The Knife and Cleaver

At one time people would come from far and wide to enjoy their excellent food, but unfortuanatly that is not the case today. The food is ok but no better than any other pub in Bedfordshire. On this occasion my wife and I played it safe and had fish and chips which apart from being slightly overcooked was acceptable. However, when our friend ordered a fish dish from the salad menu it was served as a hot meal including the salad. ' We have a new chef' was the reason given.......sorry. The Knife and Cleaver is the only resteraunt in Houghton Conquest, and could do so much better, but you need to offer a much better service.

We visited as a couple for a one night stay prior to an appointment in the area. Some friends arranged to join us for a drink on Sunday afternoon. The pub has a bar,restaurant and extensive outside seating on decking. There is a good number of parking spaces . Whilst the decking seating was comfortable,there was a neighbouring group of people shouting, kicking a ball around and swearing frequently. It was very tiresome and without respite. The staff were polite and helpful. We ordered food and this was very indifferent. Seafood linguine very hot with chilli. My barbecue ribs were a copious amount, served with sweetcorn and no slaw. Our room was a good size and had two seats that could be used for reading or watching the tv. The tv didn’t work properly, so gave up on that. The bed was large with poor quality bedding and a lumpy mattress. The adjacent bathroom looked okay but the shower in the bath was difficult to use since the shower curtain draped over the occupant like a shroud, making movement difficult. The curtain puddled in the bath so creating a hazard when manouevering. The water pressure was poor. The rooms are in a block outside the pub and my room was quiet during the stay. We booked with Booking.com which stated on their site, « very good breakfast included «  This was something of an exaggeration. A brown paper bag was left at our door with dry flaky croissants, Flora spread, two cheap jars of fruit jam and two lukewarm bottles of orange juice.

hosted a family get together for my Dad’s 70th on Sunday afternoon. Relaxed, friendly, welcoming space with room for everyone to over spill outside as the sun was shining. Sue was great from start to finish, really accommodating from first enquiry and throughout the afternoon. Even though more people turned up than expected (50+) she wasn’t phased and we made it work. The buffet was demolished by all and the chicken goujons and sausage rolls were a big hit! Really happy with how the afternoon went, my dad was really happy to have everyone together. Thank you for making it possible.