There is no snobbery on the Cambridge Foodies blog! We will write about anything and everything, from fast food all the way up to fine dining (and everything in between). To me, this is what being a foodie is all about and this includes carvery dinners. This popular British staple is 10 a penny across the North and Midlands but are surprisingly rare in Cambridgeshire.

I had a family member visiting from the North who fancied a carvery dinner before heading home, but for the life of me I couldn’t think of a single one! In situations like this, I turned to the Cambridge Foodies community, who never fail to save the day. Within minutes they had provided me with a dozen options, with one recommendation being the Hartford Mill pub. Carvery dinners are served here every day of the week – and apparently do it damn well!

The Restaurant

Ok, so the pub isn’t going to win any awards for its interior decorating but it is a carvery, not innovative fusion restaurant from Shoreditch. The restaurant was spacious, comfortable, and practical, and that was good enough for me. The staff were absolutely fantastic too, with one particular lady offering to take group photos and another being incredibly patient with the mess being made by three toddlers.

Also, how many dining hot spots can give you a view like this? If the sun is out then very few places can compare.

The Carvery

There are three meats in total, with turkey, ham, and beef available. As expected, the meat is sliced for you by the chef to prevent people like me from taking the mick with portion sizes but I was pleased with the serving he provided.

There is everything you would expect from a carvery, ranging from peas, new and roasted potatoes, mash, sprouts, carrots, cabbage, parsnips, and pigs in blankets (for an extra charge). You are also allowed up to two reasonably sized Yorkshire puddings.

You are given free reign of two types of gravy, meaning you can drown your plate – and rightly so! How many roast dinners have you had where you have been presented with a pathetic dribble of gravy? Not here, lad!

I don’t even care that this looks like a mess – it was epic! I filled the Yorkshire puddings with cabbage and then poured gravy on top, obviously I had both pork and beef, and then filled up the plate with a little bit of every vegetable I could fit on the plate.

You can help yourself to sauces, so I poured half a litre of horseradish on my plate because I am absolutely addicted to the stuff 🤣

All the vegetables were prepared well and everything tasted fresh enough. I was impressed with the quality of the beef, with several people at my table telling me that it went beyond what they would expect from a carvery. I was disappointed with the roast potatoes and the parsnips but otherwise every single thing on the plate was to an acceptable or great standard.

Solid!

With a large plate costing between £11.50-13.80 (depending what day of the week it is), I found this to be of tremendous value. Especially when you consider that some pubs and restaurants at the moment are charging up to £28 for a roast dinner. The Hartford Mill keeps things humble, practical, and sticks to its roots, of providing a good quality carvery for a fair price.

I will be back 100%!