A Great Sunday Pub (The Woolpack (Butcombe))

Member Name: sweetpea01

Product:	The Woolpack (Butcombe)
Date:	07/09/09 (69 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good, honest food

Disadvantages: A bit small on the inside

On a Sunday the last thing you really want to do is cook! Especially after a big night out on a Saturday! I and Mr Pea had eventually gotten up, showered and dressed and wondered what exactly we were going to do for lunch! After speaking to our friends we decided on going for something to eat. But where?! That is the question! The local pub only does a carvery which is pretty mediocre so that was out of the question and our other pub which we visit regularly was also out the question as we had eaten there Saturday lunchtime! So it was decided to go to The Woolpack (and no...not the one in the Yorkshire Dales!) but the one in Worle about 2 minutes from Weston super Mare. Mr Pea informed me that they do great roast dinners which is just what we were all wanting after a night out!

*~*~* The Pub *~*~*

The Woolpack is a very 'ye olde pub' and has the look of a building that has been around for at least 200 years (which is probably has!). It was acquired by Butcombe Brewery back in 2006. The outside of the pub boasts quite a nice (but small) decking area to sit and enjoy a drink, whilst round the front there are the classic benches surrounded by lovely potted plants.

Inside is a whole other ball game! We sat in "The Stables" part of the building, so this review purely reflects this and not another part of the pub. Upon entering The Woolpack you are immediately in the bar area (after walking past the toilets). The bar area however, is all of about the size of matchbox! The bar must only be about 4 feet long so on a Sunday lunchtime you can hardly move! There are 3 tables where you can sit (if you're lucky!). Unfortunately you did have the phrase "sardines in a can" spring to mind, especially when you can't get in through the main entrance because of the amount of people!

Upon entering the dining room you are presented with mahogany furniture both tables and chairs are well used and well worn but give this place a real pub feel. In the bar area you have the traditional stools and low wooden tables. The pub's website claim the pub had an extensive refurbishment but to me this pub hasn't been touched for years! The toilets need updating and the décor, yes I understand it is a proper pub but it seems the décor (the old paintings on the wall and steel jugs) are slightly dated and really could do with replacing.

*~*~* The Menu *~*~*

On a Sunday the carvery is only available so the normal menu is not given out. However, I have sampled below a few items from the menu to give an idea of what other food they serve. At lunchtime they also serve a selection of baguettes and jacket potatoes.

Starters & Light Bites:-

Soup of the Day - £3.25
Traditional Prawn Cocktail - £5.25

The Grill:-

12oz Gammon Steak - £8.95
Half pound Aberdeen Angus Beef Burger - £7.25

Specialities:-

Beef and Butcombe Pie - £7.25
Local Faggots with Stilton Gravy - £8.25

Salads & Pastas:-

Penne Pasta Carbonnara - £8.25
Poached Salmon & Prawn Salad - £9.65

The Sunday carvery which we had consisted of roast beef, pork (with crackling) and turkey and the selection of vegetables is immense! Veggies available were roast potatoes, new potatoes, green beans, sweet corn, roasted sweet potatoes, tomatoes & courgettes, peas, carrots, roast parsnips, leeks and a few others I just simply cannot remember! Available sauces are the usual, horseradish, cranberry, mint and apple sauce. Sachets of mustard, brown sauce and tomato sauce are also available on the table.

The Woolpack's menu is typical pub food, generally hearty and filling! This is certainly not a gastro pub type just a great small menu with a dish that would suit generally everyone. The pub caters for children and for vegetarians. The dishes are incredibly well priced and from what I have been told you get generous portions. I'm finding more and more that places are putting up their prices but The Woolpack seems to of had a reality check with their menu pricing and it clearly shows by its popularity.

*~*~* The Staff *~*~*

The staff at The Woolpack are very few and far between! We went on a busy Sunday lunchtime and there was only one person at the bar, one person showing people to tables (and taking reservations as there was a 20 minute wait), one person clearing all the tables and two people serving at the carvery! I was quite surprised to see such few members of staff considering the volume of people in the pub, but even though they were probably short staffed, the staff that were working were incredibly friendly and helpful. They were quick at showing you your table and as soon as you had finished your meal your plates were taken away immediately!

*~*~* Useful Details *~*~*

Woolpack Inn
Sheppards Way
St. Georges
Weston-Super-Mare
BS22 7XE

Tel: 01934 521670

Opening times:-
Open 7 days a week 12.00 - 2.30pm and 6.00pm - 9.00pm - food is served 7 days a week.

The Woolpack is all of about 5 minutes off junction 21 of the M5 so is perfect for a stop off if you're on your way back or to a destination. I think it would be advisable to book a table if there is a big group of you, as by 2.30pm there was a waiting time of 30-35 minutes for a table for 4!

*~*~* Overall Opinion *~*~*

I never expect a lot from a carvery just because they are never as good as your mother's roast dinner! And often I have a carvery and I am left quite disappointed! However, The Woolpack does a great carvery with a great selection of meat and vegetables which is rare as you hardly get a good choice at a carvery. I had the pork which can notoriously be bland and a bit tough; the pork at The Woolpack was melt in the mouth and tasted superb! The only downside to the food was the vegetables, they could have been a little bit hotter rather than luke warm, but then as there are so many people ordering food they are cooking for demand, but even though they were luke warm they tasted great.

There was a downside to our visit on Sunday and that was the amount of screaming children! I'm all for children being in pubs (at reasonable times) and Sunday is a family day but it seemed that the "Screaming Children Club" had all descended to The Woolpack. Fortunately we were not sat next to a table which had a screaming child but there were quite a few people who were looking incredibly unhappy as they tried to have a pleasant meal! I understand a child will cry but when the parents leave them to cry and scream I think this is unacceptable and inconsiderate to other people when they are trying to have a meal.

I do have one negative and it is the pub's parking. The Woolpack has a tiny car park in relation to the size of the pub and parking can be difficult. We managed to park in the car park at 1pm on a Sunday and this was by pure chance I saw someone coming out of a space, but people were either having to wait or park on the main road to be able to visit the pub.

So would I go back?! Yes I certainly would and not just for a carvery as I have been assured that the normal menu is great. Yes, the interior may be a bit worn out but the atmosphere is great, you can't beat it. It's a friendly pub which has people return over and over because it's a lovely place to sit, eat and relax! So I would recommend this to anyone looking for good, pub food at a good price! Knowing your going for a meal and it wont break the bank is always a good thing!

Summary: A good pub with good food