The Saracens Head Hotel, Pub & Restaurant, Great Dunmow

"Its better than it was under Red Cat Inns ownership"

As there were new owners (Coaching Inn Group) we decided to give it a try for a weekday lunch a few weeks ago and it was really good, great menu (quite different to most chain places) and the service was excellent. So we thought we would go again for a family birthday on Sunday. When booking it was not clear that they don't have the normal menu on a Sunday, only roasts and two other choices (fish & chips and burger & chips). Didn't really want/fancy any of that but booked in and had our drinks so we went ahead. Certainly would not rush back on a Sunday. Don't bother with roast belly of pork, its just a strip that had been grilled one side, not the other, not even slightly crisp rind and none of the fat rendered at all so it was tough. I know it takes a few hours but cooking whole belly properly so the fat melts and the crackling is actually crackling is not hard at all and would surely work out cheaper for them to cook and cut into individual servings? Roast potatoes so overcooked they were hard to cut into as they were so tough but worse than that they were tasteless, as was the veg, except the carrot which was OK. The ONLY veggie choice was beetroot wellington, which is OK if you like beetroot and pastry but if you don't, then all you can have is a plate of veg. Even with all that it was still better than it was under the previous few owners.

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