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The Old Beams is situated in the heart of Shenley
Lodge, and is one of those venues many people in Milton Keynes
will never have visited simply because of it’s location. That
said, we visited on Friday 16th January and the place
was packed.
Décor
Very high ceilings are adorned by countless large
beams giving this pub a converted barn feel. Large mirrors are
placed high on the wall and angled as such that to make the
place feel even bigger still. An attractive bar area forms the
centrepiece of the pub, with a large seating area for dining and
an area with a lower ceiling for those out for a drink.
Food
The restaurant was very busy for this time of
year, especially considering the economic climate. This is
because The Old Beams are very good at what they do, and they
are not trying to be anything they are not. So exactly what are
they all about? Here, you will find traditional, inexpensive
food with the emphasis very much on value for money.
The occasional dish will stand out, like the home
made parsnip soup which was my choice of starter, served with
warm ciabatta (£3.50). This was thick and creamy. My guest chose
the Baked Camembert, lightly infused with garlic, dressed leaves
and ciabatta. (£5.75) Although claiming to be “lightly infused”,
there was plenty of garlic and although this dish was well
presented, it was a tad bland. The camembert needed a small side
of chutney or caramelised onions to bring it to life.
I opted for the own made lasagne served with
house salad and garlic bread (£7.95) for my main. The first
thing to strike me was the size of the dish. Anyone eating at
The Old Beams should not go hungry. Piping hot and meaty, I
struggled to finish this dish and probably had twice the sized
portion I was expecting.
Slow roasted lamb shoulder on mashed potato with
roasted vegetables, redcurrant and mint gravy (£9.95) was the
choice of my guest. This was another well presented dish - the
lamb was delicious and whilst the gravy with was particularly
tasty, there was far too much of it, meaning all the vegetables
were soon soggy. Not one piece of the lamb was left however, and
at £9.95, this was good value.
Atmosphere
The place was packed with lots of happy faces and
I noted no few than five tables occupied by ladies only – this
is obviously where the girlfriends and wives of Shenley Lodge
come for a good gossip!
Service
As mentioned, The Old Beams was packed and at
times the waiting staff seemed a little rushed. We had literally
just been seated and were asked for our food orders and were
asked if “everything was ok” almost immediately after our food
had hit the table. Good intentions maybe, but the team did seem
slightly disorganised.
In summary, you get what you pay for in this pub
– nothing elaborate or fancy but good old traditional food. With
a high number of covers, something has to give.
If you are local to Shenley, then you should
check out this very popular venue; there are numerous events
staged throughout the year for all the family and for those who
like a drink in the sun, they have a fabulous beer garden too.
Click here to read our previous review of
The Old Beams |
