Bellziehill Farm, Bellshill > Reviews (1)

Yesterday we decided to go out for dinner. We had received our refund from our cancelled holiday and had a spare bit of money after we had booked our new holiday - I though what the hell lets go out! We normally stick to the same restaurants but fancied trying somewhere different.

Bellziehill Farm - Location and Layout

Bellziehill Farm is part of the Brewers Fayre chain of restaurants. Bellziehill Farm is located a short distance from Bellshill town centre in Lanarkshire. If coming from the M74 you should follow the signs to Coatbridge and Bellshill and take the 2nd exit at A725. The restaurant is located beside a Premier Inn Hotel, a McDonalds and an garage. There is plenty of car parking spaces available. Unless you drive, this restaurant is quite difficult to reach. We arrived by taxi.

The restaurant building itself appears huge from the outside and looks quite similar to the hotel next door. There is a smoking shelter and potted trees adorn the pavements. When you enter the restaurant, everything is set over one level. The bar and buffet area is near the entrance. There is an area boasting a television and various seating areas which can accommodate different sized parties. There is an ATM (£1.75 fee) and some amusement machines within the restaurant.

I didn't expect the restaurant to be quite as big. When we arrived, the place was practically empty so we found a table with booth seats and regular seats at the far end of the restaurant. We were right next to the 'Fun Factory' which I will discuss later. There is plenty of lighting in the restaurant and it doesn't feel cramped. The decor is pleasant with there being mainly red and cream paper and a few pictures adorning the walls. I would say the restaurant offers a comfortable ambience. I appreciate that families are likely to sit near the 'Fun Factory' but at the same time couples without children would be able to sit elsewhere and not hear much noise!

The restaurant was very clean throughout. There are toilets near the entrance and at the far end of the restaurant as well as baby changing and disabled toilets. The toilets were immaculate and well stocked though there were only 2 cubicles which seems a bit silly given the size of the restaurant. DIsabled diners have sufficient space to move around the restauraunt. There is also an outside area with wooden benches for when the weather is nice.

The actual address of the restaurant is :

10-12 Bellziehill Road
North Lanarkshire
ML4 3HH
01698 740180

Customer Service

We were told to sit anywhere we fancied on our arrival. There was sufficient menus on the table and the relevant condiments. Once we had decided on what we wanted to eat, I went up to the bar and ordered. There was only one person serving at the time but as the restaurant got busier, more servers came out. Service with a smile - definitely applies to Bellziehill Farm. Nothing was too much hassle and even the chef said hello which was nice.

Drinks were prompty brought to our table. Our starters followed after 15mins or so but the mains took a further 30mins.

Plates were cleared quickly and desserts arrived 10mins after ordering them. High chairs are available on request. Overall service was good.

Food and Drink

Bellziehill Farm offer a huge range of food to suit all tastes and budgets. They have special offers on throughout the week and cater for all tastes. I can only speak for the food that we personally had to eat but given the choice and recommendations we have heard, the food is always decent and plentiful. The food is very much like an upmarket Wetherspoons in my opinion.

Special Offers and Themed Nights

Bellziehill Farm offer 'Buffet' nights including Chinese (Mondays), Curry (Tuesday and Thursday), Mexican (Wednesday), Chip Shop (Friday) and Carvery (Sunday). For £6.49 (£4.99 for children) you can eat as much as you like from the buffet. The Curry buffet was on whilst we dined there and was very well presented in silver bowls. The food was replenished and included various Indian curries and sides such as poppadoms and mango chutney. It all looked delicious and a bargain price as you can have as much as you like! I fancy trying the Mexican buffet. The buffets are available from 5pm except for the Sunday carvery.

Other special offers include a '2 for £10' menu which features 15 dishes from the main menu including Liver and Onions, Fish and Chips and burgers. Vegetarians have the choice of Quorn Chilli or Quiche. There is a special dessert offer which is '2 for £2' and includes treats such as Apple Pie, Jam Sponge and Bakewell Tart.

Main Menu

The main menu is presented in a simple way with every dish being detailed and includes some appetising pictures.

Starters are fairly priced between £1.99 and £4.99 and include Soup of the Day, Butterfly Prawns and Breaded Camembert Bites to name a few.

Main meals vary in price and include quite a range of dishes. Classics such as Pork Chop, Beef Lasagne, Tikka Masala and Sausage and Mash are priced from £5.99. There are a few burger and steak options priced from £7.49 - £12.99 including a mixed grill and 10oz Rump Steak. The most expensive dish is a two portion Fish and Chips Platter with sides which is just short of £14.00. Vegetarians can choose from meat-free Lasagne, Chargrilled Red Pepper Pasta, Quiche and Goan Vegetable Curry.

There is a snacks menu available 12-6.30pm daily. This includes baguettes, paninis and baked potatoes with various fillings. These are priced under £5.00. Breakfast is also available in the restaurant until 10.30am - ideal start for those staying in the neighbouring hotel. Children eat free and you can opt for an 'All You Can Eat' brekkie for £7.99. A continental buffets is also available for £5.49.

Children have their own menu where you can purchase a main course and dessert for £4.50. Dishes include burger, nuggets, pizza and roast dinners. Desserts range Jelly and Ice Cream to Chocolate Indulgence (chocolate heaven for children!).

Bellziehill Farm stock a wide range of drinks including wine (from £1.60 per glass), soft drinks, spirits, beers and hot drinks.

