The Hand and Cleaver, Ranton Green

[John Marwood]

Well we went for a meal there last night following the article in the local paper. Great greeting and lovely staff, very helpful and courteous. Food was fantastic with no complaints.

However not so good.

We sat down at 7.30 when we had booked our table for. Our Starter came at 8.10 and our main course came at 9pm after asking where it was. People coming in after us were leaving before us and we never ever got asked if we wanted a pudding so cannot comment on that one.
They will need to change a couple of things before we go back again. Shame becasue the food was very good but waiting that length of time and no pudding unacceptable, sorry....

Not a good time to be in business and not be able to deliver

Failure to communicate, compensate and commiserate is a sign of arrogance

I understand it is being run by an interim company on behalf of the bank in order to flog it as a going concern

Eight semi detached dwellings it is then...

 

[GraphicsMan]

We went on Saturday night for the mother-in-law's birthday. A big group of 14, including the five children (apologies to anyone else who was there for the 'enthusiasm' {noise} of the kids, they don't see each other that often!).

The staff were all very polite and helpful, especially our main waitress, couldn't do enough for us. All the food was cooked to order so we could make the odd change here and there. Food for the kids was made up from a request and not actually on the menu, creamy pasta with chicken.

Our starters, then mains were all bought out promptly and almost entirely together. Portions were a good size too, I can definitely recommend the Lamb Henry – a very good sized chuck of meat and very tasty too. My wife was very impressed with the Red Snapper (waitresses recommendation) which she'd never had before.

Desserts were a little slower in materialising, but a little break to let the mains go down is not necessarily a bad thing. I plumped for the Eve pudding which was also very pleasant although I prefer my custard piping hot and it was only warm, but it was homemade and very nice still.

Price wise, I think it's middle ground, not cheap but not expensive. Certainly good sized portions for the money.

As stated earlier, the kids were a little excitable at times, despite our best attempts to quieten them down. Even then, the staff came across to tell us not to worry. I think she said something along the lines of: "Don't worry about them making a bit of noise, it's what children do!"

All in all a very good night out with everyone enjoying their meal.

 

[John Marwood]

We went on Saturday night for the mother-in-law's birthday. A big group of 14, including the five children (apologies to anyone else who was there for the 'enthusiasm' {noise} of the kids, they don't see each other that often!).

The staff were all very polite and helpful, especially our main waitress, couldn't do enough for us. All the food was cooked to order so we could make the odd change here and there. Food for the kids was made up from a request and not actually on the menu, creamy pasta with chicken.

Our starters, then mains were all bought out promptly and almost entirely together. Portions were a good size too, I can definitely recommend the Lamb Henry – a very good sized chuck of meat and very tasty too. My wife was very impressed with the Red Snapper (waitresses recommendation) which she'd never had before.

Desserts were a little slower in materialising, but a little break to let the mains go down is not necessarily a bad thing. I plumped for the Eve pudding which was also very pleasant although I prefer my custard piping hot and it was only warm, but it was homemade and very nice still.

Price wise, I think it's middle ground, not cheap but not expensive. Certainly good sized portions for the money.

As stated earlier, the kids were a little excitable at times, despite our best attempts to quieten them down. Even then, the staff came across to tell us not to worry. I think she said something along the lines of: "Don't worry about them making a bit of noise, it's what children do!"

All in all a very good night out with everyone enjoying their meal.

Everybody back on the bus

 

[GraphicsMan]

One car and two taxis (one a people carrier).

Certainly makes the night more expensive though!

Our six-seater taxi was £16 each way. Not too bad when split between six I suppose, although the three toddlers weren't thrilled about spending their pocket money!

 

[GraphicsMan]

I Jest!

 

[United57]

One car and two taxis (one a people carrier).

Certainly makes the night more expensive though!

Our six-seater taxi was £16 each way. Not too bad when split between six I suppose, although the three toddlers weren't thrilled about spending their pocket money!

They have to learn the value of money sometime. It does not grow on trees!

 

[John Marwood]

Stafford taxi fares ...grrrrrr

 

[flossietoo]

I've found the food to be very good and the service excellent. The inside is a bit lost-in-time but what really lets the place down is the advertising. There was a frankly bizarre advertising feature in one of the papers a couple of weeks ago which seemed to be serving as some kind of CV for the manager rather than giving readers any good reason to visit the pub. Very frustrating as there are enough factors stacked against country pubs without them failing to help themselves. If you can muster a non-drinking driver or share a taxi, it is definitely worth a visit. The puddings are the best bit, so in view of Moby Dick's experience maybe start with a pudding and work backwards.

 

[John Marwood]

I've found the food to be very good and the service excellent. The inside is a bit lost-in-time but what really lets the place down is the advertising. There was a frankly bizarre advertising feature in one of the papers a couple of weeks ago which seemed to be serving as some kind of CV for the manager rather than giving readers any good reason to visit the pub. Very frustrating as there are enough factors stacked against country pubs without them failing to help themselves. If you can muster a non-drinking driver or share a taxi, it is definitely worth a visit. The puddings are the best bit, so in view of Moby Dick's experience maybe start with a pudding and work backwards.

