When Harvesters first came onto the scene, probably ten years or so ago now, they were something quite new and special. Yes, we had Beefeaters and Berni Inns (remember those?!) but the idea of a chain pub was still in its infancy, and with its salad cart, ice cream desserts and wholesome, country-style food, Harvester was an innovative idea. Their customary “Have you ever been to a Harvester before?” line (which, being pedantic, is grammatically incorrect, as you should never finish a sentence with a preposition!), which featured in all their adverts, and was actually repeated by staff when you arrived at the restaurant, furthered the concept of the Harvester experience being something new and a little different.

Prior to my visit, I had telephoned to try and book a table, but to no avail. I was told that bookings were no longer taken, and that I should just turn up at the time I wanted to eat. I enquired as to whether there would be a long wait for a table for two at 8 p.m. on a Saturday night and was told “No, you’ll probably be okay.” On arriving at 8 p.m. we were in fact told that there would be a wait of up to an hour, which turned out to be around 30-45 minutes in the end – not TOO bad, but I would have preferred to be able to book. Considering it is a family restaurant, and the wait for family-sized tables could easily be a lot longer, I had visions of a large number of hyperactive children becoming impatient and wanting their dinner whilst their parents try to have a quiet drink in the bar! As it was, however, my friend and I, having not seen each other for some time, were able to sit and have a nice drink while we waited (despite the fact that we struggled to find a table in the bar, as the world and his wife also seemed to be waiting for a place in the restaurant!)

On visiting the salad cart I was pleasantly surprised to see the addition of three new items: pasta salad, potato salad and Harvester’s own coleslaw (which looked nothing like any coleslaw I have ever had before, but was actually very nice!) Previously, the salad cart has only included ‘dry’ ingredients i.e. nothing in a sauce, and the usual lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, beetroot, onion, pineapple, sweetcorn, carrot etc. were still available, as are rolls and butter (these used to be brought to the table!) There is also a choice of dressings; I opted for blue cheese.

The main courses were cooked satisfactorily, and I could find no fault with them, but they were pretty average chain pub fayre – although at £7.95 for the pancake and £6.95 for the chicken (these being at the lower end of the scale), a little more expensive than the Brewer’s Fayres of this world! My pancake was twice the size it needed to be, and the jacket potato was definitely surplus to requirement, especially as with pancake and pasta already on the plate I felt an overdose of carbohydrate coming on!

The service in the Harvester was satisfactory – the waiting staff are fairly attentive and return at regular intervals to ask if everything is okay, but you do get the feeling this is more because they have to than because they actually care! The surroundings are pleasant, with an old world country type feel – all beams, farm equipment and old photos – and the kitchen is open which allays any fears about hygiene standards. The Cat and Fiddle in particular is a lovely pub – it is a thatched building which has been there for hundreds of years. I am actually surprised it was ever permitted to become a Harvester – indeed many locals objected to the big green signs, one of which was later replaced by something more in-keeping with the pub’s style – but the Harvester theme does fit fairly well with the external appearance of the building. One advantage Harvester does have over other chains is that they keep the bar area totally separate from the restaurant and most are pleasant pubs to visit in their own right.