The Earl of March

I very rarely complain as I know firsthand how hard it is to run a restaurant. I’m even more reluctant to post this as a longstanding customer of the Earl of March. But I have been horrified by the approach taken by the new management which seemingly places short-term profit above their customers’ health and wellbeing. 

I had to cancel a recent evening booking for two people as my friend had tested positive with Covid that very morning. Despite cancelling the booking at 7am by phone, email and the online booking system, I was charged £30. I took this up with the manager - including coming in with proof of the positive test as my phone call had been met with disbelief - but was told that there was nothing that could be done. 

It is my duty to warn everyone that this establishment seems to prefer customers with Covid to honour their bookings, and risk spreading the virus to others, than allow them to cancel with no charge.

As if this wasn’t enough, I have never been treated as rudely by a restaurant’s management. Dismissive, accusatory and downright offensive…so much for the season of goodwill! Suffice to say that I will not be returning and strongly suggest that others avoid unless you wish to support high-handed, rude profiteers who show no care for their customers.

We couldn't complain whilst there as we were taken there by another couple but the service was poor, we were served tepid water with no options offered, the bread was dry and stale with very little butter to go around, we waited more than an hour for our main course and when we finally managed to get someone's attention , it came immediately so it had obviously been sitting there. Half of my mussels were not cooked properly, my husband's cod and chips (well over 20.-!!) were more batter that fish and it smelled slightly off , the table (inside) was of inadequate size as the plates didn't fit on. It was difficult to get attention to pay our bill. The only good thing was the 'triple cooked chips' but all together a very disappointing evening.

We looked at the local competition, The Royal Oak, which has a prettier setting, but the Earl Of March felt fresher and had a more interesting menu. I don't know if the menu is set for Autumn, as there are a lot of delicious-sounding but substantial dishes. I would have cheerfully eaten almost all of them. Bread was a fine (home-made?) wholemeal, although it came one slice at a time and was accompanied by a silly sliver of butter on black slate. Water was readily provided, and the only quibble a pedant might have with the menu was the circumflex in fraÎche. Tables are bare and quite closely packed, all the better for peering at other diners' dishes. There's also a bar menu and a lunchtime/afternoon seafood shack. ( I don't know why I'm bothering saying. There's a perfectly good website) We shared half a dozen small but excellent oysters, and then Madame had a pretty plateful of scallops with pea purée, and then a good chunk of perfectly medium-rare fillet of beef with rösti and greens. My main was duck breast with blackberries and hotpot potatoes, a blessed change from gratin dauphinois. With the blackberry sauce and cabbage it really worked. My starter was the only so-so dish – mussels in a cider cream sauce, which was overlarge and undersweet mussels in a heavy cream sauce devoid of cider taste but full of raw red onions. I shouldn't have ordered it, but it's a silly dish to serve as a starter, because it guarantees you won't be able to face dessert. I had conceded defeat, but Madame launched into an in-depth interrogation on the local cheeses. She then faffed interminably until the excellent waiter, probably despairing of ever again seeing home, offered her a half portion. The staff were very good throughout, although it was a quiet evening. There's a rewarding wine list, with about 15 wines by the glass, although I wasn't very tempted by the dessert list. Sherry? Madeira? Aussie muscats? We'd already had a glass of Prosecco, a half of Harveys and five glasses of wine. Espresso was made by someone who doesn't drink espresso. The service-free bill was £105, which isn't cheap for a pub with paper napkins, but was fair given the quality of the ingredients and cooking. Not perfect, but highly recommended.