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Jolly Farmer, Cliddesden

user reviews of the Jolly Farmer, Cliddesden

please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.

Pleasant village pub without foody pretensions of nearby Beer Guide pubs. Friendly locals keen to promote localish beers (though drinking lager themselves, which may account for average quality). Interesting enough to merit a return visit.

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mtaylor40 - 21 Jun 2012 18:16

This pub is a joke. The food is awful.................

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wolvesfan - 22 Nov 2011 19:06

We visited the pub for lunch today (Sunday) and were surprised at how empty it was. It's been a while since we've been there and it has changed hands in the mean time.

We soon found out why it was so empty. We ordered fish and chips and the Sunday roast. The fish was so awful we couldn't eat it, it would appear that the chef thinks its a good idea to add cinnamen to the flour which does not work! The fish was also a tiny portion and the chips were certainly not home made. The chips were also pre-salted an absolute no in my book particularly when we'd made it clear that my 2 year old would be having some of my meal. Chefs should remember that not everyone likes salt on their chips and once added it cannot be taken away. The roast was distinctly average, with a funny carrot and swede concoction that seemed to be flavoured with a very strange mix of spices. I wonder if the chef is a smoker or simply doesn't taste his food before he serves it.

Add to all this that there were 3 FOH staff on, and we had to wait to get my son a drink and for our plates to be cleared. Despite leaving the fish on the plates, no one though to ask if our meal was OK!!!

All in all, I would not recommend this unless they get someone in the kitchen that can actually cook, and FOH staff who understand the meaning of customer service! We certainly won't be going back!

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sc1973 - 13 Nov 2011 14:32

Met a friend for dinner and both of us had a great meal. My whole flounder, fresh from Lymington( so it said on the specials board ) was lovely. My friend had the slow cooked lamb shank which just fell off the bone, no knife needed!
Good choice of four beers, had the Fullers Pride, nice sparkling clear pint.

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Brahms99 - 1 Nov 2011 21:45

Traveling up the B3046 from Alresford to avoid the rigors of the M3, I happened across this pub, only 2 miles away from Basingstoke (which I'm not fond off) and a really nice find. Cliddesden village was formerly served by Cliddesden railway station on the now defunct Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway. The station was used in the making of several films. In the 1937 film Oh, Mr Porter!, Cliddesden appeared as 'Buggleskelly'. You get to the Car park at the rear by a steep side entrance and walk down to the boozer via a nice brick path through a very large beer garden on a number of levels, where you're confronted by a large roof. Inside there's two separate bars and it's got a warm, welcoming, country ambience. 4 real ales on and I had a great pint of Harvey's at �3.40 (I'm used to paying that as I live on the Hamble). The menu looked good, but I just stuck with my pint. The bar staff seemed fine and the Landlord was pleased to hear that I appreciated his pint.

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BARRY2771 - 28 Sep 2011 11:17

I found the service was shocking!! Monday afternoon lunch was not great think the staff were asleep, and as for cockie barmaid, and the rude owner seem more interested in there cigarette breaks then there customers won't be returning again!!

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plumjus - 26 Sep 2011 16:33

Not a patch on the Portsmouth Arms 7/10

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dhappy1 - 23 Sep 2011 21:31

I chose to visit this pub for the second time with my family to celebrate a birthday and again was not disappointed. The choices of 'specials' ranged from Grey Mullet, fresh in that day, to Ox cheek and although that was not to my liking, it smelled delicious. After reading a previous comment on here about 'assuming the food was not cooked fresh' I decided to ask and was informed by a very friendly girl behind the bar that the food is indeed all cooked fresh on the premises every day so I think waiting 20 minutes for freshly cooked, delicious food is worth the wait. We all had a fabulous evening and were very well looked after by the staff. I will of course be returning.

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josmiles - 28 Aug 2011 17:29

Had a terrific lunch here - great fresh seafood! Cornish mussels were amazing and the wolf fish was cooked perfectly. Friendly staff - first rate chef - good selection of ales. Highly recommend a visit.

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Jadip - 27 Aug 2011 16:43

Brilliant Pub! Purfect!

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Dr_Pangloss2 - 26 Aug 2011 13:17

Have been to the Jolly Farmer on two occasions and both have been very enjoyable.

