The Staff of Life in South Derbyshire

Stayed two nights a the SOL lovely room very clean and comfortable. Had a delicious dinner the first evening. Breakfast on both mornings was really good. During our stay the proprietor and staff could not do enough for us to make our stay enjoyable.

Stayed at the SoL as part of our bike trip around the country. So glad we did, great food and beer , lovely breakfast. Definitely staying again. Thank you Jayne & John.

Well, this was our experience… Staying in the village we thought we’d walk to and eat at our local pub. This was a big mistake. My father telephoned the Staff of Life to reserve a table but there was no answer, it was only a short distance so he walked round to book a table. He booked a table for 6. We all arrived, with our dog to be told there are no tables to seat 6 in the ‘dog area’. We were offered two separate tables outside but this was not ideal. We were never asked when booking if we had a dog and the old woman responded as to why with “we don’t have time to ask everyone that calls whether they have a dog”. We then explained that we had just travelled for 4 hours and she responded sarcastically “what, you’ve travelled 4 hours to come to this pub?” I would not recommend such a place with an angry, sarcastic and unfriendly woman. They have the monopoly on eateries in Ticknall and it was empty on a Saturday evening so that really says it all. It could be fabulous.

Came for lunch after visiting Calke, food very good, service 10/10, had monther in law in wheelchair staff made us feel very welcome. Well done to everyone.

Our walking group had enjoyed a wander around the Calke Abbey estate and needed a pleasant, wholesome and long lunch. This is exactly what we received from The Staff of Life. In lovely weather we started in the outside seating, placed our orders, moved inside to eat excellent Sunday lunches and finished up outside again to prolong the pleasure. Couldn't find fault and well done Lando, you have to start somewhere!

We stopped by for lunch today after a lovely, long walk around Calke Abbey. We received a warm welcome and table service. Although it was busy and the lady appeared to be front of house on her own, this did not fault the service, she was attentive and so friendly. We both ordered a steak pie with chips and vegetables. We were told there would be a 30 minute wait for the pie as it was freshly baked. We were SO glad we waited, the pie was probably one of the best I have ever had in a pub/restaurant. It was full to the brim of tasty meat, which was tender and delicious, with pastry surrounding it all. It came with seasonal vegetables, hand chopped chips & gravy. The portions were huge and a very reasonable price. We had such a wonderful experience and we will definitely be back. If you do go and want to leave a tip, make sure you take cash as they can’t accept one on the card machine unfortunately. Thanks so much! We loved every minute of our visit & the food.

We popped in for just a drink, 5 of us and was abruptly told “we only have space for 4” despite there being plenty of empty tables. We asked if we could pull up a chair and were told NO, we need to go outside!!! So we did and left! Just rude and unwelcoming.

We visited for a family Sunday lunch to celebrate husbands birthday. Cosy village pub friendly staff good ambiance. We ordered roast beef and roast pork. Large portions of meat, massive roast potatoes, Yorkshire, stuffing( not sure with beef?), big jug of gravy and separate portion of veg. Followed by Fruit crumbles and custard all around. Tasty all homemade. Could do with a bit of background music and some extra lighting as it was a bit dim. Will definitely be back

I stayed here for two nights when working nearby. It’s a lovely homely place. The rooms are nice and clean, the food is great especially the pies and the the staff are friendly and helpful. Really enjoyed the stay.

Fantastic all round. Delicious food, large portions, quality ale, friendly staff, what more could you ask for? If you are passing by and are thirsty or hungry then do yourself a favour and give them your custom!

Had a lovely lunch at The Staff of Life. Great table service, good choice of veggie options and the food was excellent. Special mention goes to the home made chips. They were so good and the sticky toffee pudding was delicious

Terrific experience after a splendid walk around Calke. Staff were attentive, personable and really quick. Food was excellent (including vegan options) and beer was spot on. Home made chips were unbelievably excellent.

Superb food, great service, fantastic beer and a lovely location. We were both really impressed and we will definitely return.

Fantastic meal, lovely cosy country pub, didn't feel packed in or squashed though. Home cooked food was superb, very generous portion sizes but very reasonably priced. Our teenage children lived it. We will definitely be returning!

