Eleventh Earl Toby Carvery

Nice and spacious inside, some ok beers and the roast selection is pretty good. However my turkey was a bit tough and when I looked inside the cut there was a grey mass which resembled dust, not appetising at all.

It’s difficult to be too positive about a pub which, being part of a larger chain, is pretty much without a soul. Don’t get me wrong, you can absolutely get chain businesses with personality, it’s just that I didn’t really warm to the persona of this one.
Perhaps it was the slightly lack-​lustre waitress who took a little while to actually seat us, or perhaps it was the lewd-​bordering-​on-​misogynistic wall decorations plastered all over the walls of the little booth in which my boyfriend and I were seated. I sat down to be confronted by a horrid poster of a cartoon pregnant woman, holding a ‘make love not war’ placard, being accosted by some bawdy cartoon man exclaiming «I see you practice what you preach love!» Needless to say, I did not want to have that in the corner of my eye as I ate my lunch. So that we’re clear, I’m not a prude. I have no issue with nudity or imagery of a sexual just so long as they don’t undermine my sex in the process.
Ignoring the above I set about getting myself some of this infamous carvery goodness. On many an occasion I’ve been advised to try out the food, and so here we were, having been at a loss this Saturday as to where to dine. We queued in our little queue, asked the serving chap for our meats (beef, turkey and pork were on offer) and then helped ourselves to a veritable mountain of veg. So far so good. We came to the gravy cart and had the choice of about, I don’t know, ten different sauces and gravies? Lovely.
The food really isn’t too bad, in light of the fact you are paying a fiver for all that grub. But I have to disagree with Alex here — I most certainly can cook a better roast dinner. There wasn’t anything wrong with the food, not awfully so, but it’s not exactly gourmet either. The veg was all pretty soggy and the meat was (most likely as it’s there all afternoon) reasonably dry. The yorkshires and roasties are pretty good though, and being my most favourite carb-​o-​licious part of the roast, I was quite glad they were the nicest. Also, the veggie gravy is really blooming good.
My overall opinion is split between ²⁄₅ and 3/​5, so I’ve gone for the more generous rating as I really do think that you get a lot for your money, it’s just that it’s not all that special. Even if it’s dirt cheap and mountainous, that doesn’t make it taste better than it is — which is fairly medium. That I had to eat around some awful choice of wall hangings simply made it all the more of a let down.
Still, it really does the job if you want a cheap and hassle free lunch. Great hangover cure, too. To gorge yourself proper for merely a fiver (Mon-​Sat) try the Eleventh Earl — but bring your stretchy pants, and maybe a skateboard to wheel yourself out on, you’ll be fit to burst!

Though it pains me to give a Pub chain a positive review (I’m more of an independent pub man), the Eleventh Earl does everything right, and more.
Toby Carveries are, in my opinion, always a good bet — an unlimited amount of meat, gravy, vegetables and, most importantly, Yorkshire Puddings piled on to a plate for a around fiver (sometimes cheaper when special offers are on) just seems like a good idea to me.
Yes, it’ll never live up to your nan’s Sunday roast, but it’s better than anything you could make, and a hell of a lot less hassle and effort, so there are few reasons not to indulge in a carvery on occasion. If you’re not wearing trousers with an elasticated waist, however, you might want to try something lighter (but less filling) from the extensive, if standard, pub food menu.
A final word on the pub itself — the atmosphere is fairly good, and there are cask ales available, but I’ve never been here just to drink: the main attraction is definitely the roast. And quite rightly.

This is pretty much self service but the staff are friendly. Avoid at all costs on a Sunday you will be waiting about an hour and half for a table.
The food wasn’t up to much, you can get a far nocer carvery in other pubs in the area. This was more expensive and tasted bland. The veg tasted like frozen veg and the meat was tough so i would use this place only when your desperate.