We had been to The Beagle (which can be found off the Ipswich – Hadleight road) some time ago, and thought it was about time we had a return trip.

Having visited the ‘Vintage Inns’ website, we found a voucher giving 2 grill meals and a bottle of wine for £25, which should be good value.

On arriving at The Beagle around 2pm on Sunday we noticed that it did look very busy, with a large amount of cars parked on the road outside, but don’t be put off. There is a large car park to the rear of the pub and we had the choice of several tables inside.

We both ordered the 9oz rib-eye steak at the bar (medium rare) and a bottle of Italian wine, all of which were specified on the printed-off voucher. Admittedly the choice was a little restrictive but adequate considering the price.

The meals arrived in very good time and the steaks were both cooked to perfection, served with chip, peas and a tomato – none of the ‘garnish’ that so often spoils a meal!!

All in all we were very impressed with the quality of both the food and the service, and will no doubt be adding The Beagle to our list of local favourites.

The Beagle, Hadleigh Rd, Sproughton, Ipswich, Suffolk IP8 3AR

Oh dear! What a incredible disappointment!

We stopped off at The Pickerel Inn on Saturday, early afternoon, about 2.30pm, hoping to get a bite to eat, having seen the ‘Food Served’ sign on the main road, enticing us to pay a visit.

Surely the biggest gastronomic mistake we have made in a LONG time!

Having browsed the menu, I decided that a cheeseburger would be pretty safe, and my wife picked a prawn sandwich.

Well we waited for quite a while for the food to arrive and as we were the only ones eating (always a warning sign..) I assume it was because the oven and chip pan needed heating up!

When the food finally arrived it looked pretty awful, and tasted a whole lot worse. The prawns were quite obviously frozen ones that had been thrown in a microwave, were without any sort of sauce and were between 2 slices of the cheapest brown bread you can buy.

As for my burger, it was possibly the most flavourless item I’ve eaten. There were onions in the burger somewhere but again, the cheapest of the cheap, with a tiny piece of molten cheese in the cheapest bap in town! Oh, and the chips were soggy and horrible…

We decided to just pay-up and get the hell out and to be fair I was quite relieved that the barman didn’t ask how our meal was!

The address of The Pickerel Inn is 38 High Street, Ixworth. I’ve only added that as I would hate anyone to wander in there by mistake…

We thought we’d try the Marlborough Head Inn for a late lunch as we were driving around the countryside on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

Having been to the inn many years ago it was interesting to see how it had changed. I did have to wait a considerable time to be served drinks in the lounge bar – having said that I had failed to notice a bell to summon bar staff. I guess 3pm on Grand National day probably isn’t the best time to draw the bar staff away from the TV in the bar!

Having ordered some food, which arrived in reasonably time, I’m afraid to say we were a little diappointed with the quality. The prawns in my wife’s prawn sandwich were quite ‘rubbery’ and my cod in beer batter and chips was really nothing special.

Having said that the bill was fairly reasonable at just over £15

I think we will try the Marlborough Head Inn again sometimes, when there isn’t a major sporting event on, just to give them another chance. The Inn has an AA 3 star rating although one must assume that is for the quality of the rooms rather than the fine cuisine.

The Marlborough Head Inn

Mill Lane, Dedham, CO7 6DH

01206 323250

OK, so it’s a little out of Suffolk, but if you happen to be in the area and need a bite to eat, then The Warrener on the outskirts of Thetford is worth a visit.

Serving food all day, this pub is attached to a Premier Inn but unlike most Premier Inns, this isn’t on the side of an extremely busy motorway!

The food was exactly what we expected from a pub of this type, the atmosphere was OK and the bill was relatively cheap. They also have a special offer during weekdays of 2 meals for £10, which would be well worth taking advantage of!

If you’re visiting Thetford Forest and need somewhere to eat on the way home, the The Warrener is worth a call.

T: 0870 850 6320
F: 0870 850 6321

Having tried The Dog Inn in Norton before, we thought we’d take a couple of friends there for dinner on Good Friday.

Surprisingly the place was relatively quiet which meant that we got a table straight away.

The service was very good, the food was exactly what we expected and the bill was very reasonable for 4 people. Admittedly we didn’t have deserts and drinks were bought seperately at the bar, but at around £12 per head, it definately didn’t break the bank!

All in all a pleasant evening an nice atmospheric inn.

I have no doubt that we will be returning in the not too distant future.

We always used The Rushbrooke Arms when we felt like somewhere cheap and cheerful where you had a pretty good idea what you were going to get, and with all day food, we’ve eaten there quite often.

Previously we’ve found a table in the bar area and eaten in there. Very pleasant especially on a cold wet winters day when the fire is on.

On Saturday however we decided to get a table in the main restaurant area, which believe it or not, was a big mistake!

We generally don’t have a problem with ‘family friendly’ pubs, but I guess this time it was just too family friendly, with plently of kids wandering back and forth being chased by parents, or going in and out to the outside play area.

We also, unfortunately, were sitting opposite the kitchen, where the door was left wide open. Not only did we have to put up with shrieking children, but also the clatters and bangs and general racket coming from the kitchen.

To make matters worse the music in the main restaurant was different to the music playing rather loudly in the kitchen. What with the kids, Gnarls Barkley mixed with The Chemical Brothers and the general bedlam in the kitchen, this was probably our most unpleasant eating experience there so far.

I doubt that we’ll be going back anytime soon, but if we do, we’ll definately be sitting in the bar, well away from the kitchen and would suggest that if you try The Rushbrooke, you do the same….

A good atmosphere but always very busy. Not sure if you can book a table in advance (not available last time we tried) so worth phoning to find out. Be prepared for a long wait otherwise, especially at the weekends…

The Dog

Ixworth Road, Norton, Bury St Edmunds, IP31 3LP, 01359 230440