The first was me and my other half for a quick pint. I forget which ale was on offer but it was very good. Mostly locals in the pub I think and they were all very nice. Prices not cheap but about average-ish I guess: �3.40 for a pint. Drank in the beer garden and left.

Second time was to eat as well - food was very good: two of us (including me) had the homemade burger, another the fish and chips and the other the ham and chips (all of these were much more "formally worded"). However, that said, it did take an age for all this to be cooked. I'm assuming they didn't make the food from scratch so not sure why it took about 25 minutes to get everything to the table given that it wasn't busy at all as no one else was eating. Other than that, everything else was good, including the ales, which again I forget the name of. Something about summer?

A very homely and country-eque pub with good food and drink, although the former does take a while to arrive.

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julesnuggy - 13 Aug 2011 22:57

4 real ales on - sampled Boondongle and Alton Pride both excellent.

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kevinn123 - 4 Jul 2011 14:21

I booked a table for 9 on Wednesday and was given the side room away from the main bar. The table was laid lovely and the room was very inviting. Our orders were taken promptly and the food arrived hot and in good time. The food was exceptional and with a main meal costing �10.00 on average and all freshly prepared, the value is excellent. The staff were welcoming and friendly and tended to our every need. The Jolly Farmer is a hidden treasure, I just wish I had known about them before.

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josmiles - 21 May 2011 13:09

Had a few pints later in the evening.

Had 4 ales on tap, two of which I tasted and both were very good.

Friendly and nice pub.

Well worth another visit

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EdBeery - 11 May 2011 09:35

Visited again after some time away. HSB, Butcombe bitter and two other real ales were on the handles, my HSB was in fine condition. The home made mushroom soup I had was outstanding, there were a number of walkers and regulars in the bar when I called, more people than when I called previously. Service was friendly and efficient. I'll be back!,

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Feed - 15 Mar 2011 19:37

We've often enjoyed a pint whilst walking at this pub but today decided we'd like a lunch there. We only wanted some sandwiches but found on arrival that they didn't have any, despite having a chef there.

We opted for what was described as Welsh Rarebit. Being Welsh and a bit of an expert on this dish we looked forward to it.

What arrived can only be described as mustard paste from a jar spread on warm bread. At the time I told them it was very poor but on reflection it was quite disgusting. Possibly the worst food I've eaten in twenty years.

I was also annoyed to find that the young man at the bar added "mate" at the end of every sentence where I would have preferred "sir" or nothing at all. Most annoying.

The pub is a nice place but it will be a long time before we try to eat there again. There are far better pubs nearby.

Avoid unless the menu has changed.

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sundaycyclist - 27 Feb 2011 14:56

Foods not great, everything else is wonderful.

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Ace_of_spades - 13 Dec 2010 00:26

Better in the summer 8 out of 0 then in the winter 7.

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Hoffmeisterbear - 27 Oct 2010 21:27

Lovely country pub with a beautiful garden in the summer. Good food and excellent atmosphere. A real pub.

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Jeremy_Kyle - 26 Sep 2010 23:12

Great Pub!

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tinidadc_nt - 5 Sep 2010 10:06

Excellent Country Pub, it's worth the drive and has a very friendly atmosphere.

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YogiandBooboo - 31 Jul 2010 13:25

Quaint country pub close to Basingstoke. The food was awful but the garden is a pleasure. How can you serve raw chips and stale baguettes for �6.50?

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pubfan247 - 11 Jul 2010 19:34

Cosy traditional pub close to the throng of Basingstoke over the M3 but far enough away for that village feel. I've been here a few times over the last couple of years, serves the Real Ale from the Punch Taverns portfolio, had TT Landlord, London Pride, Ringwood Bitter and Sharp's Doombar on during my last visit. Beer was well kept. I've eaten here a few times and the food is pretty good with decent portions. recently 11 of us booked the function room, the room itself is smallish, 11 was about the right number for the size of the room. Despite having a large number of people eating in the main part of the pub all the food arrived in good time and was of truly excellent quality. The staff, despite being rushed off their feet, managed to cope admirably. A recommended GBG pub.

