The Hawkley Inn

Had Valentine's Day lunch at The Hawkley and came away very disappointed. This was my favourite pub in Hampshire but has changed under its new owners. I appreciate that change happens and things move on, but this used to be a real country pub, always busy when we visited and with a good atmosphere. That no longer seems to be the case. We ate from the special Valentines Day menu, there was enough choice and we selected the Venison Wellington. Appreciating that it would take a little time to cook was not a problem but it was nearly 45 minutes before it came. The Wellington was very well cooked, but two slices of it, half a shallot and a slice of carrot did not really meet expectation or appetite. I should add that there was no mention of vegetables on the menu, perhaps we should have asked...or known better, there was also no sides available to order from the menu, hence our expectation that it came with veg'. We had ordered our deserts at the same time as our mains, but once again these took over twenty minutes to arrive. I did comment to our waitress about the meagre amount of veg, I hope they will be a little more generous if they take on board feedback. The desert was very good, so there is a good cook in the kitchen. Sadly my favourite pub seems to be coming a fine dining establishment, I hope its a successes but I will not be coming back.

Delightful Staff very welcoming. Very well presented room and spotless bathroom. It would be ultra picky to notice a cobweb in the dining room as tthe stay was good all round. Special mention to Lucy at the bar who was cheerful and helpful with food and drink choices

On arrival, we were put in the wrong room despite booking a particular room in the main building of the property. When I challenged this, I was told that the chef was staying in that room and could not be moved. When we asked for a table for food, we were told we would have to sit outside as apparently the tables were fully booked. It turned out they were not full at all. The manager was rather rude. We were moved to a suitable room the following morning after speaking to the owner. In the remaining three days our room was not cleaned appropriately and towels were not changed or bed made! This was the sixth time we have stayed, four times under the previous ownership where we had a great experience. On the two occasions we have stayed under the current ownership, the service and cleanliness has deteriorated significantly. The food menu is very limited and expensive for what you get. We really enjoyed staying here in the past and it's such a shame we won't be staying again.