According to Chubster, Stout and Lardy (CS&L), aka the Fat Boys, together with many world-renown medical consultants and highly qualified dieticians, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Furthermore, CS&L would add that a proper Full English is the best possible breakfast for hard-working men, although we both happen to be enjoying leisurely retirements, this is immaterial to our important research. Despite CS&L having aged gracefully and still considered to be prime physical specimens of athletic manhood, doctors believe that all men, regardless of their age and condition, need a varied diet and regular exercise; consequently, a decent Full English not only ensures that sufficient essential nutrients, along with one or two vital calories, are successfully absorbed, but also that the digestive tract is given a good work out, literally from top to bottom.

 

Over the last couple of years, in the cause of essential gastronomic research, CS&L have visited a number of eating establishments in the South Shropshire  and North Herefordshire area to determine which one offers the best Full English breakfast. It’s been tough, demanding work, but we were not deterred in this vital mission to assist all those who, like us, have a discerning gastronomic, cordon bleu palate and need a Full English to provide sufficient fuel for a day's hard work, or in our case gently sleeping off the side effects.

 

To begin with it’s worth establishing the criteria we considered when we set about determining the best place to visit for a Full English; in our carefully considered assessments it was often minor issues that resulted in lost points, but for CS&L it’s these small details that make all the difference.

 

Essential Criteria

 

To ensure an accurate comparison for the review, the Full English provided to CS&L by the particular establishment should ideally have included the following items:

 

Bacon

At least one slice of decent, dry cured, unsmoked back bacon, with only a little fat and rind, should have been provided. The bacon should have been freshly grilled and when served must not  display any white water marks; extra points were awarded for more than one slice in a regular portion. Ideally the bacon should have been sourced from a decent local butcher, not from some cheapskate wholesaler - we can taste the difference. 

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Sausage

At least one quality grilled sausage must have be provided, again from a decent local butcher, and not from some cheapskate wholesaler. In many of the numerous Full English breakfasts sampled by CS&L, the sausage delivered was often the Achilles heel in an otherwise reasonably decent offering.  CS&L consider that nothing spoils a Full English more than a cheap, tasteless, standard catering sausage from some cheapskate wholesaler - so don’t do it!  We will always pay for for an upgraded sausage. Word of warning - providing a different quantity of decent sausages to either C, S but not L, or the other way around, could easily result in a long-standing dispute that will need careful independent arbitration to successfully resolve.

 

Black Pudding

At least one reasonably sized piece of black pudding is essential. Just for the record, a proper Full English must include black pudding, however, certain men (wimps) may choose to decline to consume this historic English delicacy, in which case they should still order it and then immediately hand it over to a colleague with a stronger constitution. It was difficult to differentiate between most of the black puddings we sampled - which was encouraging.

 

Hash Browns

Of course, many people would criticise the inclusion of hash Browns in a Full English, but I believe we should make an exception for this foreign intrusion as they compliment the rest of the components perfectly.  CS&L believe that one hash brown is never quite enough, unless it’s of sufficient girth. Hash browns always come straight out of the freezer, so it’s vital they are cooked sufficiently and must be slightly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. A hash brown that simply fell apart as soon as it was stabbed with a fork will always incur our displeasure and lose points. Even we can cook a decent hash brown, given sufficient time and motivation, which unfortunately is usually lacking.

 

Grilled Tomato

Note the emphasis on the word grilled. Tomatoes come out of the fridge and CS&L have often encountered tomatoes that were insufficiently grilled; the result was a tomato that, once the usual excavation had commenced, was virtually raw and cold below the middle, consequently, the easy solution is just to grill both the top and the bottom properly - simples!

 

Mushrooms

In a decent Full English only fresh, button mushrooms, fried in a little butter, should be included, by all means add some light seasoning if necessary. However, what we considered unacceptable was a single, large, floppy mushroom that looked well past its best and tasted as though it had been discovered festering at the back of someones sock drawer.

 

Baked Beans

There’s no discussion on this topic - a proper Full English absolutely must include a reasonable portion of decent quality baked beans. At one establishment, instead of being given proper baked beans, we were served something the chef had apparently concocted as a substitute. This monstrosity consisted of a small cold dish of various obscure foreign beans, mixed with a thin tomato sauce. We assume this dish was provided because the chef considered it was beneath his culinary dignity to serve proper baked beans, but the result tasted utterly disgusting and, after a trying a very small portion, was immediately discarded. Note to all chefs: CS&L again restate that baked beans must always be included in a proper Full English - no argument - or at the very least they must be offered as an option.

