Fantastic food, great specials board a really great British pub, sadly too few about nowread more

AMAZING!!! As far as I remember this place has won pub food…read moreof the year ever year since Ive lived in the area. Super tasty quality food, I noticed that on the menu it even tells you which farm the meat came from, or where the ice cream was made etc. The Greek Lamb and the Gammon are both brilliant. The portions are huge and I'm always left with enough food for another meal but save room for the Holly Bush sundae because you wont ever have a such a selection of tasty locally made ice cream :) The prices are great too, last time I went it was around 30quid for the 2 of us.

Absolutely terrible, it wants closing down. We have moved into the village & so after 8 months…read moredecided to try it for Sunday lunch, it was the worst meal I have ever had, the beef was just sliced beef that you get from a supermarket, the gravy was tasteless, the mashed potato had lots of garlic in which spoilt the meal altogether but the main thing was all the flys it made you feel sick as there were that many, I know it's hot but surely a little fly spray wouldn't go amiss, we sat at a table in the corner at the end of the bar where there was a coffee machine sitting on the bar...it was covered & I mean covered in fly poop. It wants closing down...do not eat here, my partner & I said we will never call again!

Outstanding! We toured the Wedgwood factory and museum and stopped here for lunch afterwards…read morewithout researching. We started with the soup of the day - carrot, sweet potato and red pepper - and found a great consistency with a hint of spice. It was served with a warm and crispy roll. Delicious! There is a nice selection of real ales available which paired nicely with our sandwich selections. I firmly believe that heaven is a place where Stilton cheese is plentiful. I enjoyed mine on the nutty brown bread. I tucked bits of the side salad inside for a nice added crunch. My companion had a very nice tuna sandwich that featured no mayonnaise so as to highlight the flavor of the fish and leave more calories available for beer :) Overall I'd say it has a wonderful pub feeling but with food that goes beyond the typical without leaving heritage behind.

Very good pub food. You pick a main, side, sauce, and get unlimited trips to the salad bar all in…read morethe price. No more expensive than any respectable pub either.

9/12/11 Small country pub on a main road…read more This was a Christmas lunch with a group of old friends. Variety of starters. Three different mains Several sweet options. For £12 per head it was exceptional value. Plain cooking. Only negative is the roast potatoes were deep fat fried. Apart from that the quantity was exceptional, I had: Boiled new potatoes Roasted potatoes Carrots Sprouts Parsnips Ball of stuffing Yorkshire pudding Plus 3 slices of turkey All the vegetables were hot, and not over cooked. The sprouts were fresh and not frozen. My starter was melon, and my sweet was a very hot apple and blackberry crumble with custard. Visit the site for more of the internal photographs. I'd go back, but the atmosphere was spoilt a bit by very loud group of women. They didn't respect other diners, and their wish to able to have a conversation. Then again, it is Christmas.

Great surroundings . Pub is of the highest quality decor and style wise . A homely old fashioned…read morepub with real ales Menu is nice and had a good meal at reasonable value

This pub/restaurant is fantastic. The owners are very welcoming and the pub is split into two…read moresections. The staff are freindly and the customers are just as pleasant! We stayed in the dog friendly seperate section so if you aren't so keen on dogs, there is a beautiful seperated restaurant next door. The food is immense, very original menu with locally sourced food and a twist on some pub classics. I would recommend the samosa starter and chicken pate.

We turned up on spec,but they soon had us seated . The surroundings were lovely, and smart. We had…read moregreat service from a lovely lady who was knowledgeable and had good humour. Food was super- tasty and great quality Would definitely reccomend, especially for the specials nights. BB.

My favorite pub in the world…read more Excellent beers/ales, fantastic food and the location is awesome. Service is always nice.

WOW, What a pleasant and wonderful surprise of a find. We happened to be going this way after car…read moreshopping and found this pub. It looked like Yelpers had enjoyed it so we hoped that it was going to be worth the stop. It was. A lot of the pubs I've found lately have all become commercialized and become a bit "cookie cutter." They have the same items on the menu, carry the same beers and generally almost start looking the same. Well, the Malt Shovel does not. Not only is their menu unique, it seemed to have specials of the day. I choose a meat pie that with beer in it and my husband chose a different meat and potatoes dish. We started with some fried tempura shrimp that was a surprise because it was just as light and tasty as could be. We ate that pretty quickly. The entrees are pretty hefty and I believe we could have shared, but in the end my husband liked his dish better so it worked out. Ironically we came here quite by accident but it was our anniversary that night and with trying to find a car hadn't had time to properly plan dinner but it worked out because the meal made it feel pretty special. I would have liked to have tried a dessert but having no space had to forgo. In the end it turned out it was less than 10 miles away from home so we probably will be back often for good homecooked like meals!

My wife and I come here, while going to/from bucks. The staff ate friendly. The service is 5*…read morerestaurant quality. The food... The food is good old fashioned in house cooked, pub grub. I would (and have) reccomend the maly shovel to anyone who would be passing. The chips alone are worth travelling to it for

Don't get to this pub enough! Recently met some friends for lunch and had a wonderful meal which…read morewas excellent value and plenty of it. A good menu selection of good, homely, traditional English pub food with the additional 'special' thrown in for good measure. Superb, great hosts and comfortable surroundings. The ale's not bad as well!! Well appointed with a plenty of car parking.

We were invited to Duncombe Arms to celebrate a 30th Birthday. Our group included 11 adults and 3…read morechildren. What a wonderful afternoon! Upon entering our private dining room we were welcomed with wonderful waitstaff, the girls were great! Our dinner choices included Sunday roast dinners ( chicken or beef) a roasted cod dish. Five starters incl chicken parfait, squash veloute and a roasted beets and goats cheese salad. Sweets included chocolate delice and apple crumble. Cheese course to follow. This was a special menu made for us. James is the manager and made our event wonderful. Want to celebrate a special event? Can't go wrong!

Had a lovely night at this newly re-opened country pub. Very attentive staff and excellent service…read moreall round. The food was well presented and tasted A++. Highly recommended for a fab night out dining or just for a local pint.

The Old Swan has been modernized and is now an excellent destination for food in the small rural…read morevillage of Madeley Heath. They have a great selection of casks ales and gins with a menu of classic British dishes and some modern classics. We went as group of four and had an amazing time. You are made to feel very welcome and can tell it's a family ran pub, that gives that "local pub" feel. To eat we had a beautiful salad with goat cheese, liver and onions with an amazing bacon mash, sirloin steak and an incredible looking and tasting steak and kidney pie. Everything tasted fresh, looked great and was hot, all was a hit! The atmosphere was warm and welcoming with a mixture of families and friends enjoying the evening.

From the owner: Our ambience is that of a local village pub, offering you a warm welcome, exceptional, friendly…read moreservice and outstanding food. Set on the Cheshire border The Old Swan has a strong commitment to local sourcing of fresh high quality food. Our menu is combined with classic pub dishes with a modern twist. All our food is freshly prepared in our kitchen by our chefs daily, we think that this makes the difference between good food and poor quality food. Our bar area is the perfect place to unwind and enjoy a light snack, accompanied by local guest ales and a carefully selected wine list