Ye Olde Two Brewers in North Dorset

Been here a few times to eat and been a very mixed experience with food quality. Yesterday we have Sunday roast from carvery and it was disappointing. Food tasked like it had been reheated particularly roast potatoes and meat. I think it depends who’s cooking as I noticed normal chef not present. Don’t think I’ll be bothering again as I can do better at home! Lovely pub and people welcoming, it’s a shame.

Always here at weekend Great beer friendly staff

We had heard such good things, but on the day were left dissapointed. The bar staff were emotionless, no smiles, no interaction, kept waiting without acknowledgement. The food was just about warm, roast potatoes were soft, the meat sliced so thin it was almost see through, had no taste. A good selection of vegetables but again tasteless. The gravy was just tasteless brown water. The lady who served us was new, but was the best part of our experience, helpful, friendly, with interaction, and smiles. The bar staff could learnt a lesson from her. Wouldn't return which is a pity, we really wanted to like it but my score of two is generous.

Awful dinner today 3rd November ! Totally cold , gravy was like water , meat was tough , hardly any choice , how disappointing plus the bill was £63 !! What a waste of well earned money !!

We had eaten at the pub. But at about 9pm the hoover appeared and was set in motion plus chairs and stools were placed on the table tops. All this despite the fact that we - and another party around the corner were still drinking and chatting. It was obvious that we’d outstayed our welcome and our presence (and custom) were no longer required. I appreciate that the pub closes at 9pm - but surely paying customers should be treated with a bit more respect? Pretty rubbish customer treatment really. Won’t be returning.

I cannot believe the reviews that this place gets, they must be written by the owners surely!! In entering the premises I was immediately disappointed, it was 2pm on a Sunday and the place was pretty much deserted although I could tell some people had been in to eat as there were a few tables with dirty dishes left on them. Things did not improve when we (group of 7 friends) were shown to our table - we had to walk past the very disappointing carvery station to get to our seats. When we enquired if there was anything other than carvery we were told "we could do you a pizza" - not really what we were after. However, we were a fairly large party and no clue on whether we would get in anywhere else so we all ordered a drink and a carvery. If you do decide to go to this pub (and I've no idea why you would) then just order a small one as all that you get with the large one is a bigger plate! The food was very poor quality, the meats were all overcooked and rubbery, the roast potatoes were not very nice and I've never tasted a cauliflower cheese like it - I presume they forgot the cheese. All in all this was a very disappointing experience and should I visit Shaftesbury again I would most definitely not return to this pub.

Very welcoming, the staff members were very accommodating, food was excellent. At a fair and reasonable price. The evening we attended they had a group of 30 people, but this didn't affect the quality of service to our group of friends

There's nothing like a good Sunday morning walk followed by a pub roast. In our case we didn't bother with the walk and just had lunch! (Hee-Hee). We had a long drive instead and chose the Two Brewers based on the TA reviews, and that Shaftesbury was a mid point for a dispersed family meet and thus we have never been before. We needn't have worried. We were early but received an immediate friendly welcome, our previously reserved table was ready and complete with detailed reservation card, drinks swiftly provided, and the Carvery being topped up ready for service. Before long we were tucking into a large plate of fulsome Sunday Roast, served by a charming and chatty lady, offering a choice (or a mix) of Beef, Gammon and Chicken, loads of different vegetables, Yorkshire's and gravy plus sauces, and enjoying every mouthful. The meat was excellent. The dessert menu is limited but more than enough; a choice of a cookie and cream tower, bread and butter pudding, or black forest gateau (haven't seen that for a while!). We had one of each and they were all lovely - one tiny tiny bit of feedback in that the cookie tower and BFG were both decent sized portions whereas the B&B pudding was somewhat on the small side. The bountiful custard nearly made up for it and it didn't detract from the lunch. The 6X was spot on and the whole thing was great VFM. Would happily return again not least to try out the normal menu.

Came today to celebrate my birthday and had a lovely lunch food was fantastic and sally was so kind helpful and smiley, she was also celebrating her birthday 🎂 overall highly recommend fantastic value and beautifully cooked

Lovely food and drink and service was great

Food was nice although trying to get service was a struggle. We waited over half an hour after our main course for the pudding menu which never came. No one was around to ask other than one member at the bar who couldn't leave the bar. Ended up paying the bill with the bar man and leaving. Very poor service.