 

Fried Egg

A single fried egg is an essential component of a Full English, although additional fried eggs should also be available as an option if required. The fried egg provided must not be overcooked, in other words, the yolk must always be runny when it is served. Scrambled or poached eggs are not a component of a proper Full English breakfast.

 

Fried Bread or Toast

Either fried bread or toast and butter must be included. Since neither CS&L are not particular connoisseurs of fried bread and, as our particular contribution towards helping the climate emergency, we will normally decline this delicacy; nevertheless, if no other option is available we have been known to force it down. Since a large chunk of hard, over-cooked fried bread can be difficult to consume without causing damage to the vital lining of the oesophagus, it is essential it is gently fried and presented appropriately. 

 

When toast is the preferred option, which it usually is, there should be a choice between decent quality granary, brown or white bread, ideally from a local baker, rather than some cheap, thin, mass produced, white sliced bread. Also, when providing toast give the customer the option of a side plate, rather than just dumping the toast on top of the meal, after all, C&S are gourmet diners and standards must be maintained.

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Kidneys

Gourmet diners like CS&L have been known to consume devilled kidneys on toast whilst attending a shooting weekend on a friends large estate in the adjacent countryside, however, you will be hard pressed to find these delicious bit of offal available at the eating establishments we now frequent; furthermore, they don't really go well with a Full English.

 

Fried Potato Slices,Chips, Bubble & Squeak, Waffles and Potato Cakes,

CS&L have occasionally noticed a rather disturbing trend for certain establishments to offer either fried potato slices or, god forbid, chips with a Full English. The addition of unseemly ‘children's tea-time food’ to a classic working-mans Full English is just plain wrong and should be avoided at all costs. Bubble & Squeak is ideal for using up left-over vegetables on Boxing Day but should not be an addition to a classic Full English. Waffles should always be served separately, probably to young children at tea time and in England Irish Potato Cakes should never degrade a Full English, the clue is in the title: Full ENGLISH.

 

Drinks

Decent quality tea and coffee are an absolute must. Ideally, the staff should confirm in advance if extra strong ‘builders’ tea is required. A proper coffee machine must also be installed to ensure the product is of the appropriate standard. Providing powered instant ‘mouse droppings’ coffee is completely unacceptable. Decent sized mugs are always preferable to small namby-pamby china cups and saucers.  Sugar and low calorie sweeteners should be freely available on the table. A bottle of chilled orange juice should also be an option if C&S are feeling particularly healthy, which is unusual.

 

Hot Plates and Spillage

Having gone to all the trouble of cooking a decent Full English, why spoil it by delivering the food on a cold plate? It takes time to savour and devour a decent Full English, so a reasonably sized hot plate is essential to ensure the food can be fully appreciated whilst remaining warm. Also, tackling a decent sized Full English requires a certain level of personal commitment, no little courage and a degree of manual dexterity, consequently, if the plate it is presented on is just too small, then some spillage is always likely to occur; bearing this in mind, CS&L avoid wearing posh clothes, particularly a clean white shirt and snazzy tie, although Stout usually wears shorts and a T shirt all year round anyway.

 

Meal Size Options, Pricing and Tipping

To ensure a high score in our review, a regular breakfast must always include at least one of all the listed items, but the more portions the merrier. Ideally, other costed size options should be available, ie: large with double portions and huge with treble portions - a colossal quadruple portion sized Full English is probably best avoided for those with a slightly sensitive constitution. Purely for research purposes, CS&L once sampled an extra large Full English and it nearly defeated them …….. but not quite. A regular Full English should always be priced below £10. Satisfied customers should always leave an appropriate tip, after all, we're not complete savages you know. 

 

Cutlery, Napkins and Condiments 

A clean knife and fork and a paper napkin is not too much to ask. Furthermore, the napkin must be of sufficient size to cover certain essential bodily parts that are externally attached and might be subject to serious damage if hot food is inadvertently applied. Salt and pepper, brown and and tomato sauces must always be available, although CS&L consider that brown or red sauce rather overpowers the delicate taste of a quality Full English. 

