"Mothers Day at the Goldthorn. First course Leek and Potato soup, While I rarely put salt on anything I eat, or cook with salt for that matter this particular bowl of soup had no rich base and was under seasoned to the point of being tasteless. With a couple of lonely croutons there was more flavour in the glass of water I had on the side. 3/10 I also had the opportunity to try a Caesar Salad which on the menu promised a topping of crispy bacon. Really? What appeared was fresh crispy salad, a small plus, but coated in a Caesar dressing that was over salted. The crispy bacon had been substituted with tiny pieces of chopped processed ham. A disaster. 2/10 For the main course it was Roast Loin of Pork on a bed of mash, seasonal vegetables and roast potatoes. It could have been hotter, the mash which incidentally was probably either ready made or a Smash variety was cold. The two thin slices of Pork Loin sitting on top dry as a desert around the edges. The gravy though, wasn’t bad, nicely seasoned and not too thick to pour. 2/5 The vegetables were a mixture of over cooked frozen chopped green beans that had gone a shade of grey, under cooked sliced leek and watery cabbage. The carrots were fine except for the one on my plate with a long black hair stuck firmly to it. The roast potatoes must have spent sometime in a rain forest, the skins wet and rubbery and no longer crisp, probably heated in a steam oven or microwave. They did not have light and fluffy centres. It certainly was not piping hot, more a tepid British summers day. 1\5 Finally I finished off with Cheese and WIld Berries. Perfectly in order the cheese cake light, the base crumbly and the berries tart. Perfectly in order except for the large thumb print on the top. 3/5 I also tasted the Triple Choc Gateau which was in fact nicely balanced, with a light sponge and not overly sweet. 4/10 The coffee was fine. As I was a guest and not paying the bill I kept this matter pretty much under my hat (which I was not wearing at the time) as it would have been rude to my hosts. However it was a set menu, was not that expensive considering it was three courses and coffee. All credit to the staff, they were friendly and courteous. 5/5 I actually felt nostalgic for a few moments as it reminded me of school dinners served to me in the 1970’s, in a school not so far away….."
