The Sandford @ Wareham, Wareham

Well described by PSM, below, this former Whitbread roadside inn continues to be a decent halt when on the main tourist route, a location which has failed to spoil it as most of the grockels simply pass it by, maybe because it looks a bit shabby and doesn't hve a Harvester or Beefeater sign, maybe because the '@' in the name makes it look a bit pretentious. The pub hosts regular live music acts and there is a large scree and projector in the Public Bar for showing live sports matches. There is plenty of parking at the front along with a paved area with bench seats and tables from which you can watch the traffic queue build up. Three ales on draught were Exmoor Gold, Doombar and Sharp's Atlantic, all in good condition. Worth stopping for lunch or a quick pint.

Sandford official site with menu - www.sandfordwareham.co.uk

Sandford official site with menu - www.sandfordwareham.co.uk

The Sandford Hotel has, for as long as I can remember, been a pub worthy of giving a wide berth, but in recent years it appears to have been given a bit of a tidy up (and a ridiculous new name), so when looking for somewhere local to enjoy a Sunday lunch, we decided to give it a try. It’s fairly well positioned on a busy road which many holidaymakers will crawl along on their way to the Isle of Purbeck and from the outside at least, it does look a little like a typical large roadside inn. Entering through one of two front entrances, there is a small public bar to the right which looks fairly basic with a couple of sofas which might be nice to relax on as long as no-one is playing pool on the table that dominates this space. Moving to the left of the front door, we found ourselves passing through a narrow gap between the bar and an area which had been set up under the front windows for the Sunday carvery. I can’t imagine that this serving area is left there throughout the week, but I guess stranger things have happened. The room opens out further to the left and rear once you are past the bar and there is plenty of seating filling the space, all of which was taken up by contented diners on our visit. At the rear of the room, the seating extends into a conservatory which looks out over the impressive garden. This is one of the pub’s best assets and the staff have used the space efficiently, finding room for plenty of benches, a kids playground, a trampoline and a ‘pets corner’, the highlight of which was a couple of miniature Kunekune pigs. All very child friendly judging by the number of excitable youngsters running around the garden. Two ales greeted us on arrival – Sharp’s Doom Bar and Otter Bitter. We ordered a couple of pints of the Otter but it tasted of vinegar, so they were taken straight back. The barmaid was very apologetic and replaced them with two pints of Doom Bar and took the Otter off straight away. I decided to give the carvery a go and thought it was very tasty. The staff all seemed very pleasant and were helpful in chasing up some food that was delayed from the kitchen. All in all, this turned out to be a fairly pleasant surprise. The food was very good, the beer choice limited but in good nick and the staff friendly and welcoming. It might not set the pulse racing but I reckon it would be a good choice for a bite to eat if you’re driving past, especially if you have kids with you who need entertaining.