You Said....

Posted Monday, April 12, 2010
Well its much nicer looking inside now than it used to be, still far too expensive and the 2 types of people you get are either loudmouths or snobs. Also, dont go if you have a nice car, on 3 occasions over the years, a relative had a car stolen, a friend had a window smashed and we had our car vandalised. No CCTV! If you live locally its worth a walk up for a quiet drink, you may even see a good fight as I have a couple of times. But its not worth making an effort to drive to, go a little further into Solihull!
Alex

Posted Wednesday, February 17, 2010
I love this place. We have been several times and found it to be a great experience. Great food served by friendly waiters. Lovely atmosphere, no loud noises or bikers on any of the occasions when we went. Will be going again soon. A*****
Tracie P

Posted Monday, February 1, 2010
Not a bad place if you don't mind mixing with rough aged bikers
Della

Posted Monday, October 5, 2009
Went back to the Farm after a break, got fed up of the noise, what a pleasent suprise, could have a normal conversation without the place being in the middle of a shouting match normally about football. Has the loudmouth left ? Has he been banned ? 100% better atmosphere.
DS

Posted Monday, August 17, 2009
The last management had the right idea -to burn the place down - twice !
T Lampwick

Posted Friday, August 7, 2009
Quite a nice venue, good decor and reasonable pricing (especially during happy hour). However the decor and prices don't make up for the couple of noisy, rude and leering locals. The southern ringleader is the worst, if he is so desperate to shout football facts why doesn't he do it at his beloved White Hart Lane ? Excluding the A.S.B.O. locals, this is a nice child friendly pub with excellent food and staff. (Toilets could do with an air freshener). On the whole very good.
A Lival

Posted Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Who does the loud mouthed cockney think he is that is in this pub every Saturday afternoon.  He seems to spend the majority of his time insulting people and slurring.  Not a nice place to take children.
Simon - Solihull

Posted Monday, June 29, 2009
I know the Farm was built in the early 1600's but I never thought the people in there would be from that era. Only just last week, I visited the place and was greeted by King Henry the Eighth, who was drinking Peroni lager like it was going out of fashion! Great service, great food, great place and totally enjoyable experience. I shall definitely be returning. Hope this time I might meet up with William Shakespeare though.
Helen from Hillfields

Posted Monday, June 29, 2009
I have been there many times, with family in the restaurant and friends in the bar. The food is amazing everytime, the restaurant service is great, the staff are second to none, warm and friendly. The bar staff are a great team. The banter in the bar is great, the locals make the place too, they can get leary but it just adds to the fun at the farm!! I'd take my friends again just to see them! Definitely prefer it to The Boot or Orange Tree, way more relaxed atmosphere. Its seems people are nit picking in some of these previous comments but I do agree that the toilets could do with a spring clean.
Sarah Carter

Posted Monday, June 29, 2009
With regards to Charlotte and Michelle's post it below (23rd June 2009). I know the grey-haired irish man, who they claim to be a bully. This is so untrue! He is not a bully but a real gentleman (sadly very rare in this day and age). When I visited the Farm in March, I got talking to this gentlemen and he was far from angry, abusive or argumentative. In fact, he was quite the contrary! I enjoyed every minute I spent with him and he introduced me to the other regulars, who all made me feel very welcome indeed. I often met up with this so called irish "bully", not only in the Farm, but other pubs in Solihull, and nothing compares to the Farm or the company of the grey haried irishman. 
Nicole (aged 19) from Solihull Lodge

Posted Tuesday, June 23, 2009
What's going on at the Farm?  The food which at one time was delicious is now badly cooked.  Had fish cakes last Friday which could have been used as pucks in ice hockey!  So chewy, had to send them back.  The service in there is very good and the staff are lovely.  Get a new chef!
Quality Service Value
Lorraine

Posted Tuesday, June 23, 2009
I have just moved to the area and after trying a few of the local pubs, I have found that The Farm is the best pub in Solihull! It caters for all. Young, old and child friendly into the bargain. What more could you ask for. The bar is like a traditional bar. Full of characters and the continuous banter between the regulars and the bar staff is hilarious! The prices aren't as bad as some people make out. Not much more that other pubs in the Solihull area. The bar staff are the best thing about this pub. They are the most efficient friendly bunch I have ever met. Nothing is too much trouble for them. Especially the staff that serve in the bar area. I would certainly recommend The Farm to anybody wanting to experience a proper pub atmosphere with class, style, brilliant bar staff and a lovely warm welcome for all. I will certainly make it my local!
Justin Smyth