 

Table, Chairs and Surroundings

The table must be clean and of sufficient size to accommodate the food and drink without causing a dispute about encroachment between consumers and also without any visible detritus from the previous occupants; a clean, starched, white linen tablecloth is an optional extra, but probably best avoided - see spillage above. Chairs should always be of sufficient width and strong enough to accommodate a customer of extra-large girth without collapsing under the strain. There should always be sufficient space between tables and chairs to ensure that, following the consumption of a large Full English, customers can manage to extradite themselves from their seats without causing themselves, or adjacent customers, serious injury. CS&L like to pass the meal by engaging in vital, intellectual discussions, so avoid having loud music or a TV disturbing our important philosophical debates. A lit log burner in winter always adds to the enjoyment of this vital meal, but don't try and burn unseasoned wet wood from a garage - it's nearly always no good.

 

Mobile Phones

CS&L consider that, however convenient, mobile phones are one of the banes of life in 21st century England, particularly if they nosily interrupt our enjoyment of a Full English. We believe that all eating establishment should have a blanket ban on mobile phones which should be immediately switched off on entering. If this fails to have the desired effect, we recommend purchasing an Israeli mobile phone jammer from the dark web - we normally make sure our jammer is switched on before we enter the premises - you have been warned. 

 

Toilets

By law the proprietors of eating establishments serving a Full English must provide appropriate toilet facilities. Heath & Safety Warning: Considering the potential after effects of consuming a Full English, CS&L would advise proprietors that only having a single mixed-sex toilet facility available may well result in women of a nervous disposition having to immediately go to another toilet elsewhere. Plenty of spare toilet rolls and a fully charged working air freshener are essential and must always be available.

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Generational Differences

 

On Thursday 16th January 2020, whilst engaged in attending to my regular morning ablutions, I read a disturbing report on page 11 of the Daily Mail (and if it’s in the Daily Mail it must be true) that the younger, snow-flake generation say they have never eaten a proper Full English. 

 

According to the Mail’s report, 17% of the current under 30s say they have never enjoyed a Full English, with most being turned off by that classic English delicacy - black pudding; a fifth say they associate the dish with heart attacks, a quarter believe it’s too greasy and more than four in ten say it reminds them of men wearing string vests whilst eating in transport cafes. Of course transport cafes attract a certain type of customer, often foreign HGV drivers who are most unlikely to consume a Full English and will instead just eat bread, smelly cheese and unhealthy spicy dried meat. We only visited one local establishment that could possibly be considered as a transport cafe and absolutely none of the customers wore a string vest that was visible under their stained and torn work dungarees. 

 

Furthermore, the Mail’s report noted that, according to the snow-flakes, rather than appreciating the delicate flavour of a Full English, seven in ten would rather tuck into smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, smashed avocado on toast and oatmeal pancakes - one in twenty said they would even prefer muesli. I’m almost lost for words at this depressing development. Clearly the backbone and stiff upper lip that served this country so well through two world wars, not to mention the steely character and iron constitution that enabled those noble servicemen and women who prevented the Soviet Red Army hoards from storming through the soft underbelly of the North German Plain during the Cold War, by drinking themselves senseless on pints of Warsteiner in the bar of the nearest NAAFI, are completely absent from this new snow-flake generation.

 

Should this worrying trend continue to take root, it could spell the end of the classic Full English and culinary civilisation as we know it; therefore, I would urge all true, patriotic Englishmen and women to resist this disgraceful change to our countries eating habits and consume a regular Full English as frequently as your digestive system will stand, or until you snuff it from a heart attack, whichever comes first.

 

Englishmen and women stand up - your country needs you!

 

Sadly it appears the current snowflake generation will probably never get to appreciate the benefits of a Full English, as they have probably been raised on a regular diet of Mcdonald's burgers; however, a solution is at hand - a Full English toasted sandwich- perhaps a little difficult to consume, but I would be willing to try. This delicacy should be on McDonalds new menu in 2021 as a speciality item.

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The Fat Boys Breakfast

League Table

as at 24 Nov 21

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CHART POSITION 1 - RITA'S TEA ROOMS

 

Location, opening hours, phone number, walk-in or booking required, number of visits and last visit:

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Rita's Tea Rooms

Eardisland

0900 - 1600hrs

01544 388064

Walk-in

Three visits

Last visit:

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Sampled Full English:

Bacon, Sausage, Black pudding, Baked Beans, Fried Egg, Hash Brown, Grilled Tomato, Mushrooms, Toast, Orange Juice, Tea, Coffee.

