Middlemarch Farm - Dining & Carvery

After our visit today, we both said it was the best carvery we've ever had. Food was hot, ample portions as we helped ourselves. Would 100% recommend Middlemarch for either breakfast, or lunch/evening meal .
Zoe was our server and the apology for interrupting our meal went a long way. Asking us how the meal was and advising us on the dessert menu. Long may Middlemarch continue providing excellent service and food.

Food was fair for the price point. I ordered a rump steak medium rare and was more on the rare side but that's fine with me. The peppercorn sauce is immaculate! Seriously good stuff. My pal had a chicken burger with all the trimmings and couldn't finish the lot as his a poom. Both also had a pint of coke to go with our meals and in total was just under £40 which I felt was reasonable. Good job.

Normally love going here, but today was huge disappointment from the start. Very busy had to wait for table even though you could clearly see lots of empty tables, tables were still empty entire time we waited for one.
Once seated went to get food, not replacing or replenishing food quick enough, queues of people waiting for yorkies to come out, pigs in blankets with no blankets, roast potatoes not peeled before being roasted so not very nice to eat like eating overdone jacket spuds 🤮, vegetables seen better days, not a good day today very disappointing

EDIT: Visited again today, ordered exactly the same thing and the place was much quieter and staff were very attentive. I have upped my review to 5 stars, yesterday must have been an unusual day!

My first visit here (solo party), staying in a hotel nearby.

Positives:
- Carvery was nice and as usual at Farmhouse Inns good value.
- Drink came in a timely manner after placing order on the App when seated at table
- Carvery server was trying her absolute best to keep things running
- staff were friendly

Negatives:
- Excessive wait time to be shown to a seat and to get served at the carvery, I would hope if I return that more staff will be available as they appeared short tonight considering the number of guests.
- certain (but by no means all) front of house staff seemed a little inattentive to some customers.

The best experience in a long time in this restaurant. We had Zoe (mad Zoe) as our waitress and she was incredible what a credit to the company. She definitely made our experience x10 better. She has a laugh with her customers and is so attentive. The food could come ate and you’d still get a 5 just for her personality

Staying at hotel opposite for the national motor bike exhibition. We choose a carvery. Lovely meats but
Carrots hard sprouts hard roast potatoes salty pigs in blankets burnt peas dried out and looked like they had been there all day.
Waitress on our section never smiled and never used basic manners of please or thank you plus she is very heavy footed stomping around back and forth the floor was vibrating ! Thank god I don’t live in a flat under her that’s all I can say lol.
Then my husband and I noticed the ultimate sin when it comes to food hygien the man at the carvery was moving the Turkey joint onto the used beef tray NO then we watched him use the same carving fork on all meats NO he did use a different knife though.
Our table was not the cleanest and it felt sticky as well.
At one point we had 2 young boys approximately aged around 8 - 9 years old running around the tables whilst we were trying to eat even though the children’s play area was open and being used. Just a little bit annoying.

Starter had to be asked for after main course had already come out, 1 person on the bar so had to wait 15 minutes just to get a drink even though there was staff stood talking. Mixed grill was over cooked but didn't want to stand in a 15 minute queue just to complain. Pleased it's not local to me so I don't have to go there again. I could of understood all the above if all the tables were full of people.

Just had Christmas dinner, all very good. Staff lovely and efficient. The place is getting a bit worn but very clean and tidy. Toilets clean, paper soap and hand dryer very good. Very nice welcome. Food well cooked, plentiful and good choice. Our table well set out and comfortable. We had amended our guests and the extra place was easily sorted out. We would definitely recommend the venue, it's worth its cost, that aside it's a nice atmosphere for us oldies and the younger end
Smashing.