The Mary Arden, Wilmcote

I was recommended the Mary arden Inn as being a good place to get food. I dropped in whilst on a business trip to get well fed and looked after. Right from the start you get the feel for a place and it did not feel 'right'. I asked the waitress what was good on the menu and she did not have a clue, she kept stating only vegetarian dishes, that's fine but I'm not a vegetarian and I had not stated I was, perhaps she was trying to convert me. Another client suggested that I be given a menu rather than one of the bar staff - which was strange, service lacking here. As I looked through the moth-eaten and battered menu it gave the impression of being a bit ordinary, down to earth and 'pubby' , not quite I'd been led to expect. I ordered a big Caesar salad as a main and as it was 8:30 decided to order my pudding in advance, a bread and butter pudding with 'real' custard. With a pint of good ale I was set up for the evening.

The Caesar salad arrived, huge, cold, hard chunks of chicken, unwashed salad in clumps, uncut and leaves all stuck together, no parmesan at all, and awash with a thick glutinous dressing straight from a bottle (Tescos no doubt). The croutons were the size of cherry tomatoes, huge but hard as nails. It was a caesar salad for a big friendly giant, one with no taste buds. It was foul. I tasted it but could not touch it, it was disgusting. The waiter who came over looked at the meal and his face said it all. It went back to the chef whose comment was returned as being "yeah he's right I wouldn't have eaten it",
What??

I didn't think it was possible to screw up a caesar salad, it is always good, except at the Mary Arden.

The waiter then returned with the coup de grace, "the custard's off" so my bread and butter pudding wasn't coming. So, it was the end of the service, the kitchen closed, I had eaten nothing and they asked if I wanted my money back? I wanted a darnd sight more than that. I had paid in advance (last time I do that). In the end they gave me my money minus �3.50 for my pint which I clearly wasn't going to drink as I had to leave and drive to get food elsewhere (at 9:30?)

There were no apologies forthcoming from the management or staff, no free drink nor offer of a good meal next time, nothing to apologise for their total screw up.

Summary, food is very very poor, service is utterly execrable. Current management need to get their act together. Staff need a kick up the arse. I will stay away from this hotel, pub, whatever it is and its sister hotel, The Great Barr Hotel until I hear otherwise that they have got their act together.

23 Jul 2010 13:08