 

Food quality:

Two good quality slices of bacon & two good quality sausage remaining ingredients all good quality. If I'm being picky, I think button mushrooms are best with a Full English, particularly if they are fried in butter and a little garlic, but Stout tells me that I have a rather refined palet and he prefers the standard variety. Excellent toast, tea and coffee.

 

Service, Surroundings and General Comments:

Rita's is a popular local venue for a Full English breakfast for some very good reasons. The interior was flooded last winter and has been tastefully re-decorated and re-furnished.  Good layout between tables and a warm log-burner. Very friendly staff who provided a quick, efficient service. A very clean establishment with good ablutions.

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CHART POSITION 2 - THE LION HOTEL

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Location, opening hours, phone number, walk-in or booking required, number of visits and last visit: 

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The Lion Hotel

Leintwardine

0700 - 1000 hrs

01547 540203

Ideally book in advance, but you can walk-in.

Four visits

Last visit 5 Oct 21

 

Sampled Full English:

Smoked Bacon, Sausage, Black Pudding, Baked Beans, Fried Egg, Tomato, Mushroom, Brown Toast, Coffee.

 

Food quality:

The smoked bacon was good quality, but the Fat Boys prefer good unsmoked back bacon. Decent sausages, but not the tastiest  we’ve consumed, an upgrade would be a good option. Black pudding was good, but very large and even Chubster, a regular consumer of this delicacy, struggled to finish it all. Fried eggs were a little overdone. One large mushroom was presented, but Chubster always prefers fresh button mushrooms. Standard quality baked beans. Well grilled tomato. Good chunks of fresh toast and butter, marmalade available, but no Marmite. All main ingredients served on good sized, very hot plates. Sideplate for toast available. Excellent tea and coffee served in sensible sized pots that were refilled on request. 

 

Service, Surroundings and General Comments:

 

The Lion is an upmarket hotel that mainly caters for its guests, but happily serves walk-in customers. Smartly dressed, attractive, efficient and attentive staff. Very clean and pleasant dining room with plenty of space between tables, ideal for the larger-sized diner. Well laid-out and spotlessly clean toilets.  Well worth a visit any time of the day.

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CHART POSITION 3 - THE CATTLE SHED

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Location, opening hours, phone number, walk-in or booking required, number of visits and last visit:

 

Penrhos Court, Kington

1000 - 1600 hrs

01544 230007

Walk-in

Four visits

Last visit: 27 Oct 21

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Sampled Full English: Bacon, Sausage, Baked Beans,

Two Fried Eggs, Hash Brown, Grilled Tomato, Mushrooms,

Toast, Tea or Coffee.

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Food quality:

Excellent quality bacon and, although the two sausages were a little on the small size, they were also excellent. All the remaining ingredients were also good quality and well cooked, but no black pudding was included and was not even available as an extra. In addition, only a small quantity of Baked Beans were served in a small ramekin, which Chubster found to be insufficient, but more were provided on request. The coffee and tea were served in decent-sized mugs but, because of equipment failure, were no better than average.  Hot plates.

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Service and Surroundings:

The Cattle Shed in Penrhos Court is a pleasant place for breakfast, particularly if the log burner is lit. Friendly attentive staff and the well-spaced tables and chairs have improved since my last visit. After a lengthy closure due to the pandemic, during which many people thought that the future of the Cattle Shed was uncertain, the Fat Boys are delighted that this establishment has re-opened and we can certainly recommend it for a quality Full English. 

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CHART POSITION 4 - LUDLOW FARMSHOP CAFE

 

Location, opening hours, phone number, walk-in or booking required, number of visits and last visit:

 

Ludlow Farmshop Cafe

A49 near Bromfield

0900 - 1730 hrs

01584 856000

Walk-in

Two visits

Last visit:
 

Sampled Full English: Bacon, Sausage, Black pudding, Baked Beans, Hash Brown, Fried Eggs, Grilled Tomato, Toast, Orange Juice, Tea, Coffee.

 

Food quality:

Three really decent slices of bacon, two quality sausages and excellent black pudding. Proper Baked Beans provided, but a rather small portion. Hash browns available on request. Good quality toast, orange juice, coffee & tea.