Posted Tuesday, June 23, 2009
I visited the Farm for the first time last saturday. When I and my friend walked into the bar area we were greeted by two elderly grey haired gentlemen who thought they were on britains got talent! Their singing was offensive to my ears!.
To the left of us as we walked through the doors there were 2 gentlemen seated at a table. One of them was a grey haired elderly gentleman and the other cheeky, chirpy, cockney type. They seemed to be having an argument and it was getting very heated.  One of them sat back and seemed to persistently take constant ridicule from the other.  If the decent one had not have been so diplomatic, then I'm sure the incident would have ended in a fight.  Thankfully the cockney gentleman was the type to back down rather than return the abuse the elderly irish man gave him.
All in all it was a different experience than what we are used to, but we were made to feel very welcome by the characters in the bar, even the angry irish man managed a smile at some point.
We shall definitely be returning again, if not for the enjoyable atmosphere, but to defend the poor cockney gentleman against any further abuse from that bully.
Charlotte and Michelle from Shirley

Posted Tuesday, June 2, 2009
The Farm bar is a really nice venue its just such a pity every time you enter it you have to walk through an obnoxious gang of drinkers, who seem to enjoy staring out non regulars.  Its not a nice atmosphere at all.  I would not recommend The Shelly.  There are too many nice bars in Solihull to visit,  I wont be returning.
Christine

Posted Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Toilets really smell, good pub and ok service but both the male and female toilets constantly smell very very bad, please please sort the problem
T

Posted Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Had a lovely time at the farm. Great service, food and atmosphere. So glad there is a place like it so close
Nathan

Posted Thursday, September 4, 2008
What a welcome treat finally a decent pub/restaurant in this area!!! Lovely inside, clean and tastefully decorated. The service was second to none, people bending over backwards to please us. The menu is varied and full of delicious dishes. Our party of 6 was more than satisfied, and would definitely recommend eating here!!
Sophie

Posted Thursday, September 4, 2008
Thank you to the Farm for a so most enjoyable evening that I celebrated my birthday here made my night!! The food was to die for and the waitress was so friendly!!! Thank you again for one of the best birthday experiences I have ever had!!!
Samantha

Posted Wednesday, July 2, 2008
A disappointing experience. This is an over confident venue that is bordering on arrogance in customer care. We were asked to move twice during our meal. We felt rushed in having to eat up fast. On refusing the second move request, our night ended early. To top it all, as we were a group of 7, the bill arrived with a 10% "service" charge (we didn't pay it !). The food was fine. However, Solihull has far better venues. If you like conveyor belt eating in fast food time, then The Farm will be acceptable, if you want a relaxed night out, then try elsewhere.
Quality Service Value
 John

Posted Friday, May 16, 2008
Having given up on the old Shelly Farm years ago, I was looking forward to trying the newly refurbished Farm. The first visit was just for a drink, for which I got the worst service in a pub I've ever had in 20 years. After almost shouting at the lazy barman to get his attention (he was too busy chatting to serve customers), when I asked him for a top-up on a short measure, he accused me of having a drink out of it (although I hadn't), and went as far as calling me a liar and got aggressive about it. I wondered if he'd ever had any customer service training, or was just too busy trying to massage his own ego in front of his mates, like an immature teenager showing off. Subsequent visits (I thought I'd give it a second chance!) were better, but best stick to the restaurant side, as although the pub service is pretty poor, the restaurant seems better in this respect (although the cask ale seems to be permanently 'off'). The food, when eventually served, is very good, although a little pricey for pub fayre, and the salad bar is very tasty. Overall, I tend to avoid this pub now, as 3 out of 4 visits have been poor experiences. I much prefer the Fieldhouse further up the road, as it has much friendlier service, better value food, and better range and quality of beer.
Quality: Service:   Value:
Trevor

Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2008
We had a very enjoyable meal on Saturday . As it was very cold we  all wore big coats. There were no coat stands available so we had to put them on the floor where they obstructed passers by and a  safety hazard. Perhaps this could be rectified.   
Quality Service Value
Pat Freeth

Posted Monday, December 3, 2007
Booked a table- eventually as took 2 weeks to get in on a Saturday night- well worth the wait. Ate there with a group of friends, who all agreed best place they had been in for ages- looks great, tastes great and is GREAT!!!!!!!!!!! well done to the new people who have taken this over
Quality Service Value
Mandy

Posted Monday, December 3, 2007
Fab fab fab!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a wonderful place at long last a decent place to eat in lovely surroundings.
Quality Service Value
Steve

Posted Monday, December 3, 2007
Have eaten hear about a dozen times since it opened with groups varying from two to twenty. Every time the experience has been excellent, the food, the service and the environment all really good. It can get busy because it is so popular and this needs to be understood.  A few months ago this pub was a dump, now we have a top quality establishment on our doorstep.
Quality Service Value
Mark, Diana & Family

