General Chat

Because I hadn't seen the outside world since before the war and I had a voucher on the internet that made it very much cheaper, we went to a Toby carvery.

Strangely, neither of us had ever thought to visit one before. We have been in the habit of using Harvesters on the odd occasion that we do eat in a pub because their salad is always good.

Last time we went in there the food was abysmal. They have been doing some exceedingly odd things with herbs and spices, soapy tasting cinnamon in the vege burgers and an abundance of dried sage (!) I the garlic mushrooms. Having looked at the new menu we decided that, as they have hung on to all the ghastly bits, we would probably give them a miss for a while.

Toby carveries belong to the same group of companies so we didn't hold out any hopes at all, but it was cheap.

What a surprise!

There were four vege alternatives to the carvery and the one I chose had, I think, been made on the premises. Yorkshires that were not Auntie Bessies, vege stuffing and gravy that tasted like it had been made from a proper vegetable stockpot, the best garlic mushrooms I think I have ever tasted, roasted onion, swede and a rhubarb and custard sundae.

Of course, I suffered from eyes and belly in a big way but OH finished mine so nothing was wasted.

We did have to go to Worthing to eat it butI think we might be going there again!

I shall look up an see if Tobys are in our area.

Gosh, the last time I went to a carvery - admittedly about 5 years ago, at the insistence of ex's elderly aunt - the food was awful!
Cold, hard (un-cuttable) roast potatoes and turkey that tasted like cardboard would best describe it. The veg were like rubber .

CARVERIES ARE BEST ,YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU WANT,
NO VEG THAT YOU DON'T LIKE,AND VERY TASTIE

We often visit our local Brewer's Fayre and I joined their 'club' so get points for the money we spend and lots of offers. Got a voucher for buy one meal, get one free so will be eating out this week sometime. The food is always nice and the service excellent, we are getting to know the staff now and they give us such a good welcome. The place is always fairly busy, and even if packed, we get a table as we are such regulars.

We tried a Brewer's Fayre in Braintree one time when we were visiting Chelmsford and it was dreadful, nowhere near as good as our local one, The Oaks.

We did used to go for a carvery meal at another place across Norwich and it was lovely, the Yorkshires looked like top hats on the plate and barely left room for the rest of the food altho I managed to squeeze it on (and in lol)

Glad you got out for a meal Sharron, must have made a nice change not to have to be inventive and not to have to wash up too

Lizxx

Nice to read that you enjoyed your meal at the Toby carvery in Wothing - made a note to visit if I am ever down that way.

My first experience of a carvery was in the mid 1960's, I went with friends to the sandwich bar, in what was the old Cafe Royal in Regent Street long before it became a hotel. In those days you could choose to have a delicious hot sandwich on a selection of freshly baked bread with a generous filling of fresh roasted meats which were carved in front of you :-)

Eating is the only pleasurable necessity in life.

Haven't been there for a long time but the Toby in our area is very popular. We like Harvesters too for the salad but rarely vary from the fish and chips. (ditto Brwers Fayre).

Sharon is quite right Toby have gone through some sort of makeover and their food and service have both improved no end. That said don't expect too much for the price which is extremely competitive. Toby are cheaper than Burger King for instance. It is quite possible to order the carvery for 4 and have change out of £ 40 inc drinks!

On the road Toby are def. a reasonable off the motorway alternative to "Services". As with any carvery try and arrive early the food does not improve under hot lamps.

Toby ( and Harvester ) are one of the few chain eating houses which will accept groups of people with learning difficulties. Good for them.

the large Tesco near me has revamped the whole store and the restaurant now has a carvery and it is excellent - it's called Decks and you have to wait to be seated - table service for drinks and dessert - help yourself to carvery and pies, sandwiches [made from carvery meat] etc. well worth a visit - quite surprising all in all

I was very impressed by their vegetarian choices which showed some imagination and I was expecting some sort of Brake Brothers offering but I think it was made on the premises and it was tasty too.

We have been known to go to a Wetherspoons for a roast and Fred's café but were really surprised by this one. It wasn't greasy which was wonderful too.

We have come to think that we eat too well at home because, generally, we are the Old Gits, picking holes in every bite.

Glad you enjoyed your meal Sharron. I don't think we have a Toby's near us. I'll have to have a google and check.

We've found carvery food very variable. We were visiting Leeds Castle a few months ago and had a superb carvery meal - the best roast ham I've had in years, and so much of it that I had to tell the carver to stop giving me any more. I was surprised to find it was very reasonably priced. I think it was a special that day.

We also went to the Braintree Brewer's Fayre recently, Liz, and we weren't impressed either. Had to wait forever for our meal and when it came it was pretty mediocre. We are in that area quite a lot and usually either find a small pub off the main road or use Fowler's Farm, the other side of the roundabout to the Brewer's Fayre. This is one of the Vintage Inns chain and I don't think it is as good as it used to be but it's still an improvement on the Brewer's Fayre.

Tend to avoid 'chain' pubs as the food is vac-packed and just heated up. My nephew works in a Harvester and, although he has a lot of experience in the trade, is not a trained chef. Have found the food mediocre to OK but nothing special. Usually disappointed with carveries as the focus is very much on the meat (which is normally good) with overcooked or re-heated veg. Don't like piles of meat, much prefer to have lots of nice veg.

We have tended toward Harvesters before because the salad bar is always good even if the other food is nothing to write home about but now the food is so bad that even the salad bar can't entice us in.

Maybe this Toby is a one off, I don't know, we have not used Toby before, but it was excellent.

Our family love Toby Sharron, I don't drive but when my daughters visit my mum we take her to Toby's in Langley we find it good with the wheelchair the staff is very helpful and friendly and the food very good. When it was my mums 90th birthday a few years ago which happens to fall on Christmas day my brother SIL and myself took her there and we had a lovely Christmas dinner.

When I go to my daughter in the Wirral we always go to the in Chester.

I have always found our local Toby Carvery very good. I think that because they are so busy the food is always freshly cooked - it doesn't lay around in heated trays for hours on end. What I find amazing is the amount of food people get in to a take away box. I think they can probably feed a family from one box so a very cheap way of eating!

Before we came to Eastbourne to live we used to go to the Toby in Peacehaven. It was usually very good but on one occasion hubby had roast potato that was rotten all the way through but not noticeable from the outside.

It didn't put us of going there though.

We tend to avoid them like the plague. Most range from mediocre, if you are lucky that is, to absolute rubbish.

I was reading a recent report which suggested that they are also poor value too, emphasising the cheapest most filling foods which are deliberately placed at the start of the line.

There is a Toby very close to o.h.'s son's new home so we might try that next time, would take them out to lunch but they don't like going because the little girl who is almost 4 is so naughty when out. Sad really, and a shame they haven't taught her better. She kicked off in a supermarket when o.h. was with his son and her, and both of them were so embarrassed. Seems she does it a lot, but she still came home with a Kinder Egg. She dominates the whole family and is so hyper and demanding, her little brother will learn bad habits from her as he grows up, I fear.

We sometimes use the Wetherspoons or Yates in Chelsmford if we are in town and want something quick and cheap.


Lizx

Wetherspoons is alright, food for when you are hungry but, then, they have a super salad which is truly super.

Maybe I just struck lucky with the Toby, I don't know, but the planets must have been in alignment for me that day. No doubt you do need a quality chef and the right time of day to get that good a good carvery but we certainly had them on this occasion.