Butchers Arms, Woodsetts (Worksop)
By DWT

OK, so you've got £5 in your pocket; what are you going to spend it on? Some alternatives could be: A weeks worth of copies of The Times; a pint and half of continental hypothermia-inducing lager; enough petrol to get you off the forecourt; soup and a roll at Clumber Park restaurant or the carvery at The Butcher's Arms in Woodsetts. Go on, guess what I'm going to recommend!

Thursday night is carvery night at The Butcher's Arms; a pub that was once so dire that I swore I'd never set foot in it again. Now under new ownership, the place has been transformed. No longer is it the epicentre of awfulness (grubby surroundings, awful food, dreadful service and laughable prices), it has become a proper pulling-place for lovers of good food, ambience and warm welcomes.

I know that the lounge in this pub isn't big, but despite this they've made the most of the space, even with the servery in place. Two waitresses, uniformly clad, service the tables quickly and efficiently (they're cleaned properly, no wiping detritus into the punters' laps here) before guests are taken to be seated. Nic, the chef, beavers at the carvery whilst the bar staff dispense some well-kept wines and beers, and take the food orders. All this is overseen by Trish, (Big Boss), who keeps a watchful eye on absolutely everything. But it's not a hectic atmosphere; everything runs smoothly, customers seem very happy as, incidentally, do the staff.

And so the customers should be happy! At £5 I wondered exactly what I would be getting: Sunday's roast leftovers perhaps, with a few processed vegetables? That couldn't have been further from the truth. I was presented with three thick, tender, juicy slices of succulent roast beef, a huge Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes golden and crisp, and I served myself to new potatoes served in minted butter, fresh broccoli and carrots, and cauliflower prepared in a rich, creamy cheese sauce. Then of course I topped it off with wonderfully rich gravy. My wife opted for the pork, the other option. It almost fell off the joint as it was being carved. Served with the Yorkshire pudding it had the added extras of stuffing and crackling too. As soon as we'd sat down we were asked if we wanted any sauces: apple, mustard or horseradish. My wife took up the offer of the apple sauce, served in a huge bowl and left on the table.

It was my intention to have pudding, but to be honest I was, to use the vernacular, stuffed! Talking to a couple of friends after the meal they remarked on how well the place had developed in the short time the new owners have been in. We talked about the food there in general - all that had been sampled was highly recommended - and the fact that it is all cooked fresh on the premises.

I know this review may seem sycophantic and non-critical, but neither I nor my wife could really find fault with what we found. The Butcher's Arms has set a standard of cooking, service and value that will take an awful lot to beat.

The Butcher's Arms are now serving the carvery on a Thursday from 12 - 8pm. Even more time to get stuck into a mouth watering meal. Keep up the good work Kev, Trish, Nick and Tim.

Have a look at the Butcher's Arms Mini Site