 

Service, Surroundings and General Comments:

What a huge improvement on our previous visits and credit to all the staff. Friendly and efficient service with clean, well-spaced out tables. Hard-working friendly staff. Good ablutions. C&S are delighted at the vast improvement in the Ludlow Farmshop Cafe's Full English breakfast and have no hesitation in recommending a visit from anyone passing along the A49. This establishment has stayed open, whilst others have shut up shop.

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CHART POSITION 5 -ARAGON

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Location, opening hours, phone number, walk-in or booking required, number of visits and last visit: 

 

Aragon’s

5 Church Street, Ludlow

0900 - 1500 hrs

01584 873282

Walk-in

Four visits

Last Visit - 15 Sep 21

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Sampled Full English:

Bacon, Sausage, Black pudding, Baked Beans, Fried Egg, Hash Brown, Grilled Tomato, Fried Toast, Orange, Tea, Coffee.

 

Food quality:

Excellent bacon & a small, thin but tasty sausage. All remaining ingredients high quality, including the Tomato which was well grilled. Excellent coffee & tea. However, the large Full English really should include Black Pudding, Mushrooms and Baked Beans, although these are available as extras. 

 

Service, Surroundings and General Comments:

Aragon’s is handy for the market place and popular. Pleasant surroundings with plenty of space. Friendly young staff. Decent ablutions, but again up a steep flight of narrow stairs, that need careful negotiation after a sizeable Full English, particularly during the descent phase.

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CHART POSITION 6 - CASTLE LODGE BUTTERY

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Location, opening hours, phone number, walk-in or booking required, number of visits and last visit: 

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Castle Lodge Buttery

55 Castle Square, Ludlow

0800 - 1600 hrs

01584 873628

Walk-in

Three visits

Last visit:

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Sampled Full English:

Bacon, Sausage, Black pudding, Beans,  Fried Egg, Grilled or Tinned Tomato, Mushrooms, Hash Brown, Bubble & Squeak, Toast or Fried Bread, Orange Juice, Tea, Coffee.

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Food quality:

Good bacon. Upgraded the sausage for an extra 40p - well worth it. Fried button mushrooms would have been better. All the other ingredients are good. Regular breakfast £6.20, large breakfast £8.20

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Service, Surroundings and General Comments:

Convenient location for central Ludlow and the Market. Bubble & Squeak does not really go with a classic Full English, but if served it really should be fried sufficiently so that the outside is really crisp. On our last visit the fried eggs were a little over-done - the yoke should always be runny and the quality of the bacon was a little poor. Friendly staff.

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CHART POSITION 7 - THE OK DINER

 

Location, opening hours, phone number, walk-in or booking required, number of visits and last visit: 

 

The OK Diner

A49 near Leominster

0800 - 1000 hrs

01568 614266

Walk-in

Four visits

Last visit: 12 Nov 21

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Sampled Full English:

2 x Bacon, 2 x Sausage,  2x Fried Egg, 2 x Hash Browns, Black Pudding, Mushrooms, Grilled Tomato, Baked beans, Fried bread or Toast, Orange Juice, Tea, Coffee.

On our last visit in 2019, we were rather disappointed at the quality of the Full English provided, but on our most recent visit in Dec 20, we noticed a marked improvement in the food. Perhaps this was due to the OK Diner being much quieter and without the accompaniment of shrieking children to interrupt our meal, nevertheless, credit where credit is due and we will pay a re-visit in 2021 to see if this standard has been maintained. 

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Food quality:

Bacon good, Sausage was a disappointment and appeared to be a standard catering affair, Black pudding good. Hash browns, mushrooms and grilled tomatoes all good and well cooked. Good tea, but the black coffee was rather bitter and, although I was offered unlimited refills, I  declined. Decent toast. However, if you like a rather different start to the day, the corn beef hash is very good, but only for those with a weak constitution who are unwilling to face the exacting physical demands of consuming a Full English.

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Service, Surroundings and General Comments:

The OK diner is a popular cafe on the A49 that can get crowded and noisy at times. Friendly. attentive staff. Average surroundings that can easily be spoilt by badly-behaved young children in an adjacent booth, who can probably be controlled by the gentle application of an electric cattle prod. Cramped ablutions, with insufficient width for a gentleman of girth. The main problem with the OK Diner is the slow delivery of food & drink. There's normally plenty of staff, but they all seem to work at a glacial pace. Expect a visit to last well over an hour, even if you just popped in for a quick coffee and a burger, even if it's not busy. 