Good food, we asked for more custard for our sweet and got a thimbleful, you have to laugh 🤣

We had a lovely lunch here after visiting Gold Hill.

Lovely lunch after walking down Gold Hill. Welcoming staff and good food. It is at the bottom of the hill to the right and definitely worth a visit.

Great steak second time here very friendly welcoming staff very pet friendly and great value for money ..I would recommend this place too anyone ..true value for money and you can get a sirloin here for just over half the price of other pubs in the town centre ..true value for money ..exceptionally good experience..thank you ye olde brewers 👏

We had a fantastic meal here a few weeks ago. My husband had a ploughman's and I had one of their delicious burgers. My husband wanted to find out where they bought there pork pies, (as they were delicious and he was looking to get some) only to find out they hand make them all themselves! The staff were really helpful and friendly, and the garden has arguably one of the best views in the UK. If you are heading to Shaftesbury, Ye old Two Brewers should be in your must visit list!

The landlady is vegetarian so thankfully no nutloaf!!! The veggie roast was amazing the tart was tasty and the perfect addition. Friendly pub the landlord was really nice and so were other customers. Dog friendly too.

Had a sirloin steak presentation 10, taste 10, service 10 hubby had a home made pizza (smokey mountain) 10/10 for the base and topping with extra chilli flakes .. perfect, and I would highly recommend to dine there.

Had not been here for years. A very enjoyable experience will definitely be coming back soon.

Nice English pub with great food. Very kind and attentive waitress. Tasty burger and other good dishes too. Advised!

Great pub. Great atmosphere, too

What a lovely pub. We had the home made steak pasty with chips. 2 and a half pints of beer. All for a little over £30. The pastys were great really full of filling and tasty.

Great ploughman's lunch for me and ceaser salad for my wife plenty of food and good quality beer and service both excellent Would highly recommend

Advertised food on Sunday but nothing being served. Friendly staff made suggestions. So we just had drinks in the garden. Lovely garden with views, nice and airy inside for a small country pub.

Lovely Sunday lunch, friendly staff, good beer selection and a great beer garden with a fab view.

Beautiful pub, very well looked after and friendly staff. Much bigger than it appears from the street. Serves food but we didn't eat. Lovely garden with views far stretching views.

All those people visiting Gold Hill and I wonder how many realise there's a really great pub just a few steps from the bottom of that hill.

Quite nice and relaxing, felt right at home, enjoyed the food and service

Just called in for quick pint after a walk nice and friendly.

What a lovely pub !! Amazing Sunday roast, thank you for great service & lovely atmosphere from the London girls x

A nice little find in shaftsbury. A proper local pub with a good selection of alcohol. Friendly people and a good pint. A really nice garden with awesome views across the countryside. Well worth a visit 👍

Steak night Saturday. Amazing value fir money. Great draft beer.

This review is true so ignore their rude comment otherwise I was falsely charged Saturday night making their pub even worse! Absolutely love this pub they are welcoming and friendly unfortunately I don’t think our group will be returning though after the price of drinks has sky rocketed! £9.70 for a double Malibu and lemonade is absurd! I could get cheaper in London! I could buy a bottle of Malibu down Tesco for £15 I can’t understand how you can justify this price at all. Shocking. Cocktails also £15 each again cheaper in London! We had some smashing nights here at this pub but unfortunately it’s just not affordable anymore will be looking for an alternative pub for future events.

Not a great deal of choice but the fish and chips were OK.

Lovely pub with great atmosphere and lovely views from the beer garden

Friendly bar staff but meals rated poor for value & quality - undercooked pink meat - mostly gristle- in a slow cooked stroganoff & £15 for bangers & mash included 2 x chipolata sized plain sausages.

Had lunch here whilst visiting the famous Gold Hill. Had a lovely lunch with large portions. The condiments were in huge portions too although we didn't partake. The ploughman's was especially large and extremely good value. Apparently the beer selection was good too. I stuck to cider which was standard keg stuff.

Yummy veggie chili stuffed pepper. Loved the kitty in the pub. Fun place

Excellent egg, gammon and chips.

Lovely oldè world pub happy friendly service and the food was delicious

Lovely old pub. Ham, egg and chips - was a chargrilled gammon steak which tasted superb!

