Rake & Pikel

H Bells
4 Star
This is. HUGE improvement on the old pub. Friendly welcoming staff, nice decor and pleasant atmosphere. Fairly priced except for the children’s dishes. The adult dishes were very nice (we’ve eaten here a couple of times here with friends) but unfortunately I think the children’s food is a bit middle of the road in quality. The fish fingers were a mix of potato and fish (our little one prefers the pure fish finger type) but the chips and peas were good (good portion size too) which went with it. Sadly the sausages were a bit too gristly and it wasn’t until we took the left over sausages home that they said they didn’t want them because there was “There’s little stones in them mummy. I don’t want to eat them”. This may have been a one off but looking at them they weren’t terribly good quality sausages. The children’s ice cream was fairly priced at £2.50 which came inside a novelty plastic monster. Our little one was thrilled at this. Sadly I think this packaging isn’t reused and get thrown in the recycling / bin? I could be wrong. Not very plastic and environmentally friendly if this is the case? I’d rather two scoops were put in a reusable dessert bowl? It’s a difficult one. Getting the balance between a thrilled child getting a fun dessert and not contributing to plastic pollution..? Having said all this about the children’s food we loved the adult dishes. The burgers were excellent. So was the steak and ale pie with gravy. The dishes were all piping hot and good portion sizes too. The adults desserts were fabulous! Freshly made waffles went down a treat and the bread and butter pudding and custard was gorgeous. (See pics). We found the outdoor play area good, but there were a few older children kicking their own footballs about in a play area that really isn’t big enough for ball games too. I think the play area would benefit from a few smaller pieces to play on like a wooden sea-saw and a couple of swings. This would spread the children out a bit. They all seemed a bit crowded on the one main play area.
Sunday 2nd June 2019

Clare
5 Star
Absolutely lovely atmosphere, friendly staff and gorgeous food. Sun is beaming and the beer garden is full, great musician entertaining us all. Thanks everyone at Rake & Pikel!
Thursday 1st June 2023

Jamie Holland
1 Star
I’m a local and provide this review rating purely on they food quality and toilet cleanliness only, the pub is a 5/5 but feel standards have dropped here over the last year on these two areas. I have had two meals here over the month of December and would not eat here again. The food used to be fresh and homemade but is not comparable to weather-spoons but at a greater cost. (Made for volume and microwaveable) tastes like freezer food. The pub has always been clean but the toilets need more attention as they are STINKING !
Thursday 22nd December 2022

Liz Mapp
2 Star
Such a disappointment. Sunday lunch and had to send the Yorkshire puddings back as they were still frozen in parts. The replacement Yorkie was also still frozen. They gave me a discount when I asked which was appreciated. Feel slightly reluctant to add this review as when we were speaking to the waiter about the Yorkies, there was a lady (member of staff presumably) on the next table muttering that their Yorkshires "were cooked from fresh so clearly can't be frozen". No doubt I'll be called a liar again. Sigh....
Sunday 16th April 2023

Aimee Evans
5 Star
I hadn't been for years, but it has since had a refurb, and it looks fantastic. Completely opened up the bar area, and the restaurant is lovely! Feel very safe in these Covid times, the staff are very attentive and the food was absolutely delicious! Not to mention really good portions! I couldn't eat two courses! The duck bao buns were superb, as was the red thai curry! We visited onna Friday and they have an offer on prosecco for £12.95 for a bottle, which is great value! Would highly recommend and will definitely be going back! Thank you!
Saturday 10th October 2020