We had lunch at The Staff of Life at Ticknall last Saturday, and it was excellent. All the food is cooked fresh to order, so it took about half an hour, as you would expect with freshly cooked food. My husband said his beef pie was the best he had eaten in a pub, and my fish pie was also delicious. Both were served with freshly cooked, fresh vegetables, which is very unusual these days. The prices were very reasonable, the staff were excellent and we were made very welcome. It's also dog friendly, and there is a good-sized car park. What more could you possibly want!

You will never get a better homemade pie than we enjoyed here last night. We stayed over and the room was spotless. What a warm and welcoming experience!

6 of us visited for the first time on Saturday evening. Food was lovely, fresh & well cooked. Steaks were cooked to perfection. Proper homemade chips! Puddings we think were homemade & delicious.Service was good. Will definitely return.

We stayed for one night Bed and Breakfast and it was absolutely outstanding. They had upgraded our room which was such a wonderful surprise, it had a four poster bed and was furnished to a very high standard. The food was excellent, the landlady went out of her way to look after us and even decorated up for my birthday and gave me a complimentary drink. We had such an amazing time and I left my charger by mistake, Jane took the time to ring us and inform us so we went back and ended up staying for a roast dinner which was exceptional. As soon as we can we will be returning. Would highly recommend staying here or just eating here.

Dropped in for a spot of late lunch Pleasant experience with fairly standard fare food but tasty and well presented and cooked Staff were polite and attentive and everything was clean neat and tidy unlike other close by establishments Very impressed by the Patron and his hands on approach Outside areas were again neat and tidy and well carted for A homely feel! Jon and Rachel Williams Wrexham

Went for Sunday Lunch with a group of friends. What a lovely little find tucked away just off the main road through Ticknall. Nice little outdoor seating area inside really quaint. Staff all really lovely and super friendly. Menu selection varied. I had a Sunday roast ….delicious. No hesitation in recommending

I booked two rooms for a business trip, I’m not a fan of chain hotels when working away, I believe in giving my money to local businesses! I cannot stress how much I enjoyed my stay! Immaculately clean, fantastic home cooked food, comfy beds and lovely rooms, but most importantly the hosts!! This is how a B&B should be run, such fabulous service and made to feel so welcome by Jane and her husband! I will always come here now I know about it! The breakfast was absolutely perfect! Thank you so much for a most beautiful stay! Absolutely perfect.

Stayed for one night at attend the British Touring Cars event at the nearby Castle Donnington Race Track. We booked the rooms direct with Jayne in advance and she was very warm and helpful with our booking. The rooms were clean and comfortable and we enjoyed a warm welcome and tour from John. Evening meal was good and service from Rebecca (our waitress) excellent. Morning breakfast was also good. Excellent hosts (Jayne and John), clean and comfortable rooms and we very much enjoyed our stay (albeit a short one). Thank you all.

If carlsberg did hotels ! This is the perfect getaway ,great hosts john and jayne ,impeccable staff and so friendly ,and the food was amazing ...one bad point ...I had to leave 😂

We had been to Calke Abbey and called in for lunch on the way home. A first time visit ,but it won't be the last!. The Beer was excellent and we had to wait whilst our order was cooked ( much better than it arriving within 5 minutes) Between us we ordered Lambs liver with onion grave chips and peas, A trio of sausages with mash, onion gravy and peas, Haloumi fries with salad and a sweet chilli dip and a fish pie with vegetables. The food was piping hot and delicious, only empty plates went back. On this showing, I would highly recommend a visit!!

Stayed overnight for our Golden wedding anniversary, the staff were fantastic, esp Jayne, nothing was too much trouble, Inc a nice bubbly surprise to help with our celebrations, room & food were excellent, an excellent breakfast next morning, can definitely recommend The Staff of Life

Found by chance as staying nearby. Enjoyed a great beer from a good selection. The lady who served me was welcoming and helpful. Seemed to be busy as short staffed on this lovely summers evening with plenty of punters in the beer garden having dinner. My meal was great. Thanks.