Everything is temporary, the plan for the pub once the bank who own it realised it wouldnt sell, was to hire a Bolton company who act as landlords until a buyer is found

I have yet to make it back there since the last owners went under but I am told it lacks the comfort and warmth it once had

Anything happnin there over the bank holiday?

I might get my ordinary out and show the locals

 

[flossietoo]

I will pop over this evening and find out whether there is anything on over the bank holiday. If there are any other pubs you would like me to visit, just let me know. Always happy to help.

 

[John Marwood]

I will pop over this evening and find out whether there is anything on over the bank holiday. If there are any other pubs you would like me to visit, just let me know. Always happy to help.

In the oldendays i used to frequent the canalpubathigh offley

If u want to review it for us...

 

[Trumpet]

I will pop over this evening and find out whether there is anything on over the bank holiday. If there are any other pubs you would like me to visit, just let me know. Always happy to help.

In the oldendays i used to frequent the canalpubathigh offley

If u want to review it for us...

Anchor!

 

[flossietoo]

I will pop over this evening and find out whether there is anything on over the bank holiday. If there are any other pubs you would like me to visit, just let me know. Always happy to help.

In the oldendays i used to frequent the canalpubathigh offley

If u want to review it for us...

I love The Anchor!
It is still in the ownership of a family who seem to have been there since the Napoleonic Wars and have no truck with modern fanglements. They open at times convenient to them and which are kept largely secret from the public. They do food, as long as the food you are after is along the lines of a packet of crisps or a cheese roll. They have a brilliant beer garden sloping down to the canal towpath in which there are big-scale floral projects - usually a big canal boat constructed entirely out of flowers. There is often music. Nothing organised - just people having turned up with guitars. You can combine a visit with a rather pleasant amble by parking in the pull-in opposite Loynton Moss and walking to the pub along the canal. There are house martins nesting in the outside toilets. They fly perilously close to your head when you are in there. Once I fished a fledgling out of the toilet bowl. It perched on the handbasin, caught its breath and fluttered away.
Best of all, it has a sign outside saying that dogs are welcome but that children aren't.
As mentioned above, the opening hours are a bit of a mystery but I do know that it is only open at weekends in the winter. It is usually open in the evenings in the summer, sometimes lunchtime too. This is their phone number: 01785 284569.

 

[John Marwood]

Skillship

 

[flossietoo]

I've found the food to be very good and the service excellent. The inside is a bit lost-in-time but what really lets the place down is the advertising. There was a frankly bizarre advertising feature in one of the papers a couple of weeks ago which seemed to be serving as some kind of CV for the manager rather than giving readers any good reason to visit the pub. Very frustrating as there are enough factors stacked against country pubs without them failing to help themselves. If you can muster a non-drinking driver or share a taxi, it is definitely worth a visit. The puddings are the best bit, so in view of Moby Dick's experience maybe start with a pudding and work backwards.

Everything is temporary, the plan for the pub once the bank who own it realised it wouldnt sell, was to hire a Bolton company who act as landlords until a buyer is found

I have yet to make it back there since the last owners went under but I am told it lacks the comfort and warmth it once had

Anything happnin there over the bank holiday?

I might get my ordinary out and show the locals

There is a notice to the effect that the pub will be open all day during the bank hpliday weekend. Nothing special indicated. There is, I gather, a pie festival in October. Also a fancy dress halloween party.

 

[John Marwood]

Ta duck

 

[kaleidoscope75]

Please read the following review of the Hand and Cleaver, Ranton, and come pay us a visit!


http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Hand-Cleaver-Restaurant-review-Alan-Cookman/story-13344231-detail/story.html






Admin edit: Threads merged.

 

[kaleidoscope75]

Good evening!

Just to let you all know we have a new facebook page, hoping to have a website up and running soon with online menu!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Hand-and-Cleaver/158351657592815

Come pay us a visit, a warm welcome awaits all customers of the Hand and Cleaver!

 

[Flibbertigibbet]

Found out today the chef has been made redundant and the manager will be doing all the cooking.... shame, enjoyed going there, but the food was the main attraction so I will be keeping tabs on where the chef goes! Typical just as I found somewhere that did really good grub and not the mediocre stuff we seem to get in most other places!!

Anyone in the Stafford area need a chef? Be most convenient for us to be closer to his cooking! Haha!

 

[kaleidoscope75]

'Tis true! Your post does mean a lot and has lifted my spirits Flibbertigibbet, so thank you for that, and will keep you posted on where I go. And hopefully it will be in Stafford!
All the best to those left at the pub.


http://www.staffordforum.com/viewtopic.php?pid=139806#p139806