Went to Shaftesbury on a whim, to walk up Gold Hill! Happened to find a parking space outside the pub so popped in for a drink. Ended up having lunch, pulled pork burger, which was amazing. Bar staff were really friendly and helpful.

We had a wonderful meal here last night! The pie night was a hit, gluten free Brie and cranberry was one of the best pieces of food I’ve tasted! Really cosy atmosphere and all round great pub! The steak and Guinness was also great! Lovely and friendly staff. Clearly marked gluten free food so felt safe to eat here.

Lovely at the bottom of the famous " Gold Hill turn right and it's on the left opposite the recreation ground below Abbey Walk

Honestly hand on heart the food in the two brewers is absolutely gorgeous! Big portions, extremely tasty nachos. The food at the two brewers is the nicest food I’ve tasted in a very long time! 100% worth ordering food here! Very friendly staff, polite and will go above and beyond!. Best nachos I’ve ever had!

Our favourite pub in town. Different guest ales each week. A great selection of Cider, great selection of Wines and cocktails. Delicious and very reasonably priced food. Loyalty card incentives too. Highly reccomend.

Lovely staff, best food I’ve had in a long time and the pints were cold. Very short wait and great atmosphere.

Had an excellent meal here on a Thursday evening. Very dog friendly (treat for him on arrival!), good ales on draft, excellent attentive service for our meal. Really very friendly, super value for money and considerably above par quality of food for the price. Would absolutely come back and recommend to others!

Perfect pub to have a few beers, it has a fireplace and the staff is charming. On Mother's Day they had a live concert and it was great. Totally recommended.

Two lovely and most welcome roaring log fires on a rather wet and cold day and the best value for money every for 4 meals , excellent Guinness and tea for 4 such a pleasant change when most pubs are charging exhorbant prices on their lunchtime menu's, excellent food and friendly service 10/10, looking forward to our next visit .

Popped in for a quick pint, as we're new to the area, and stayed for the 2 x gammon 🐷, egg🍳 and chips 🍟 for £15 on the specials. What a bargain for such delicious gammon and with the bonus of a very decent pint of 6X. One of the previous reviews made us think there's no real ale here but this is not true and it's kept in great condition. Abby, the bar-person, made us feel very welcome and recommended the ketchup which is (as she said) the best we've had and a proper portion size especially for someone, like me, who loves lashings of ketchup with their chips and egg. Highly recommend 😊

Only popped in for coffees part way through dog walk. Friendly welcome

Lovely local pub always loved going as a kid changed hands many of times but has always been up to standard with food and atmosphere

I enjoyed a special Birthday Tea Party at the Two Brewers in the afternoon of February 3rd 2024 with over 30 seated guests . A Tea Party at a pub? Unusual perhaps but not for Daniel at the Two Brewers who is also a pastry chef; we had a wide selection of finger sandwiches from cucumber to smoked salmon, plus fruit cake, frangipane cake, macaroons and of course home made warm scones with jam and cream ! Delicious! Tray after tray of food served by two delightful waitresses while Chef Daniel brought in the Birthday Cake ( a gift from a kind friend) and then cut it up expertly ! A wonderful afternoon Tea Party which will be not be forgotten Thank you so much Daniel and Juliet at the Two Brewers in St James.Shaftesbury Colin Francis Shaftesbury

Staff were friendly and helpful. Menu was small and simple. The food that came out was tasty and not too much of the plate. My daughter enjoyed herself so much. Lovely friendly cosy atmosphere. Could not fault at all

This is a pleasing pub. It is well kept and supported by very cherrful and willing staff. The beer is good. The menu is simple - excellent beefburgers for eample. Regulars abnd visitors are mnade welcome. Long may Ye Olde Two Brewers thrive.

We came for a Sunday carvery today, lovely food perfectly cooked. Gammon was delicious. Friendly staff. Highly recommended.

The only criticism I have is that where we were seated, if I wanted to get up to get a drink or go to the toilet, people sat on other tables had to get up as well, it felt like we were sat on ther people's laps. Other than this, it was spot on.

Had a nice time and felt right at home despite being a tourist.

