Credit Crunch Dining (Crown Carveries in General)

Member Name: JJJJ

Product:	Crown Carveries in General
Date:	21/09/09 (127 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good food, cheap price

Disadvantages: None really

In these financially unstable times, eating out can often be a strain on the finances - but did you know that if you head over to 'Crown Carveries', a filling meal is available for only £3.50 - bargain!

There are many Crown Carvery pubs scattered across the country, and you can find your local venue by visiting www.crowncarveries.co.uk and clicking on the 'Find Us' header at the top of the page.

Most Crown Carvery pubs retain their original name, and only use Crown Carveries as a sub-heading - my local one for example, is 'The Sloop', which it continues to be referred to by all concerned. Similarly, the look of these pubs retain the individual character of their previous incarnation, and don't really have a standardised appearance.

If you're not a carvery fan, then the menu does feature a couple of other options - but generally it's the carnivorous £3.50 deal which draws in the crowds, and as such, the rest of the menu is rather limited. Speaking of crowds, If you intend to come here at lunch time... say 12 or 1pm, then you probably won't be able to find a seat - the popularity of these places really is high, and to guarantee yourself a place, it's best to visit at slightly unusual hours!

The carvery meat selection is Turkey, Beef, or Gammon - of which you can choose to have all three if you like - if you do however, you'll receive less of each one. In my experience, the meats are usually well cooked, with the gammon being my personal favourite. The beef can occasionally be a bit dry, but it's usually tasty when covered with the gravy from the condiments section (the horseradish sauce is very nice too).

After selecting your meat, it's on to the self-service section which includes roast potatoes, boiled potatoes, peas, carrots, swede, some other bits and pieces that I can't remember, and cauliflower cheese. The veg are usually tasty, and the peas and carrots (I'm not normally a peas and carrots fan) are delicious. I suppose the overall quality depends on the skill of the chef in the individual venue - but I'm told that the food in Crown Carveries are generally of a standardised level throughout the country. Anyway, the crux of the matter is that for £3.50, it's a bloody good deal - oh, and I forgot to mention that you also get a Yorkshire Pudding and stuffing ball too.

The drinks are of a reasonable price - not quite as cheap as Wetherspoons, but certainly competitive. There are a good selection of beers to choose from, and also soft drinks for the sensible ones amongst you.

Overall, I highly recommend Crown Carveries as a source of cheap but decent food which tastes good. The only real downside is the fact that on Sundays, the carvery is double the price... solution? - don't go on Sundays.

Summary: Decent carvery that's very reasonably priced