staff! You will not find a better Christmas dinner anywhere, I guarentee...

Went with a group of friends for a birthday meal, staff lovely and the actual pub itself is nice. But all of us bar one found the food almost inedible. The steaks were massively overcooked, the pigeon starter dry and tough, chips barely cooked...the veggie...

Went on Wednesday for a celebratory meal with the family, we booked in advance but arrived early yet our table was already ready for us. Staff were pleasant and accommodating, checking on drinks and food. The food was delicious, could not complain! We only came...

Last meal before I get married tomorrow, beautiful from starters to main and pudding , the fillet steak was the best I’ve eaten , everyone really enjoyed as always , thanks to Tim & Kate , I’ll be back next time I’m in Todmord

Avoid going there for Sunday lunch! I am a big believer that on a Sunday you need to get to lunch early in order to get meat how you want it cooked so this is what I did. We were the first couple to order...

Called in for quick drink but ended up staying fir a meal. The Taylor landlord beer on excellent form. The pub was cosy and full of interesting kickbacks. We had the mussels and crayfish tails in creamy cider sauce with hunk of bread to dip...

Cheap and nice portion sizes.Good food and good service.Staff were very friendly.Highly recommend for families.

Lovely food and atmosphere right on our Cragg doorstep. Great service too! Excellent pub food and ales.

Lovely atmosphere, excellent food, good selection of draft beers. Very enjoyable dinner with great view up to the Crag.

Fantastic experience from start to finish. Amazing food and friendly staff. We was made to feel safe and welcome from the minute we stepped in. Highly recommended.

1st time here and I would highly recommend food service and drinks ..sunday lunch and it was all delicious.the interior is delightful.. proper pub with way above average standard..and a great menu. Cant wait to return. Thanks

We went off of the specials boards and had the salmon stir-fry and the venison steak with potato gratin and they were both incredible. If the Venison is ever on the special board again I won't hesitate to get it again. Impeccable eating and the...

Came across this absolutely fab pub by chance today. The friendliest of welcome psand super covid safe. The food was top notch, so tasty, beautifully presented and cooked perfectly. So happy that we found this place, we will definitely be back.

As regular visitors to "The Staff" We looked forward to seeing Kath, Tim and all the staff after a break of months following the lockdown. The way they have taken the precautions needed to reopen not only made us feel welcome, which is always the...

This place just never lets you down! We come on average every 6 months! And it delivers every single time! Great service, amazing food!The cragg burger is one of the best meals I’ve had, and the jam roly poly is to die for!! We came the day it opened back up after lockdown! And we can’t wait to return! We won’t leave it 6 months this time

There is no mistake about it, this is a pub in the traditional sense of the word and a warm, friendly inviting hostelry it is, too. However, it is not just the quality of the ale that draws people in, it is also the exceptional quality of the food. Fancy something mainstream, such s haddock and chips? You'll be served a large fresh, perfectly cooked haddock in a light beer batter. (I do mean 'large', so go for the optional half portion if you're not very hungry.) Fancy something more adventurous? Then try one of the special offerings of the day. My wife had venison medallions that came with enticing accompaniments such as a slice of spiced pear. It was the work of a fine chef and beautifully presented. The Staff of Life is an old building with stone walls and solid furnishings and sits in a romantic valley across the road from Eagle's Crag. This is an eagle-shaped outcrop of rock high up on the hill opposite, off which, if I recollect correctly, the Pendle 'witch' Alice Nutter was reputedly seen to jump and fly through the air. That may be incredible, but the superb quality of the food here is a reality.

My wife and I recently had the pleasure of dining at this wonderful establishment. We were warmly greeted by the very friendly staff. The real ales on tap were absolutely perfect. We decided to dine that evening, my wife chose the cake, and I the pork belly, both dishes were an absolute treat, some of the very best food we have ever had, I cannot recommend to highly this great gastro pub, and look forward to returning asap. Thank you so much for a wonderful evening......

Lovely old whirly pub. Sunday lunch ( £12 one course, £15 for two and £18 for three courses) we had roast beef dinner ( asked for extra gravy) Just the right portion then had jam roly poly & custard. Staff friendly, service a little slow but nice pub to sit in so not really an issue. Only downside is it’s on a busy road but don’t let that put you off.My hubby says it’s a good pint of Landlords!

Warm and cosy with a real fire in the snug bar area and a stove in the main restaurant eating area . Staff were all pleasant and helpful. Food arrived quickly and was delicious . No room for a pud but they looked very tempting indeed. We will be back

Let's just start by saying how amazing the food was. I had a carvery and it was delicious. It was absolutely amazing and the service was great. It is great for families. The only thing I would say that is negative is that it is a quite small. However it does have some lovely artwork inside and antiques and most you can buy if you want to. A bit pricey though. I would highly recommend to all. I would book before you go though as it can be busy as it is a popular restaurant.