Parked in the village hall car park, walked the 2 hour nearby tramway walk including a coffee at the Nat Trust car park log cabin. Then finished the walk at the Staff of Life sat outside in the sunshine with dog, a pint of Tim Taylors, a very nice ploughmans served by very pleasant staff who served up a biscuit for my dog. A really good day topped by a visit to this really nice country pub.

Dropped in here on our travels and looking for a decent lunch. Sensible menu i.e plenty of choice but not too big. Very friendly staff. 3 of us chose staek pie with seasonal veg and chips and were encoraged when our server said there would be about 30 mins delay to ensure the pie was cooked evenly - no microwaved basic pie here. Food was excellent, pump beers very well kept and overall a very satisfactory experience overall. Reasonably priced as well

I was very disappointed with the poor quality of coffee. A lattee cost £3.60 and had no flavour. I asked for another which was just as bad. At this price the pub needs to buy a better coffee machine.

We visited this pub on the off chance for lunch after visiting Calke and were not disappointed. We received a warm welcome from the landlady and were seated quickly. My husband had the gammon and I had the liver and both meals were excellent. Very generous portions and extremely tasty. The atmosphere was comfortable and we will definitely be returning. No complaints at all. One of the best lunches we have had in a long time. We highly recommend this establishment.

ok where to start I hope the owners look at this in a positive manner. 1. the room (No2) was very cold and the bathroom was like a fridge. the tv in the room was like a postage stamp. 2. the bar was very cold. to the point where nobody stayed in it after eating. 3. there were 3 open style fires in the bar area, in my opinion had the fires been lit people would have stayed in the bar drinking. 4. very limited options at Breakfast. full English or beans on toast. I fully understand that it’s biased towards eating but with a little thought there could be some comfy chairs placed in the bar to make it more comfortable. I stay in a lot of hotels with work and in my opinion this is not a £110 / night hotel…..it’s £65 to £80 at most. all that said small changes could make a massive difference. like I said I hope the owners see the benefit in this review as I have taken time out to write it because I like what the hotel could be.

After a chilly and moist walk around Calke Abbey, the family and I were looking for a snug little restaurant to unwind and recharge. This fantastic place fits the bill perfectly! We were just "walk ins" appearing Sunday lunchtime without a booking and with a dog. We were seated quickly and without fuss in a lovely snug area that was 100% dog friendly. Now onto the food... Our first courses came out quickly and at the same time as the toast my son ordered. I'd ordered the prawn cocktail, and my wife ordered the Haloumi fingers, and they were both lovely! Both were served on a bed of fresh salad and leaves and ticked every taste box. The main courses were both excellent too, my wife decided on the cheese and sweet potato pie, and I'd opted for the "staple pub grub" of Scampi and chips. These were no normal chips, and were absolutely delicious along with everything else on our plates. I suppose I should mention the toast too, as my son really enjoyed it, and looked to be a very good quality thick bread and warmed butter. Now onto the desserts... Now, please bear with me on this, because I'm generally a main course over desserts type person. But seeing as there was still a small amount of space in our stomachs we opted for a warm chocolate fudge cake each for my wife and son. And the greatest... And I mean... GREATEST DESSERT I've ever had!!! The humble bread and butter pudding was my choice, as I've always enjoyed them. This was neither humble nor small, served with a jug of cream. I'd definitely go back again, and next time I'd probably book first to ensure we had a table without leaving it to chance as we did today. Other than that I wouldn't change a thing!

First of all thanks to the landlord and landlady for fitting us in, and thank you for making us feel welcome. My wife and I had visited the Staff on a couple of occasions before and we were not let down so we booked in for Xmas dinner,nibbles,starter, main meal ,pudding and coffee and mince pies. The food ,the atmosphere and the food and service were top class so we have booked for Xmas 2023, no drought we will be visiting before then .

Excellent bed and breakfast stay for 3 nights at this friendly family run pub. Polite, friendly and professional hosts who go out of their way to ensure you are enjoying your stay. On-site parking is a big bonus. Good choice of menu, catering for all...

