November29
We popped to York last weekend and decided to stop at a ‘child-friendly’ pub on the A19 (North Yorkshire) on the way back for a late lunch with the kids. We’d driven past the Riverside Farm on Shipton Road near Skelton many times and been meaning to try it out for lunch. If you’re considering the same thing then don’t bother!
Riverside Farm is a beautifully converted old farm building, on the outside yet inside it lacks any sort of style, originality or other endearing qualities on the inside. We arrived into a surprisingly packed car-park at around 1.30pm and was told there was a 20 minute wait for a table. So we decided to try out the soft play area for the children which is situated at the opposite end of the building from the dining/pub area.
We had a bit of a wait as a member of staff was having a complete flap dealing with too many children by the sounds of it – although the place did not look full. We eventually signed in (no customer service or smiles!) and paid for the kids then let through the little security gate just as they put a full sign up and stopped letting parents in.
The “Wacky Warehouse” play area was one of the worst soft play centres we’ve been to in the North Yorkshire area with no character, drab plain walls, pub chairs and the usual big climbing frame set in the middle of the room. Tables were dirty and all the parents looked downright miserable (or was that my imagnation – it was a rainy day!)
The worst aspect was the design of the ball pool which had two enormous slides landing in it – totally unsafe for my 2 year old and not the kind of ball pool I could easily get into or be near him to stop him going near the slides. The under two’s area was full of seven year old boys who were barricading themselves in and meant my toddler couldn’t play anywhere. It really was the most miserable place…then just as I was thinking about simply going home, our names were called over the speaker.
Ordering lunch was interesting to say the least as customers on either side of me got closer…and closer….and closer until they were nearly on top of me which was a challenge when I was trying to type in my pin number. I felt like I was in Shaun of the Dead or something!
Why do people have to stand so close to you when you’re trying to order….bugger off and wait your turn! But that really sums the Riverside Farm up – it was that kind of place! One plus point (and there is one) a very nice Irish girl (who reminded me of my old friend Mary Murphy) served me and was very nice, quick and courteous.
Lunch took about 20 mins and was dire! Garlic bread like cardboard, filthy dirty plates and cutlery which totally put me off eating anything. The salad was disgusting, lank, dirty, black lettuce – you know the kind of thing. We left as soon as we could and will not be returning!
This venue which I found details of on pub explorer.com is described as a “quality family orientated business” which serves “excellent quality meals” and boasts that the play area is “the best play facility in York with an excellent Wacky Manager”. I think not.
Try Treasure Island at Boroughbridge instead or The Farmers Cart – which has just been recommended to me by a friend….the same friend who said “Mmmm it’s alright I suppose” in a totally unconvincing way when I asked her what the Riverside Farm was like!!!