I am a resident of Shaftesbury and had been a regular of the brewers for many years, I have seen many landlords come and go, some good some bad. I have never come across landlords who are as blatantly rude and clearly clueless as the new tenants Daniel and Juliet. To start with their beer is disgusting, when the last set of landlords were in there I never had a problem with pints down there so I can only assume they must be neglecting their line cleans? Despite potentially gone off beer their food has been nothing short of abysmal, I have never seen such a poor menu for a traditional pub. It appears they have got confused and have convinced themselves they are trading in a café not a pub with their style of food on the menu. Whilst in the pub I have witnessed and overheard Daniel being ever so sarcastic and rude with tables complaining about his lack of quality with the experience they received, I have been shocked on numerous occasions by the sheer attitude this man has for the people who are paying his bills. I would also like to note that the cleanliness of the building has dropped significantly in the time they have taken over. My husband took some pictures of the gentleman’s toilets that I will attach below. It has also become apparent that Daniel and Juliet’s attitude does not end with how they treat their customers, this attitude problem extends to their staff. We have been informed from various friends and family with horror stories of how they have treated their employees, I did wonder why their retention of staff seemed so short. I have never felt the need to write a review at any establishment but after speaking to the rest of my family we feel it is a public duty to get the word out about what sort of establishment you will be heading to. I will not be back until a change of tenancy comes around and I can only advise that you avoid this building until that happens.

Great Happy staff friendly to help Great food

Went for our mums birthday meal… absolutely disgusting cold food that took 1 hour to all come out then came at different times, waiting for chips then was told they ran out! Had stale crisps as a substitute, then on leaving the sarcastic waitress slammed the door in my face and jokes about it with her friend. Won’t be going back

First time in since new owners. I have to say what a fantastic welcome from the new landlord who was happy to take a booking for a small function. He couldn't have been more helpful and accommodating. The bar staff Jolie/Jodie! Is a real gem, Top drawer 👍 Excellent pint of Guinness...

Fabulous service, warm welcome and a very tasty breakfast, for our birthday party of family & friends on Saturday 20th January. Thank you to all the staff at Ye Old Two Brewers for a lovely morning ♡♡♡ * Tantalise your tastebuds with the spicy tomato sauce with your breakfast - stunning! Best Regards from Bournemouth ♡

Nice little pub not far from the town centre, had some cheesy chips and was surprised how nicely cooked they were, definitely recommend it if you're looking for a pub to put your feet up in for a bit during a day out.

Pub can't be bothered to update Google, on which they advertise. We walked quite a way to get there, and though it said open on Google, it was firmly closed.. Not impressed.

Appalling food, the worst pub food I have ever eaten. When a 10 year says “the pizza is rubbish, we’ve got better at home” you know it’s not just you… As a family of 5, three adults and 2 children we booked and visited the Two Brewers for a lunch out. The pub looks like a beautiful old town pub and under new management. We honestly thought there would be a concerted effort to make an impression that lasted and would be lure for us to keep going back for more and more. There is little if any apparent Christmas spirit, not a deal breaker, but you would have thought an effort would have been made given the time of year and they’ve just started out. The menu was small, you know fair enough if it’s cooked well a small menu is great as opposed to a huge one that’s cooked poorly. I ordered a creamy turkey korma with rice and a poppadom. It was terrible. Small pieces of rectangular turkey, roughly cut onion, chickpeas, in a watery sauce. What I strongly suspect is out of a packet microwave rice and a definitely out of packet oily burnt and flat, microwaved poppadom. I would say if you wanted to eat it all it would have been enough to feed a child. My two children ordered cheese and tomato pizza and chips. A small shop bought pizza and bowl of chips, served on a chopping board with a pile of salad leaves. Poor. The other two adults are the vegetation curry, they didn’t want to comment. To polite. It looked mine, minus the turkey and lots more chick peas. This was the worst pub food I have ever eaten. I would say it is a nice place to go for a drink.

The food was cold and undercooked . We received 2 meals and 20 minutes later my husband’s arrived with no potatoes on. When our plates were cleared we had to ask for some potatoes. Our veg were rock hard. An hour later, the dessert that we pre ordered hadn’t arrived so I asked for a refund, I was told no so asked to speak to the manager. He was rude, sarcastic and dismissive. Not at all what I expect for a Christmas Day meal that I have pre ordered and pre paid for. We had one cracker between 4 of us. Very poor service and value for money. I would have given them another shot were it not for the rude and disrespectful behaviour of the manager. Not good value for money and terrible food and awful service. Disappointed

£36.90 for two roast beef dinners which we both concurred were the worst we had ever had anywhere. When asked we told staff it was disappointing, but they were not interested. Poor value, poor quality.