Booked for a wedding. Owners kept us updated about pub opening hours and answered my emails promptly. Our stay was comfortable and the owners were attentive and nothing was too much trouble. Enjoyed the stay and breakfasts and would recommend a stay here, we felt...

Stayed here for business. Room was well equipped and conformable. Food was good and the breakfast was spot on. Staff are incredibly friendly and a credit to the place.

The Staff of Life is a piece of heaven set in a lovely area of Derbyshire. Friendly welcome when you arrive, Spotlessly clean cosy room, the most amazing food I have been served in a b&b highly recommend the Steak pie and hand cut chips....

Arrived at 7:30 pm on Friday evening and was busy. We were politely told there would be a 30-45 min wait for food. About half an hour later we ordered our meal & it was served fairly quickly. The food was very good and the...

We were looking for somewhere local to Calke Abbey for Sunday lunch. This pub provides a friendly and helpful service. Lovely beer garden. Tasty good and great range of beers.

Booked 3 rooms here in June for friends to stay as we were training for a charity marathon walk. Lots of great walks in the area and we managed to clock up 20 miles around a the woods and Calke. The team here looked after...

A lovely spot to stay. Spacious, clean and well equipped room. Friendly team , a warm helpful welcome. Close to a safe tram walk - 6 miles or 3 miles. Evening meal - hearty and fresh Breakfast - tasty and freshly cooked

Been well pleased previously but fish and chips not good .Fish tasted like a cheap frozen offering ,tasteless .Chips undercooked .Puddings okay

I cannot praise highly enough the friendliness and professionalism of the owners of this pub. We stayed for a wedding for two nights and they went out of their way to make our stay memorable and took care of out wide extended family who visited...

I though the Sunday lunch was tastless and the roast potatoes were anemic, I had the chicken and for nearly £14 I expected more, though the service was quite slow, wasn't even that busy...also a very small side of veg for two, it wasn't worth...

Lovely pub, had a chilli jacket potato garlic bread and chocolate fudge cake, all lovely plenty of choice lovely service nice outside area when its hot

Nice location, Ticknall is gorgeous. There is a fairly extensive menu of pub grub. The food is good but not memorable in any way. I did not like the service at all and tte place has no atmosphere. Clearly they are used to serving visitors...

The waitress was amazing and my gammon steak was to die for. There were 10 of us eating and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the food and ambience. Lovely clean restaurant in peaceful village. Large car park I can highly recommend anyone to visit - you won't...

We have eaten at this excellent pub/restaurant twice - both times, the food and service were excellent. Efficient handling of our booking, service with a smile and reasonable prices - also in a great location.

Place almost empty and food very average this time. Last July was absolutely excellent. Staff always very welcoming but I'm sorry the food really let you down this time. Heated up to dryness.

Great welcombe great food great friendly service Fully recomend this place to eat or just pop in for a drink

Always a warm welcome for us and our dog. We sit in the dog friendly room which is cozy and comfortable and always served with lovely food. One of our favourite pubs

Absolutely disappointed with this place…..it needs a good overhaul. I will not visit again. Tick all is a lovely place to visit, but avoid the staff of life

Just had a wonderful family meal at staff to celebrate my sons 21st. Lovely rural country pub, very well run, fantastic staff where nothing was to much trouble and the food was exceptional. Would highly recommend a real credit to Ticknall and the surrounding area,...

The Sunday roast and daily pie and scampi and chips were tasty and nicely cooked. Th staff friendly BUT the carpet is old and stained and grubby looking, as was the bench seating and the varnish on the table was tacky - basically the room...

Lovely location. Comfortable relaxing environment. Pleasant, friendly and attentive staff without being over the top, they have it just right. The menu has good variety, which is wholesome, traditional and nicely cooked, (we are happily working our way through the menu). So far this year...

Where do I begin. Beautiful village, fabulous pub, fabulous accommodation, fabulous staff, fabulous food. Cannot fault in any way. A special thank you to Jane and the chef for looking after all 6 of us. Thank you again.

Last minute decision to eat out together last night and very promptly got a table booked. On enquiring if our dog was welcome the answer was yes. Greeted at the door on arrival by very friendly landlord who showed us our table. He gave us...

