The Jolly Farmer, Cookham Dean - 13th June 2009

I have to admit to being someone who does a bit of online research to discover good eating and drinking places. Reviews on sites like Toptable are useful indicators of what to expect in a restaurant, perhaps because the diners book through the site and have to post a review to receive 'points', which result in large numbers of up-to-date reviews. The nearest equivalent for pubs seems to be Beer in the Evening which doesn't work quite so efficiently. I use the site whenever I am looking for a pub in the Bucks/Berks countryside where I live, but the ratings and reviews can be a bit hit and miss, with some successes (such as The Dew Drop Inn in Hurley), but also a pub or two that hasn't lived up to expectations.

The Jolly Farmer in Cookham Dean appeared to fall into the latter category when myself and the boy went there for a sunday-night drink a few weeks ago. The knowledge that the pub was owned by the village appealed to our anti-corporate sensibilities, but walking in to a slightly unwelcoming response from some of the regulars, left us feeling a little disappointed. We did however notice some redeeming features: high calibre 'Red Sky' cheese and bacon flavoured crisps, bar staff who remembered what we were drinking on our second round, and despite the rain - the existence of the largest beer garden known to man (well in Cookham Dean).

So on a very sunny Saturday lunchtime, we returned to put The Jolly Farmer's beer-garden and food through its paces. I arrived early and found to my delight that the beer-garden possessed two rare qualities: the garden was sunny, and it had ample seating! I'd expected to find a larger number of tables crammed in together, but the people/space in garden ratio, was just about perfect (a real advantage of finding a pub off the beaten track).

The lunch menu consisted of a number of sandwich and jacket potato options with some more substantial 'pub lunch' dishes also available. I can't tell you a huge amount more about the menu, as i'd spotted a bacon, mushroom and stilton sandwich, and nothing sounded more appealing! There was however a brief discussion about whether white/brown or a baguette 'upgrade' (for £1), would be the best bread to complement the sandwich. Graham pointed out that the quandry may actually not be between sliced bread or baguette, but actually whether as the menu implied, the sandwich option was served cold, and the baguette, hot. He went to investigate and order, and after a longish wait (which we had been warned about, and which really wasn't a problem when we were waiting in such a sunny beer garden in an idylic location), I had my hot sandwich on granary sliced bread (perfect), and he had a ploughman's (also with stilton - King of Cheeses). The portions could have been bigger and there was only a small amount of salad as a side, (with red onion that was a little harsh), but otherwise , the always winning combination of mushroom and bacon was nicely complemented with the stilton. The boy, being a bit of a stilton enthusiast didn't think it was the best he'd tasted, but enjoyed his food all the same (apart from the celery).

So all in all, the online research i'd done to find the pub a few weeks back, really paid off. This was the best beer-garden i'd found in about a year, and the food and drink were really enjoyable. It was also great to find a pub so close to home, which felt like it was in the middle of nowhere, which is a definite part of its appeal.

Overall:

Atmosphere: The atmosphere in the beer garden was incredibly chilled out - it was the perfect place to drink and read the paper, although there is a small play-area for kids a bit further towards the back of the garden, but it was not busy enough for this to be noisy. In the pub itself, the ban on music and fruit machines means it is great for having a chat, (although last time on a quiet sunday evening, this was a bit oppresive).

Service: Good service behind the bar, and a bit of comedy value from the waitress shouting out people's surnames to deliver lunch to the right tables. A nearby table almost took offence when she shouted Graham's surname, which they had heard as 'wake up'.

Value for money: The portions were on the smaller side, with no sides included with the meals, so about £5 for a sandwich was a little on the pricy side.

Toilets: Neither good nor terrible, they could do with a bit of sprucing up.

Marks out of 10:
Food would be a 7/10, but the overall experience, with beer-garden bonus, brings this to 9/10 as we both had a really enjoyable lunch. 

UPDATE

I revisited the Jolly Farmer yesterday to take advantage of the beer garden in the beautiful weather. It was sunday lunchtime, and although it was quite a bit busier than my last visit, there were still tables available in the lovely garden. Service was friendly and a lot more efficient than last time (using numbers rather than last-names has less comedy value, but does increase the ease with which you get your lunch!) I ordered the same sandwich than last time and but it was actually more delicious second time round! Really juicy mushrooms and crispy bacon. I also checked out the toilets after Laura mentioned they had been refurbed, and I am very happy to report that they have been significantly spruced up. This has definitely become one of my favourite pubs, and i'll certainly be visiting again (and again).