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CHART POSITION 8 - SAVERY'S LICENCED CAFE

 

Location, opening hours, phone number, walk-in or booking required, number of visits and last visit: 

 

Saverys Licenced Cafe

20 Broad Street, Leominster

0830 - 1600 hrs

01568 611051

Walk-in

Three visits

Last visit

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Sampled Full English:

Bacon, Sausage, Black pudding, Baked Beans, Fried Egg, Hash Brown, Grilled Tomato, Fried bread or Toast, Orange Juice, Tea, Coffee.

 

Food quality:

Good quality bacon but a poor quality, standard catering sausage. All remaining ingredients are good quality. Good toast, tea and coffee. We would pay extra for a decent sausage.

 

Service, Surroundings and General Comments:

Savery's is a popular cafe that serves a variety of meals. Good surroundings with plenty of space. Very friendly and helpful staff. Rather cramped ablutions in need of a more powerful cisten to achieve the desired effect after a visit following the consumption of a sizeable Full English. At our most recent visit we were still disappointed at the quality of the sausage.

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CHART POSITION 9 - LUDLOW GOLF CLUB

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Location, opening hours, phone number, walk-in or booking required, number of visits and last visit:  

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Ludlow Golf Club

Bromfield, Ludlow

1000 - 1500 hrs

01584 856285

Walk-in

One visit

Last visit

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Sampled Full English:

Bacon, Sausage, Black pudding, Fried Egg, Hash Brown, Mushrooms, Grilled Tomato, Toast, Orange Juice, Tea, Coffee.

 

Food quality:

Excellent sausage, bacon rather over-cooked, but the tomato was undercooked. Superb mushrooms. Had to ask for baked beans. Good toast, coffee & tea.

 

Service, Surroundings and General Comments:

Pleasant surroundings with plenty of space and a good view of the course. Friendly staff, but quite slow service. Decent ablutions. Worth a visit but best to go early before the clubhouse gets busy at lunchtime with disgruntled members who have actually been playing golf.

 

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CHART POSITION 10 - YE OLD STEPPES,

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Location, opening hours, phone number, walk-in or booking required, number of visits and last visit: 

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Pembridge High Street

1000 - 1600hrs

01544 388506

Walk -In

One visit

Last visit

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Sampled Full English:

Two Bacon, Sausage, Baked Beans, Two Fried Eggs, Tomato, Mushrooms, Two slices of Toast Tea, Coffee.

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Food quality:

Good Bacon and Sausage. No black pudding or hash brown. Had to ask for baked beans. Button mushrooms would have been much better.

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Service, Surroundings and General Comments

Very pleasant surroundings with a log burner - friendly and helpful staff Plenty of room between tables. Good toilets. Busy in the tourist season.

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CHART POSITION 11 - BAKERS

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Location, opening hours, phone number, walk-in or booking required, number of visits and last visit:  

 

Tower Street, Ludlow

0800 - 1700 hrs

01584 877330

Walk - in

Five visits

Last visit

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Sampled Full English:

Bacon, Sausage, Black pudding, Baked Beans, Fried Egg, Hash Brown, Grilled Tomato, Fried bread or Toast, Orange Juice, Tea, Coffee.

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Food quality:

Reasonable bacon and sausage. All remaining ingredients are reasonable quality, but the toast was too thick and burnt. We ordered a large breakfast, but did not get two eggs or two slices of black pudding. Good tea & coffee - friendly staff and decent toilets.

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Service, Surroundings and General Comments:

Bakers is handy for the centre of Ludlow, but so are Aragon's and the Castle Lodge Buttery.

The cafe recently re-opened after suddenly closing and many of the staff appear familiar, however, the Full English was nowhere near as good as it used to be, the portions were smaller and some items are obviously sourced from a different supplier and are not as good quality. Although their regular customers will probably remain loyal for a while, the establishment needs to improve the quality of the food and the portion size.  Sad to see the old chart-topper suffering such a decline, must do better.

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CHART POSITION 12 - PARKWAY RESTAURANT

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Location, opening hours, phone number, walk-in or booking required, number of visits and last visit: 

 

Parkway  Restaurant

Corve Street, Ludlow

0900 - 1600hrs

01584 873130

Walk-in

One visit

Last visit

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Sampled Full English:

Bacon, Sausage, Black pudding, Baked Beans, Fried Egg, Hash Brown, Grilled Tomato, Fried bread or Toast, Orange Juice, Tea, Coffee.