Went to The Staff of Life for a family lunch, there were 10 of us 6 children and 4 adults, the food was up to the usual standard good sized portions and freshly cooked to order, the beer was delicious, the staff were friendly and...

Our first visit after passing one day and looked at the reviews and thought we should try here. It appeared to be under staffed. One bloke at the bar and a lady doing the waitress duties. Sat us down to a table right by the...

Only stayed for food. Good service by the staff, plenty of space around the table, food as expected. generally a good experience.

I know this area quite well but I've never called in at the Staff of Life before. I had liver and bacon my wife had gammon. It was well presented, excellently seasoned and arrived hot to the table. Small criticism; the liver was over cooked...

We were a group of 10 members of a walking group lunching here after our walk. The staff were warm, friendly and welcoming and very accommodating to our group’s needs. The food was lovely and freshly cooked. Definitely a place to return to as a...

After checking the website seeing breakfasts were available on Sundays went for a family drive to drop in, little one hoping for a nice breakfast. Arrived and the lady just said we don’t do breakfasts anymore only for guests. No other explaination after I said...

Following a visit to Calke Abbey, two friends and I stumbled upon the Staff of Life for a light lunch. Wonderful service from Jayne, good choice of sandwiches and light lunches, great hand cut chips and good selection of wine. There was a bit of...

Thank you so much to Jayne and John for hosting a family get together with a superb buffet and an amazing personal service. The dinner and breakfast menus offered a great range of very tasty food catering for all needs (and more!) was equally amazing...

Had a one night stay at the Staff of Life, room was spotless and even though it was in a pub it was lovely and peaceful. Staff were very welcoming and special thanks to Jayne who changed our original booking a few days before without...

We came for lunch with friends the food was really good and plenty of it, we all had sandwiches with hand cut chips, the staff were friendly and the service was good, we have visited this pub several times in the last couple of months...

Lovely pub. Friendly staff, great food. Dog friendly. Well worth a visit. Really helpfull as we had to alter the booking a couple of times.

Best decision we made leaving this place as we went down the road to The Bulls Head - a wonderful restaurant with fantastic food and faultless service with polite staff - don’t visit this place drive five minutes down the road to The Bulls Head!...

Would not recommend this place at all, shocking service. Nice setting but awful service with very rude man who guessing runs the place. Would never return.

We had a one night stay ,drinks and a evening meal and can’t praise the place, landlady/landlord and staff enough. Check in was easy with everything prepared. We were shown to our amazing room, which was beautifully presented and had some lovely touches of chocolates...

Stayed in the pub for two nights. Very comfortable rooms with en suite. We were worried about the road noise but it disappeared after rush hour. Had an excellent dinner with nibbles to start. Nothing was too much trouble for our Hosts and portions were...

We had an excellent stay at the Staff of Life. The track and trace system was in place and all of the staff were very friendly and helpful. Dinner, drinks in the bar and breakfast were good and reasonably priced. We stayed in a superior...

Booked for Sunday lunch with my husband. Both meals were large and cooked beautifully but the gravy was the best I’ve ever had (my mom will haunt me!!). Very Covid friendly, I felt safe without being overpowered. Everything was clean and the staff were friendly....

Second time at this pub no track and trace in place. No phone numbers taken. The meal seamed to be the left over as we were mid afternoon but rather say cant cater for alll of you than have leftovers and no Yorkshire puddings.As a...

After a day out at nearby Calke Abbey we drove through the pretty village and found this Inn. Very welcoming. The current situation was handled perfectly with everything being cleaned and cutlery being delivered to the table wrapped in cloth napkins. Sunday lunch was excellent.

Very good home cooked food and good value for money. Friendly owners and staff. Large car park and situated in a delightful village of character.

Came by for drinks a few times and decided to book for a meal as well as the staff seemed very friendly and food smelled delicious. Were not disappointed and enjoyed a lovely meal. Precautions to keep the guests and staff safe were in place...

Under current conditions we had a lovely well prepar d and cooked meal.good table device and at a reasonable price. Will recommend this delightful to non.