Pints are priced at just over £3.00. Soft drinks are £2.00 per glass (pint) and Fruit Shoots are £1.25. Hot drinks are made with 'Costa Coffee' and you can get free refills for £2.50 all in.

Our Meal

I was very hungry by the time we arrived at Bellziehill Farm so we ordered quickly and awaited our food. I find the food to be fairly priced and the deals to be really good. We chose the only sharing starter available to nibble on whilst we waited on our main course.

A large platter arrived filled to the brim with warm food. Our sharer was the 'Combo Feast - Battered chicken goujons, BBQ ribs, garlic & herb breaded mushrooms, garlic bread, tortilla chips, beef chilli con carne, garlic mayonnaise, tomato salsa, BBQ sauce and a lightly dressed salad garnish'. This was priced at £7.99 and was the perfect size for the 3 of us to share. The chilli was delicious and meaty with a lovely spice. The sauces were all presented in little pots and tasted fresh as did the salad. The meat from the ribs fell of the bone - so tender and full of flavour.The garlic bread was delicious. We really enjoyed our starter and it was well worth the price.

For our main course, we were spoiled for choice but went for the '2 for £10' menu. I plumped for the 'Smothered Chicken - Grilled chicken breast topped with bacon and melted cheese, served with a rich BBQ sauce, chips, garlic bread, coleslaw and a lightly dressed salad garnish'. This was priced at £8.49 on the main menu so I was pleased that it was part of the deal!

My plate was full - you do get a lot for your money. The chicken was chargrilled and had a lovely tender texture. The bacon was a little salty but the cheese topping was delicious. I wasn't keen on the coleslaw but I do prefer creamy coleslaw to exceptionally crunchy coleslaw. The chips were delicious and really big. They had a lovely fluffy texture inside and didn't taste greasy. I appreciated that the BBQ sauce was presented in a pot at the side as this allowed me to pour however much I wanted onto my chicken and have some left to dip my chips in. The sauce was delicious - thick and full of flavour. My meal was very satisfying and filling.

My fiance went for the 'Beef Burger - A 6oz burger made with 100% prime beef, lightly seasoned and served in a toasted bun with sliced tomato, salad leaves and mayonnaise. Served with chips, battered onion rings and coleslaw'. He also received a huge portion. The burger was a little overcooked but very edible. We paid extra for cheese but you could barely tell that there was any cheese on his burger. He enjoyed it though and scoffed all his chips without complaining.

My son went for the usual 'Chicken Nuggets' which were served with chips (you could opt for beans or corn on the cob as well). The portion was a good size for a toddler and the chicken was easy for him to eat. He didn't complain as he polished off the plate so they must have been good! For his dessert, he opted for 'Chocolate Fudge Brownie - A slice of chocolate fudge brownie with your choice of vanilla or chocolate flavour ice cream and a pot of chocolate flavour fudge sauce for pouring or dipping'.

The brownie was lovely - warm and moist with a delicious chocolate flavour. My son enjoyed the vanilla ice cream but for some reason, he didn't receive any dipping sauce.

I always have room for a dessert! I struggled to decide between 'Belgian Banoffee Waffle# and 'Sticky Toffee Pudding' but ended up plumping for 'Caramel Apple Crumble - Golden pastry topped with apples, covered with a crumble topping and caramel fudge. Served with your choice of custard, pouring cream or vanilla flavour ice cream'. This was priced at £3.69 but the portion size was quite small. The crumble itself was quite dry but the apple/toffee combo was delectably sweet and delicious. I had squirty cream and did enjoy it.

My fiance opted for a 'Strawberry Sundae - A mixture of fresh strawberries, vanilla and strawberry flavour ice creams, drizzled with strawberry sauce and topped with a whip of cream, fresh strawberries and a light wafer'. The sundae was presented in a tall glass and was well worth the £3.69. The ice cream was delicious and although there weren't many strawberries, the pieces we could find were very fresh and sweet. A good choice!

In total for one combo starter, a childrens meal and dessert, 2 main courses, 2 desserts, 2 Fruit Shoots, 2 pints of Pepsi and a bottle of J20 Glitterberry (a shocking £1.99) we spent around £40.00. The quality of the food was good - not the best I have tasted but worth the price we paid. I paid in cash and received some money off coupons but they also accept card.

Fun Factory

I have saved this part until last as it was my sons favourite part of the dining experience at Bellziehill Farm! Not only do they have an enclosed outdoor play area and offer party packages (a reasonable £7.99 per childing including a meal), they also have a multi-level play zone! Many parents chose to sit near the play zone to watch their older children but as the parent of a toddler, we took it in turns to stay with him to ensure no mishaps occured.

The 'Fun Factory' is a huge area which costs £2.00 for a child to play in. Our son went in and out several times during our visit and he was glad that the food took so long as it meant he got to play for longer! There was a distinct smell of 'pee' when we arrived which wasn't pleasant and thankfully didn't carry on into the main restaurant. The 'Fun Factory' was like any other play area with enclosed slides, ball pits and swinging apparatus! My son used the toddler area which was small and got busy quickly as other children arrived for a party. He loved this and it certainly does offer something different to a simple activity book and colouring pencils.

Conclusion and Recommendation

Whilst we wouldn't dine here often (due to lack of transportation), it was nice to dine here for something different and my son definitely enjoyed this restaurant more than any other he has ever been too! The food was good, service was good and the restaurant itself is pleasant. I can recommend dining here. It seems popular with families and business people alike. My fiance has even mentioned going back next week for brekkie as it looked and sounded so tasty!

Overall 4 stars.

Thanks for reading :)