This comprises of : 3 x hot pot & 3 pints of STELLA

Extras         1 x portion of garlic bread

The order  4/10                        

Forget swapping anything, by the time they arrived back at the till to serve us, a good five minutes had past.

The review  5/10

As we strolled across a well sized a car park and walked through two sets of doors, there was that distinct impression of having entered the Twilight Zone.  Yes, this was identical in every way to another Thatch & Thistle, located in Burnly. 

We ordered our 3 pints straight away and stood at the bar wetting our appetites with every intention of tasting the delights of traditional pub food.  After  quarter of an hours worth of propping the bar up we decided that it was time to order our food.

Knowing that the mirror version of this pub has the food pay point at the other side of the bar we strolled over and sure enough found the unmanned till.  Which we then stood in front of for the next 5 or 6 minutes.  Try as we could to communicate with the the till, it didn't seem to want to take our order.  It required some external input from, lets say, an operator.  Perhaps someone who worked in this very pub could use it.  Nahh.  Oh but wait, here comes that barman again, the forth time round. No he's not seen us, again.

Eventually Angie emerges from a room protected by double doors (western style) and asks "Yes, what would you like?" and so 3 hot pots are ordered along with the garlic loaf and in an instant we are £27 lighter, still we hope to become 27 pounds heavier.  So who cares. 

We retreat to a shady corner and sit around a large wooden table and finish off our pints.  Having been sat there for 15 minutes we thought that it was time to order our second round (or liquid starter as it turned out).  Whilst someone else got the drinks I decided to venture to the men's room to let out some of the first pint that had, by now, already managed to make it's way through my body's system.  I gambled on the idea that this exact replica to the one in Burnly would have it's toilets in the same place.  Sure enough it did.

Back at the table and after another 10 minutes the delightful Kirsty arrived armed to the hilt with knives, forks, salt, pepper and not forgetting the vinegar of course.  She then went and returned with the 3 hot pots and garlic loaf.  Each dish was like a  cereal bowl with a  plate like rim.   

The Garlic loaf was already sliced and delivered on its own plate.  At this point we noticed that the garlic bread looked to be bigger than our hot pots.  Hoping the dish would turn out to be deeper on the inside we all started our meal.

The hot pot was well prepared and tasted delicious.  All well cooked and seasoned.  Each mouthful was a masterpiece in hot pot history.  Sadly, however, after only a few mouthfuls of this amazing god like preparation, there was none left!!!  If you could have seen us we probably looked like 3 lost puppies looking around wondering who had stolen the rest of their dinner.  The very sight of us almost about to cry at the loss of the end of our meal as that very mouthful was probably still in the pan it was heated up in.

Just then we figure it out.  They will probably arrive with more.  Yes, they simply couldn't fit our portions on the plate and so will top them up.  That's it. Look there's Kirsty now, no she's going somewhere else.

Well there you go.  A fantastic meal, fit for a dwarf.  I don't think I'll be 27 pounds heavier after all.  Maybe 27 grams.   I did have 2 pints.

The tip:

Let the bar staff take orders for food.  For £27 you'd expect to full.   Simply more of it and not so long on delivering it.

Full Factor: 4/10

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