Great place. Dan and Juliet had only been in for three weeks , but had already created a welcoming atmosphere. . The food was great , service efficient. With all the plans they have for the next year, this will definitely be the pub to go to in Shaftesbury.

Went here for Sunday lunch with family. Were told they only had two meat selections, and one vegetarian option which was basically a jacket potato. We made our choice, but can only say that we found the meal very disappointing with very small portions on a small plate with the food being barely warm. No member of staff came over to ask if we were enjoying it, and certainly say it was not worth the prices charged. We understand that the owners and staff are new to this business but feel that they need more practice and a great deal of improvement if they are to succeed.

Ye Olde Two Brewers has a new land lord. Most of the previous staff are not working there anymore. Not to be compared to previous landlords

Arrived yesterday evening 11th November for dinner to be told they had run out of food as they used it all at lunch time. How can this even happen , surely you cater and check yout stcick levels before hand..very disappointing !!

Look like a nice old pub and was looking for some nice food . I had the special of the day chilli with extra cheese and salad ….. it turned up in a paper bowl with the salad which looked petty poor and didn’t taste anything like chilli I was very disappointed and must say the worst meal I have tasted in a long time.

Lovely little place and friendly.

We only has drinks, but the food menu looked good.

Lovely pub and lovely decor . If you like lagers or ciders, great choice. If you like your ales ? Not the pub for you . Staff are very friendly.

This was our second visit, first time was for an evening meal, this time, a Sunday roast. Our first meal here was quite nice, which is why a decided to have a Sunday roast. However, it just didn't meet expectations! My roast potatoes were burnt, as was the Yorkshire pudding and the stuffing was an inedible lump. The staff are really nice, it's a shame the good service was let down by the quality of food.

Had birthday lunch /meal out . Lovely drinks, milkshakes, food and service very friendly.

Lovely little pub full of character. We stumbled across it. Gorgeous food with fantasic service. Outdated pictures on Google as no play park in the garden, however public park over the road out the front.

Beautiful food and friendly staff we will definitely be back

Lovely & homly, the individual rooms made it very cosy. The atmosphere was good with a mix of locals & visitors. As its Summer of course the log burner wasn't lite but Woow if it was you sure would of been as warm as toast!!

Nice little old pub. Great pub food at very reasonable prices plus good draught beer.

A great pub with a very friendly atmosphere. Good food and friendly staff 🙂

Visited outside school hols so not busy. Nice garden arwa at the back

Lovely pint in the sun with great live music.

expensive £5 a pint i wont go again

Visited for lunch , burgers and milkshakes were amazing ,but ...ordered the banana and peanut waffles , what a sight... cold standard chocolate waffles bought from a local supermarket, about two tablespoons of jar peanut butter slapped onto it ..worst dessert I've ever had . Pity as it was a dissapointing end to the meal .

Had bangers and mash, weak watery gravy and lumpy mash. Staff didn't seem interested in serving or asking how food was after. Sausages were good though.

Went for a Sunday roast, food was only warm, the roast potatoes tasted as if they had been reheated! Our table was tucked away in a corner, was way to hot to eat inside, needed air conditioning or a fan as window didn't open. The garden furniture was very old and very rickety. And as for carpark.... that's another story. Would not go back and eat here.

We stayed nearby and walked here for both takeaway and dine in meals. Food was solid, staff was excellent, and the views from the back garden area are fantastic. Very enjoyable times!

Food ok but service very poor. Waited for ever for meal to arrive. They ran out of beef by 12.30. 3rd visit 2 bad 1 good

Sorry but not serving food in a middle of a Saturday has earned this place one start. **Adding to it. The owner takes a bit of criticism very personally and instead of accepting it and improving, comes online to attack his clients** (Please read response below)

Stopped in for a last minute lunch, the staff were welcoming and the pub was clean and tidy. We had a light lunch which was spot on couldn’t fault the food at all.

Lovely pub, delicious food, excellent service!

A lovely friendly pub with character. The food was good with plenty of choice.

Food and service was absolutely fantastic! Thank you

Lovely meals at a reasonable price. Staff were excellent

The most delicious Sunday roast I've ever had. My partner loved the lamb and I had a great veggie roast- thank you for remembering all the trimmings like veggie gravy and stuffing

Warm welcome, great value food, well cooked and presented. Fully recommended.