We have been to The Staff of Life a few times and have always had a nice meal. Today the service was dreadful. We arrived to get a table and were told there was one but they just needed to clean it and clear some broken glass, and offered to get us drinks if we sat outside and waited. We duly did so and the waitress kept saying she’d be with us shortly and it wouldn’t be long. After 35 mins she admitted that there wasn’t in fact a table for us at all!!!! Two hungry children - it was no joke. Very poor. And others who turned up were seated and they hadn’t pre-booked a table so that made it even worse.

An overpriced visit.Fruit shoots madly priced and a pint of Pepsi at £3 was bonkers as cost price is around 80p if not less. Peroni was nearly £5 a pint...gulp.The chips were very greasy- were made with baking potatoes so weren’t very tasty.The bacon fat in the burger was stringy.The veggie wellington was not a wellington it was more like a pithivier.There were many cobwebs and dust in the windows and dead flies and wasps in the toilets (they were not very clean).The service was lovely though and the person serving us was very attentive towards the children and that was lovely.

As long standing devotee's of this village restaurant and great fans of Kaye the owner, it is always great to have lunch here.Several people sitting the in the garden with dogs(we left ours at home in the cool) and one other couple inside.far away from our tableFelt safe whilst inside, sanitizer on entry, track and trace details taken., etc etcLovely lunch in quiet surroundings, a few more diners then arrived just as we were leaving.

We visited The Staff of Life with our 3 children and some friends and their children after a day out near by. The lady who greeted and served us was lovely - really accommodating and attentive. Food arrived in good time and was tasty. The garden was a great space and the Covid restrictions were obvious but didn't spoil the experience. We'll be back!

We have just spent a lovely weekend at the Staff and had a thoroughly nice time. The welcome from Jane and John and their staff was brilliant and they could have not been more attentive to us or our dog, Cocoa. The room was very homely, clean and well stocked with tea, coffee and biscuits. The food in the restaurant was scrumptious! We shall be back later this year. Everything is on hand and nearby and lots of interests locally for all. Social distancing and sanitiser all available. Thank you. Gary Lorraine and Cocoa

After 123 days of lockdown, my wife and I felt it was time to visit a pub. And what a great decision it was to visit The Staff of Life. Sat out in a pleasant garden having a pint and something to eat was just what we both needed. Very well served by a lady who could not of done more to make us feel completely safe in these difficult times. Great food, a decent pint, well served at a good price. What more could you want.

Called in twice this week as we were stopping at a local caravan site, All measures of social distancing done as required to a very good standard. Owners were so friendly, food was very good and fresh. Exceptionally dog friendly, they even gave us a "Doggy bag" for the dog both days, he wants to leave a good review too. Talking to the new owners they are perfect for this business, friendly and professional. Not the best time to be taking over a business due to covid, but we wish them every success in their new venture. Carry on doing what you are doing you will be a success. Will definitely return and will recommend to friends.

Great tasting freshly cooked food, definitely recommend a visit.. Compliments to John and jayne 🙂🙂

Absolutely beautiful meal great value compliments to the chef great landlord and staff definitely recommend this pub

We decided to try here as we haven't been for a while and was worth the visit ! We took the dog and so sat in the snug area but it is very cosy , the dog even got a bowl of chicken as a treat. The Sunday lunch is very nice with lovely meat and very well cooked veg , there are other options too if you don't want this , its 2 courses for £12.50 and 3 for £14.99 so not a bad price for quality food , children can have a smaller sunday lunch too which was a good size. We received a very warm welcome from everyone here , we will be visiting this lovely old pub again soon.

Went here for a meal with my wife. Received a warm welcome from the landlord, who certainly knew his beers and how to keep them - the best pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord I’ve had in a long time! The food was fabulous and prepared with time and real passion - home prepared and cooked by Sue the proper way. I had the surf and turf and the wife the steak pie, both were delicious and huge portions with (stunning) home cooked chips and fresh veg! The pie in particular was awesome, chunky steak and as for the pastry...wow! Desserts were again to die for and plentiful. Both chef and landlord joined us for a chat afterwards- a really pleasant evening in a cosy country pub. Places like this are hard to come by in these days of PubCo ping ping offerings, so makes it even more of gem! 110% recommendation to anyone wanting unpretentious good home food.