 

Food quality:

Good quality bacon but a poor quality, standard catering sausage. All remaining ingredients are good quality. Good toast, tea, coffee and orange juice.

 

Service, Surroundings and General Comments:

Pleasant enough surroundings, but in need of an upgrade. Very friendly staff. Plenty of room between tables. Decent ablutions, but up a steep flight of narrow stairs, that need careful negotiation after a sizeable Full English, particularly during the descent phase. This establishment needs to raise its game and the interior needs to be refurbished.

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CHART POSITION 13 -THE HOTSPUR CAFE

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Location, opening hours, phone number, walk-in or booking required, number of visits and last visit:

  

Shobdon Airfield

Hotspur Cafe

0900 - 1630 hrs

01568 708821

Walk-in

One visit

Last visited

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Sampled Full English:

Bacon, Sausage, Black pudding, Baked Beans, Fried Egg, Hash Brown, Grilled Tomato, Fried bread or Toast, Orange Juice, Tea, Coffee.

 

Food quality:

Good quality bacon but a poor quality, standard catering sausage. All remaining ingredients good quality. Good coffee & tea.  

 

Service, Surroundings and General Comments

This cafe is best enjoyed in the summer when you can sit outside in the sunshine, because the inside is a bit basic. Friendly staff but fairly basic ablutions. Average quality of food.

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CHART POSITION 14 -THE CLIVE

 

Location, opening hours, phone number, walk-in or booking required, number of visits and last visit: 

 

The Clive, Bromfield

A49 near Ludlow

0700 - 1000

01584 856565

Walk-in

One visit

Last visit

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Sampled Full English:

Bacon, Sausage, Black pudding, Chefs Beans, Fried Egg, Mushrooms, Grilled Tomato, Toast, Orange Juice, Tea, Coffee.

 

Food quality:

Excellent bacon & sausage from Ludlow farm shop. All remaining ingredients high quality, apart from the disgusting ‘chefs’ beans which are best avoided - proper Baked Beans should always be available at least as an option. Excellent coffee & tea.

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Service, Surroundings and General Comments:

The Clive is a decent hotel immediately adjacent to the A49 next to Ludlow Farmshop. Very smart surroundings after a recent refurbishment. Plenty of room in the dining areas. Excellent ablutions, a necessity if you decide to consume the 'chefs beans'. Only go here for a Full English if there is absolutely nowhere else open ................... almost anywhere else will do.

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From Chubster - our roving reporter:

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Laylocks Garden Centre

A44 just to the West of Worcester

0900 to 1730

01905 429212

Walk-in

Two Visits  

Last Visit: 11 Oct 21

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On a recent trip into the over-crowded Cotswolds to pay homage to Clarkson & Co at Diddly Squat Farm, I decided to break the journey at Laylocks Garden Centre, to the West of Worcester and visited their cafe to sample a ‘small’ Full English or what they politely describe as their ‘Light Ladybird Breakfast’ – purely for research purposes of course. Normally I would go large but, as Mr Stout was elsewhere, I thought it wise to curtail my gluttony for once, particularly when I could avoid the unusual abuse for showing weakness.

 

The Light Ladybird Breakfast as sampled:

Bacon, Sausage, Tomato, Mushrooms, Beans, Fried Egg – Hash Browns are available as an extra, but no Black pudding was available. Granary toast and coffee.

 

Food Quality

The back Bacon was excellent and well cooked. The sausage was outstanding and probably the best sausage I have eaten during the Fat Boys various culinary visits, so much so that I felt it essential to re-visit Laylock’s on the return journey just to have another sausage, this time in a bread roll. The tomato, fried egg, mushrooms and beans were all good quality. Good granary toast, butter and a generous portion of decent coffee. All this for a very reasonable £10.70. Unfortunately, no Black Pudding was available, even as an extra, which was a shame as this delicacy forms an essential part of a Full English, even in the rather smaller ‘Light Ladybird’ version. That said, I’m glad I ordered the Light Ladybird’ version on this visit, because an elderly man on an adjacent table appeared to be struggling with the larger ‘man-sized’ Full English and even I would have to be in peak condition to tackle one of those. The cafe area itself could do with a bit of tidy-up to get rid of dead plants in the hanging baskets.

