On Sunday, 16th January 2011, six of us ate at the New Inn. We were booked for 1pm and arrived just afterwards. A party of eleven ladies had just dropped in without a booking.
The barman/front-of-house manager was serving drinks at the bar but seemed not to be able to acknowledge our arrival and didn't offer any sort of welcome or say, 'Be with you in a tick', so it was a case of finding our table without help.
A full forty minutes passed without our orders being taken - though we were served with drinks. The first course was served just over an hour from when we sat down. The main course was also slow in being brought out, and the puddings took a goodly while after we had cleared our mains.
The two young ladies serving - along with the barman/manager were not unpleasant. Indeed, they were most polite, but the sheer lack of attention to small detail was noticeable: for example, we were served bread with the drinks but when the soup arrived we were not offered a replenishment of bread.
It must be said the food is well above average at this eaterie, from the starter to the pudding everything was absolutely beautifully cooked and extremely delicious. The quality of ingredients and cooking were of the highest standard but clearly the chef was under a fair measure of pressure and obviously unable to get the plates of food to the pass at a decent speed. Equally, the waitresses are in need of better training in observation and attention to customer needs.
If these criticisms seem a little harsh then they are tempered by the fact that we would unrervedly recommend eating at the New Inn with the caveat that you should expect a long wait before you are able to enjoy the wonderful food they provide.
Will we return? Probably, and if the owners get to grips with the issues raised in this review, the likelihood is we'll become enthusiastic regulars.
Mick D. (Oswestry, Shropshire) review dated: 17th January 2011. read more