We had a family lunch here with our Granddaughters and their parents after visiting Calke Abbeey. The owners have moved from the south so have not been here long. Very friendly staff and would recommend the sunday roast. Great to have small but adequate sized portions for the children as sometimes they get overfaced with great portions on their plate.I normally don't have puddings but could not resist the rum and raisin icecream. Would next time order two scoops as delicious. Sticky toffee pudding was also great. Pity we do not live nearby but I am sure we will be returning again.

If you are passing by the area and want to explore a quaint and picturesque village you must visit Ticknall! After a relaxing afternoon we were on the search for some good old British food. We stumbled passed by The Staff of Life and chose to stay there as the menu looked perfect and the restaurant was clean and atmospheric, perfect for an afternoon lunch. Nearly all the tables were full apart from one. I ordered the classic fish (ale battered) and chips accompanied with mushy peas and tartar sauce and my partner ordered the ale steak pie in thick gravy accompanied with home made, hand cut chips and delicious vegatables. Although it was busy the landlord of the pub reminded us there was a wait on the food but this was because he would never be able to compromise on the quality of his work and everything was fresh and homemade. I was greatful for the wait as the food was the best we have had in a pub. The chef finally came out of the kitchen to get a drink, It was a very busy afternoon and she clearly was tired after working so hard to ensure all the guests had eaten well, she still managed to smile. That fabulous woman deserves an award for the best steak pie ever!!

Just dropped in for lunch on Tuesday and had a great meal and jovial chats with the owner who really made us feel welcome. Good choices of proper food on the menu, no fancy burgers at silly prices. Dog friendly and smaller portions of main meals for kids rather than fish fingers or chicken nuggets.Highly recommended, we look forward to next time.

We've been here twice in the past few weeks, and will go back again. The menu is standard pub grub, on the whole, but it's better than average and the portions are generous. You'll experience a friendly and informal atmosphere if you come here. Recommended.

A lovely evening Steak pie was brilliant tasty and well presented with loads of flavour my partner had the pasta dish which was very tasty . Nice puddings and good beers too will definitely be back

Lovely Sunday lunch, highly recommend great value and excellent quality. Nice to see the pub so busy again.

Stumbled in by accident, ended up staying two-hours!!! Was only going to have a quick drink but was made to feel so welcome by Nigel and the team ended up staying for Sunday lunch. Now normally im not a Sunday lunch type of guy, with a bit of time and effort you can ysually rustle up something decent at home, but I doubt you could produce something so good for the price, we did two courses for £12.50 each even though I think we were charged £14.99 but it was more than worth it for the quality of food, service anx warm-welcome!

I arranged a special occasion meal here for a total of 27 people. This was a new type of challenge for the restuarant and there were a few communication hiccups at the start of organising it. However, once we overcame those we agreed a suitable menu that suited my party but did not risk compromising the quality of the food or service. The quality of the food and service were things that the staff made very clear upfront that they were not willing to compromise on, even for a large party. This did restrict the menu slightly as they do not have the capacity to cook all dishes for a party this size. (None of my party were unhappy with the choices available)

I ate here at lunchtime and had the steak pie with seasonal vegetable and chips. The pie had a shortcrust pastry on top of a bowl which was filled with beef(the filling). The crust was wafer thin and uninteresting as was the filling which was under season and not cooked very well. The pie was accompanied with about 9 chips approx 4 carrots and a handful of green beans and gravy The meal was very meagre and all I can say is for an extra 30p they could have filled the plate up. It was a poor show and will not be returning and to be fair at £11.95 it was daylight robbery for what you got.

We popped in for lunch on a visit to Calke Abbey. The fact that the pub is under new management made no difference to us as it was our first visit! The landlord welcomed us and made pleasant conversation because we discovered that we were all originally from Hampshire. The food was freshly cooked and tasted like 'home cooking', my pie actually had meat in it! One draw back is that the service is a bit slow but that is to be expected from fresh cooking. The ale was well kept and delightful. The interior is a typical country pub. We will probably visit again when we visit Calke.