Went for a meal during the week with family, had a nice table, we ordered starters of pate to share then we had for mains, steak, pasta and fish dishes, everything was lovely, great pub/restaurant with great food and lovely staff, we have been coming here for a while now and have never had a bad meal.

Went here yesterday. The surrounding were cosy and the food was awesome! I had a roast pork dinner and my partner and her brother had roast beef. His partner had the vegetarian pie. Our food was lush. The mashed potatoes were amazing. For pudding I had the cornflake tart with custard. Absolutely melt in the mouth delicious. Very reasonably priced too! The staff were friendly and their was a good choice of ales. 10/10 and to quote the Terminator ‘I’ll Be BACK! Thank you

Yesterday afternoon we (a Canadian couple) joined our English friends for tea. We had a wonderful meal, some enjoying the specials and others choosing from menu. The waiter was pleasant and efficient and the atmosphere was outstanding.

Driven past this little pub on lots of occasions and never a second thought until we had Sunday lunch there yesterday. All I can say is WOW!, one of the best Sunday dinners ever!, a small friendly pub with lots of charm, attentive helpful staff and absolutely delicious roast beef and the works. You know when you taste the gravy if it's going to be good and it exceeded good. We will definitely be returning. Good value for money, well worth a visit and highly recommended.

A small friendly traditional pub which I have driven past numerous times. Booked for Sunday dinner, made to feel welcome on arrival, pu

It's been some time since we last ate at The Staff of Life. Last time we were disappointed by both the food (quality and quantity not up to previous standard) and the service. Today was much improved. Good service but we weren't rushed. Good food, especially the Sunday roast beef. Beer very good too. A successful and enjoyable visit. The only suggestion we have is a better coffee machine which means everyone's coffee can arrive at the same time. Thanks for a lovely lunch.

Food is fantastic, top quality food, lovely ambiance, great quirky old pub, friendly staff, good selection of drinks

Spent a lovely evening here. Nice selection of drinks. The food was excellent - all three of us thoroughly enjoyed the food and cleared our plates!

Nothing wrong with the food or ales here or service for that matter, it’s all to a very high standard. The locals are just weird?! It reminds me of the film Deliverance, it’s littered with banjo players!!!

We eat here regularly . Staff always friendly and welcoming . Never had a bad meal yet. Fish and steak particularly are always cooked perfectly to our requirements . Eagles Crag Burger , best burgers we've ever had !!

I went with a friend yesterday evening for the first time.(for both of us) A colleague of my friend gave it the thumbs up so we decided to give it a try. Quite a long way from where I live but we like trying new places. The pub sits at the end of a row of terraced houses, on your left as you come from the Burnley end, and is on a bend in the road. The car park is not clearly signed and it is quite easy to drive past it, however after a quick call to the pub we were put in the right direction. Drive past the pub on your left continue for about 80 or so yards and make a left turn up a track, then immediately turn left on to the car park. (Not visible from road). There are some steep steps at the bottom left side of the car park leading to the road. If you are elderly or have problems with walking I wouldn't advise doing it on a regular basis. Basic introduction over so how about the pub?

Great meal on Saturday afternoon. Lovely location and atmosphere. Service was excellent and very well focused on the customers needs. Good choice and very good value for money. Would definitely use the Staff of Life again.

A good lunch on Friday which was enjoyed in quiet and calm surroundings. The burger was good and the lamb shank was also enjoyed by Mrs. Service is efficient and friendly. This was our third visit and it is consistently good. Highly recommended.

We went for lunch on a Saturday afternoon and the pub was not that busy.

Expected more having read the reviews, starters were good but burgers were dry, creamy sauce on chicken supreme was tasteless, so overall it was only average.

Called ahead on the bank holiday Monday to book a table as advised on here, seated and passed menu but asked if they could do a roast dinner and they happily obliged, I had the roast lamb and partner had the toast beef, simply perfect and very tasty indeed cannot wait to return, lady on the bar was attentive and very pleasant - not a single complaint here, great food great staff and great find, will be back soon to check out the rest of the menu.

Had high expectations of this place given all the good reviews and following a recommendation from friends.

Had an overnight stay, evening meal and breakfast at the Staff of Life for our wedding anniversary. As always the food choice and quality was excellent in the evening. Catering for meat eaters and Vegetarian/ vegan with unusual dishes on the special menu. Very excited when I saw locally foraged bilberry pie which lived up to expectations.

