The Plough

The Plough at Bolnhurst is my favourite restaurant in the Bedford area. The food is of a consistently high quality cooked under the auspices of chef Martin Lee who trained under Raymond Blanc among others. The menu is distinctly English in character with Italian and French influences that change with the seasons. The wine list is extensive and each main menu item has a suggested wine accompaniment. An average meal with wine will set you back around £30.

Situated in this small village 10 minutes drive from the town, guests are greeted with a warm welcome from Martin and Jayne Lee who always wear a smile even at the busiest of times. There is a wide selection of ales for the beer drinker and guests are offered complimentary bread and an olive/balsamic vinegar dip with the meal if desired. Such is the popularity that booking is essential. However, if you turn up at the 6 o’clock opening time, you may be able to grab one of the tables in the bar area. The proprietors have recently built an extension to increase the number of tables inside, and on hot summer days there are many more tables outside in a pleasant environment. The pub is closed on Mondays.

Quality 9
Service 10
Price 8
#Wicbha? An unequivocal yes.

Painful service at the pumps

Murco Garage - dismal service
- Bedford

I was driving in Bedford town centre and noticed my petrol tank was nigh on empty. I needed to find somewhere quickly. I was in town so pulled into the Murco garage in

Hassett Street

by the bus station (not my usual).

As I waited for the petrol to be switched on I tried to catch the attendant’s eye – this was more than a difficult task as he was not looking up from his desk.

After a half a minute or so the pump was activated. After filling up, I went in to pay. I said hello to the attendant – he did not look up nor say a word. I notice he was more engaged with his laptop/tv than his duties at the service station.

He then looks up to see I have my card in my hand he then points at the card machine and grunts. I complete the transaction. He tears off the receipt looks at me and murmurs an indiscernible thanks at me.

I walked out without saying a word – in complete astonishment.

Murco isn’t exactly a well-known service station. You would think they would be placing a strong focus on customer service - especially with supermarket petrol stations cutting prices to entice shoppers into their stores. I am perplexed as to how any service station can survive with such service.

Paying the ever-increasing price for petrol is not enjoyable, however some places can make it that bit more bearable.

Quality ---
Service 0 
Price 3
#Wicbha? NO - I'd rather push my car to another petrol station.

The Embankment

The pinnacle of Bedford’s beauty, especially on a summer’s day, is at the riverside, the green of the banks, white of the swans, colours of the flowers and reflections on the water do make this a truly beautiful spot. The Embankment hotel has prime location and has the perfect view of the river and surrounding greenery to complement a refreshing summer's drink.

The Embankment has improved no end since its renovation from quite a traditional and out-dated place to the new modern, ‘gastro-pub’ it has become since being taken over by Peach Pubs. The decor is light and relaxing and the staff are young and energetic.

However, the problem I have encountered quite regularly is the inconsistency of good service. Whilst holding one of the prime spots in the town, the service can often do the establishment an injustice.

On countless occasions I have been waiting at a bar or at a table for ten minutes or more without being acknowledged- a small but very important aspect of customer service that should be engrained in the minds of all those who work in the service industry. Today, for example, we took a family member from Australia there for lunch as the weather was so nice. However, we were told out of the four sandwich choices; they had run out of tuna (I assume probably one of the favourites on the menu as tuna often is, and why a member of staff does not nip out and buy a tin I don’t know) and so the menu goes down to three lunch time sandwiches. 
We then had to clear the table ourselves and when the food arrived we had to go inside and ask THREE times for some cutlery. To be fair, the boys working were busy at the bar but there were two women standing talking to each other who should really have been helping as a customer should not have to wait that long for such a basic requirement. We then ordered coffees and had to clear the table ourselves again to make space- the coffee cup was filthy down the side too. This kind of service frustrates me, especially when you see the likes of Eat Fish, the fish restaurant that lasted around 2 years down the road, go out of business, who prided themselves on customer service but had not the funding or customer understanding of the menu to succeed. However, they knew the importance of where they were placed and the benefit of a riverside spot.

In the past a friend has complained at The Embankment on waiting an hour for a bottle of wine to be brought to the table, and he was compensated with a free meal for two where he said the service was impeccable. However, he attended two weeks later and was faced with similar problems with waiting for service and it being haphazard. Let’s hope the pub/restaurant/hotel raises its standards to match the location – as it would in most modern towns and cities around the world.

Rating out of 10
Quality 7
Service 3
Price 6
#Wicbha? Would I come back here again? 

Yes I will come back here again because even though it disappoints it really is unrivalled in terms of location and atmosphere. Please share your views...

Who am I?

I am the bedfordcritic. My identity is and will remain secret. I move silently between restaurants, bars, cafés constantly assessing.

The bedfordcritic is made up of the views of two people. One male and one female to give the reader an impartial view from both genders.   

Why listen to me?


I do not do this for any remuneration. I am therefore impervious to any enticements to write a good review . I have a keen interest in service providers especially the small local businesses who I am eager to support and help improve. I am an advocate of ‘tough love’ – business owners need to be told the truth in order to change for the better.


I have experience of eating at various restaurants all over the UK with varying degrees of quality and price. I have come to realise that a high price doesn’t always mean high quality.


My judgements are based around four key elements:


Quality
Service
Price
#Wicbha? Would I come back here again? 

Stay tuned to find out more!