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Service, Surroundings and General Comments

Laylocks is a decent sized Garden Centre, but clearly many people also pay a visit to the café as well and for some it probably is the highlight of their day, particularly the young Mum’s with pre-school children in tow, luckily, they tend to congregate in the outside play area. The food was delivered in reasonable time, however, the young waitress appeared unwilling to clear the tables of used crockery and instead relied on customers to undertake this vital function, despite the café being busy. The toilets are adequate, but observing an active cobweb in Trap 1 of the Gents during my ablutions was rather unsettling. Worth a visit, if only for the superb sausage.

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Foreign Correspondent Section

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This website is proving so popular that an old colleague, living in the wilds of rural North Shropshire, has volunteered to become our Foreign Correspondent and will provide an in-depth analysis of the quality of establishments serving a Full English in his area of responsibility. Below is his first report where he visits Sparrows Cafe on the site of the 1403 Battle of Shrewsbury.

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Location, opening hours, phone number, walk-in or booking required, number of visits and last visit: 

 

Sparow's Cafe

Battlefield 1403

Battlefield, Shrewsbury

0930-1200hrs Breakfast

1200-16.00hrs Lunch

(Sundays 1000-1145hrs

Breakfast, 1200-1500hrs Lunch)

Walk in but can get busy at peak times.

Many visits

Last visit: Monday 18 October 2021.

 

Sampled Full English:

Bacon, Sausage, Black Pudding, White Pudding(?), Baked Beans, Fried Egg, Hash Brown, Grilled Tomato, Mushrooms, Toast, Tea or Coffee.

 

Food Quality:

Two good thick slices of bacon (although I suspect that this was lightly smoked) and two good quality sausages. All the essential ingredients, although the grilled tomato was of the 'artisan' type complete with stalk and it did look like it had been through a tumble dryer and the mushrooms were of the 'field' type rather than the recommended button mushrooms. The Black pudding was delicious, but I had to Google for White pudding and I was a bit disappointed to learn that doesn't contain any blood - the main constituent of Black pudding. So although the White pudding was tasty, more line a spicy potato cake, it does break the rules as far as the Full English is concerned. The toast wasn't buttered, but an adequate amount of butter was supplied separately. The Baked Beans were of the approved type, but the portion was fairly meagre and unnecessarily delivered in a small paper cup.

 

Service, Surroundings and General Comments:

Sparrow's cafe is part of the 'Battlefield 1403' complex which includes an excellent Farm Shop with butchery and deli. The cafe is on two levels with nicely spaced tables and a fresh and clean environment and the staff are friendly and efficient. There is outdoor seating for those who wish to brave the changeable English climate and toilets are provided both in the cafe and adjoining the museum.  Sparrow's is popular and does get very busy at peak times, so booking is recommended to avoid disappointment.

 

The site is named after the bloody Battle of Shrewsbury that took place on 21 July 1403 between  an army led by the Lancastrian King Henry IV and a rebel army led by Henry "Harry Hotspur" Percy from Northumberland. Henry Percy was killed in the battle and in the true spirit of 15th Century chivalry, the loosing army was hunted down and butchered as they fled from the field. Hotspur was initially buried by his nephew Thomas Nevill, 5th Baron Furnivall at Whitchurch, Shropshire, with honours, but rumours soon spread that he was not really dead. In response the King had him disinterred. His body was salted, set up in Shrewsbury impaled on a spear between two millstones in the marketplace pillory, at the top of what is now Pride Hill, with an armed guard in attendance, to ensure he didn't go anywhere. He was later quartered and put on display in Chester, London, Bristol and Newcastle upon Tyne - his head was sent to York and impaled on the north gate, looking toward his own lands. In November what was left of his grisly remains were returned to his widow Elizabeth, which must have rather spoilt her breakfast. These facts should assist in the enjoyment of a Full English, particularly if plenty of Tomato Sauce is spread liberally on the plate.

 

The battle, the first in which English archers fought each other on English soil, reaffirmed the effectiveness of the longbow and ended the Percy challenge to King Henry IV of England. There is a small museum describing the battle adjacent to the cafe. The site overlooks what is thought to be the land on which the battle was fought, although the actual location continues to confound historians as no relics of any kind have been found of the battle or the estimated 30,000 participants. The view from the Farm Shop window is only spoiled by the huge recycling centre and its association chimney and fortunately the myriad of car show rooms are hidden behind the treeline. The Church of St Mary Magdalene, founded in 1406 to commemorate the battle, is within walking distance and is well worth a visit.

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