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Abteilung - 17 Jan 2010 21:16

Not a bad place in the summer to sit in the garden, prices are quite steep for food and beer though the ales always seem to be well kept and fresh.
Main bar can be somewhat cramped and the location requires having to drive.
Not a bad place to visit, just be sure to take plenty of money.

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Anubis99 - 16 Dec 2009 15:15

I love this pub! we eat here regularly and I have never had a bad experience. The food is great, although a little on the expensive side I don�t mind paying a bit more if I know I�m going to enjoy it. The staff are always friendly as are the Land Lord and Land Lady. Usually a couple of Ales on that seem to change fairly regularly.

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Helenw - 11 Aug 2009 14:38

Food was fine when we went earlier in the week - large range of food sampled so don't think quality has altered at all. Beer was well kept but not as adventerous as usual - 6X, Brakespears, Adnams broadside plus one other.

Still an excellent pub - huge beer garden at the back too

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kevinn123 - 3 Jul 2009 13:17

Have to say in the last few month, the food has gone down hill, and the prices have gone up! Not what is was!

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viccrown - 20 Mar 2009 23:47

A fantstic location, friendly excellent service and the best bit was the food. I have enjoyed eating as this pub for some years and have never had a bad experience. There is nothing better than taking the Sunday papers, ordering lunch and wasting the afternoon with a nice glass of red!

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pc73 - 31 Jul 2008 21:32

Great food, good beer, and most important of all a friendly atmosphere! One of the best pubs in hampshire

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viccrown - 18 Jul 2008 21:50

A village pub I can walk to (although it is bit of an effort from the wrong side of the M3!). Has gone through several changes of ownership. Present owners seem to know how a pub should be run. Good food and an excellent range of beers. Got used to the usual predictable 'guest ales' in North Hampshire, glad to report the jolly breaks the mould. Recently 2 cracking beers from Titanic (one a stout, us black beer drinkers are often neglected!) and a favourite from Bath - Barnstormer. Keep up the good work!

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CaptainDave - 3 Jun 2008 14:08

A lovely village pub with good beer and ales.....
Gill & Rick are lovely, friendly people and you are always made to feel welcome......

My girlfriends Dad is in the trade so we know where to go and where to avoid.....

The food is excellent and there is plenty of it.....some people say it's pricey but I dont think so at all, none of this chain rubbish, at the end of the day you get what you pay for....

Carl Jeffreys & Katie Clarke

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Carl083 - 20 Apr 2008 21:53

beer changes reqularily - has at least 4 pumps: Hook Norton, Summer Lightning, Cummberland Ale, Brakespear all been on in the past few weeks. Price �2.60
Since the smoking ban - nice to be able to breath in the pub ;-)

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anonymous - 17 Oct 2007 14:18

Food is excellent - food is expensive - �9 a meal - but to be honest that seems to be the going rate fr village pubs these days.

Beer was fine - if a little unadventurous - Bass, Ruddles County and a Dark (which was good - although I can't remeber the brewery)

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anonymous - 21 Dec 2006 10:01

This is a great little pub. Lovely food and great owners..... Although a bit on the pricey side...

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Ashey - 29 Oct 2006 20:42

This is a lovely homley pub with friendly staff and a really nice atmosphere. It is slightly overpricerd but you get what you pay for.
For about 0.50p extra per drink you don't have to share space with retards and bums. Not in town centre but easy to get to - perfect!

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cb1 - 17 Jul 2006 11:18

I have it on good information that ales are now �2.50. On offer at the moment are Jennings Cumberland and Hopback Crop Circle, in addition to a few others. This is current of 13th Feb 06.

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Alexh1982 - 13 Feb 2006 19:39

The real ales on sale are invariably good quality and some are not often seen around Basingstoke. The beer pricing, though, is a trifle eccentric - all real ales are priced at �1.50, or they were last time I went there, but that was pre-budget/brewery price hike. Food looks very good and there is a garden and shaded awning area. The pub seems to be well patronised by the local people. A true social centre of the village.

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JimT - 11 May 2005 16:40

Very small country pub, even though it's only about a mile from the Brighton Hill housing estate. Nice ales and bitters available here. Nice lighting too

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Alex - 25 Jun 2004 17:58

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Jolly Farmer, Cliddesden

user reviews of the Jolly Farmer, Cliddesden

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