Rochelle School Canteen

Incredibly disappointing. I'd read this place was good, and certainly the dining space was lovely - white and light with big windows overllooking a walled-in lawn which must once have been the school playground. Prices were high, which I foolishly found reassuring enough to make me stay - eg £11 for Lancashire hotpot, £5 for cauliflower soup, £4.50 for cheese and chutney sandwich. It was suspiciously devoid of other diners. I was incredibly hungry, short of time, it was a cold day and there was nowhere else to eat really nearby and so I did my best to eat up and didn't complain til I paid, but I can honestly say the Lancashire hotpot that I had was the most disgusting food I've ever been served. And I'm no spring chicken. There must have been at least twelve bones along with the three mouthfuls of meat - which included a leathery piece of kidney. They ranged from pretty much full vertebrae to sharp little pellets you could choke on. It was jungle challenge meets dog food. For completeness I'll add that the sliced potato topping was no great shakes, the beetroot side dish was rather good and the salad was just extremely large - like someone had emptied a good quality pillow pack onto a plate and not thought about portion size or dressing.

I was greatly outnumbered by the staff, none of who asked me while I was eating if the food was to my liking - even when they cleared my dishes. At the end the waitress did ask, though, and I said it was 'very bony'. Her reply: 'yes - well it was mutton neck'.
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Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Tuesday, December 23, 2008