Walking past the aroma was captivating . So just had to have lunch there . Just a pizza to share and fried potatoes and a glass of wine . Perfect . Great atmosphere and service .

Just got back home from a two night stay at The Staff of Life and considering our minds are already turning to work tomorrow we still have a residual smile from our fantastic stay.

I visited The Staff of Life for my son’s birthday with family members, we were eight in total. We were seated in a charming alcove with plenty of space. The meals were all exceptional, my daughter in law and I had the vegan ‘cheese’ butternut squash and shallot pie, on a bed of olive oil mash, vegetables and onion gravy. This was a treat visually and one of the best meals I have ever had! It was quite a large portion and I couldn’t finish it all, unfortunately I didn’t have room for the dessert I had planned on having! No problem though as the staff provided a takeaway container for me to take home vegan jam roly poly and custard. This was also delicious! Very attentive service from all the staff, I will definitely be returning here in the near future!

Excellent fish pie served today by friendly and helpful young woman. Spotted this as were passing and so glad we did. Will return for sure!

Stopped over night and had a great stay, well cooked food from the Sunday lunch menu, friendly staff. The next morning we had Tim's legendary breakfast, this must be the most generous breakfast in the hospitality industry, everything you could think of was there, including dairy free yogurts and soya milk. Perfectly cooked breakfast. The pub is very dog friendly and our dog approved of the sausages too. Thanks for a very pleasant visit.

A great choice on the menu. Not the cheapest, but portions sizes are large. We both had starters instead of mains for that reason. We asked for a bit of salad to go with my chicken goujons and the waiter brought me a bowl of salad at no extra charge. My friend asked for garlic bread to go with her moules mariniere and again, this was brought over quickly and at no extra charge. Very impressed.

Me and my husband have passed this pub many times and decided to call in today, we were only having a quick drink but saw some meals going out and couldn’t resist..best decision ever!! The starters were lovely but the roast beef dinner...WOW! It was the best Sunday roast either of us have ever had. The beef just melted in our mouths, the Yorkshire’s were amazing and the veg were so tasty. Some pubs roasts taste like they’ve been sat waiting to be dished out, not this! It was all so fresh.

We called in the Staff of Life over the Easter Weekend for lunch a couple of times, the food was excellent and worth every penny, it wasn't expensive for the amount of food and the quality, the beers were on top form and the staff very welcoming, we took our dog with us and the pub is very dog friendly, my only criticism is the outside table area could be made to look better that is the only area I would say let's this lovely place down

Good value pub food, more “adventurous” than your standard pub offering. Drinks reasonably priced too

Very family friendly and they accommodated our dog too. Meat was particularly good - perfectly cooked tender steak and lamb. We shared the cornflake tart and jam roly poly and they were delicious! I liked that they did child portions of anything off the menu rather than a naff kids menu of fishfingers and beans. More pubs should do this! Really clean and friendly staff. Big portions, we had v full and happy tummys afterwards.

Went for Sunday lunch after a walk and had some really tasty food. Pate followed by roast beef, for £15. Well worth it.

It was a Thursday evening and I was staying overnight so I booked a table for dinner. They had 40 people booked in for a birthday party! I thought this is going to be a disaster for me on my own! Far from it! They never once neglected me and the service was speedy.

I have now visited The Staff Of Life several times, however, I most recently visited with 14 family members and I think it is always a testament of good service when larger than usual groups are just as well as catered to.

Went for Sunday lunch, good choice of meals including a set Sunday lunch menu of either 1, 2 or 3 courses for a reasonable price. I chose the lamb Sunday roast dinner, everything was cooked to perfection. My daughter had the special smoked haddock, said it was delicious. My husband and son in law shared the chateaubriand, came on a large platter with chips, mushrooms, salad, tomatoes, massive plate full, the meat was cooked perfectly. The deserts were just as good, pannacotta with rubharb, delicious, the jam roly poly was home made as was the syrup sponge. Lovely pleasant staff, very busy buzzing place, worth booking before you go as it's only small. Will definitely be going again.

Went on a Saturday night after ringing to book a table in advance (which is advisable). From starters muscles, homemade soup and scallops at around 6/7 pounds, all delicious. Mains of beef stroganoff, mushroom stroganoff, steak and a pasta dish at around 14/20 pounds again all delicious, very good portion sizes and great customer service. There is a regular menu and a specials menu to choose from, could not fit a dessert in unfortunately. If you haven’t been here for a meal, definitely worth a visit.

This was my 4th visit toThe Staff of Life - where we always receive a warm welcome from Tim and the team. Happy smiling staff, excellent breakfasts and a fabulous dinner menu... an all round great atmosphere and fantastic value for money in the beautiful Calder valley.