Posted Monday, November 26, 2007
At last a great pub that is child friendly, that adults can enjoy to. Having eaten at the farm 1st week, with friends and children- i must write to say what a joy it was, a relaxed atmosphere and lovely food, with good staff. I now know where we will be going for sunday lunches
Quality Service Value
Tina

Posted Monday, November 26, 2007
Having heard the reviews the Farm was a must try. A 3 week for a table for two at 7:30 on a Saturday night suggesting it must be good...... How very wrong! We were seated on arrival and given menus. On paper the choice looked excellent and good value for money. After 25 minutes we had to ask a waitress if we could order, she apologised and promptly took our order. On asking which wines would compliment our choice the response was a lost shrug of the shoulders!  Starters arrived after 20 minutes, the salt and pepper squid was tasty but lacking the vava-voom I had expected. My partner's fish cake arrived on a tartare sauce mountain, garnished with a wedge of lemon. The fish cake was large but dwarfed by the sauce; the plate it arrived on would have been more suited to carving and made the starter look lost.  Being male and a carnivore the rib eye steak was preferred for main course and arrived with a grilled tomato, pepper sauce and a turret of chips. For can't go wrong food the pepper sauce was bland and the steak over cooked. My partner ordered the pork, which was served on mashed potatoes. Presentation was poor with a slab of meat dumped on the mash, tasty, but again lacking that little bit more. The salad bar was an inconvenience, pasta and cous-cous neither suiting steak and chips or roast pork. The inconvenience of having to up sticks half way through your meal, lack of choice and also a small queue took away any novelty factor. Suggestion: leave the salad bar to the Harvester pubs! 60 quid all told including a bottle and a glass of wine, was not great value for money, at £20 a head without wine I expect more especially when comparing to some of the other pubs under the Salisbury umbrella!
Quality: Service:   Value:
MB


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Posted Monday, November 26, 2007
Fantastic place- can't believe the bad reviews!!! Food and atmosphere spot on, catered for a large group of us well and the service was friendly and efficient - highly recommend!!!!
Quality Service Value
Sue

Posted Monday, November 26, 2007
Thank god someone has done something with this lovely old building- and what a tasteful good job they have done.
The Boot and Orange Tree team have worked their magic here- the food is great and the surrounding are second to none-- thank you so much for bringing a lovely pub to our area
Quality Service Value
Simon

Posted Monday, November 19, 2007
After visiting in the summer and not having a particular good meal i put it down to early teething problems, but how wrong can you be! Had table ordered for 5pm on a Sunday, arrived on-time to be told table wasn't quite ready, no worries, but by 5.30 no-one had the decency to tell us how long it would be, had to re-ask again, and were finally seated at 5.40. Two guests ordered soup, one arrived with the other starters and the other 'was on its way' 5mins later still hadn't arrived so had to ask again. Someone ordered the Lamb special for a main to be told they had sold out, but they could recommend the haddock! Not much difference! Why did they not suggest the lamb chops off the menu? Med cooked steaks arrived burnt, after complaining full credit to the girl in charge for taking the steaks off the menu along with a poor pie, also offered bottle of bubbly, suggest they sort the chef out ASAP.
Quality: Service:   Value:
Martin

Posted Monday, November 19, 2007
I was invited by friends for Sunday lunch and it was a first at The Farm for all of us. First impressions were great it looks fantastic both inside and out with its unique style. However as usual in the UK we think we are able to survive on looks alone and there has no real training been given to bar or waiting staff, so whilst the food was acceptable, the rest was not, also being seated in the upstairs area meant we were very warm, it was very poor lighting and there were two families with small children all cramped into this space making it very unpleasant. Why do all restaurants scatter crying children throughout, why not reserve an area for families to enjoy their children together, leaving the grown ups who wish to spend a quiet or romantic evening able to do so. I have two grown up children, and look after children for a career so understand this dilemma, but feel that it should be made clear to all parents that the behaviour of their children is their responsibility. If there were an adult behaving badly intruding on everyones enjoyment then they would be asked to leave. To summarise a pleasant experience that sadly could have been perfect... more managerial input needed.
Quality Service  Value
Sue

Posted Monday, November 19, 2007
Having heard so much about this place, could not wait to try out with group of friends. Well it was a fab night had by all, the place is beautifully done and the food and service was excellent.
Quality Service Value
Sarah

Posted Monday, November 12, 2007
After having spent a fabulous evening at the farm with about 30 nutty women, the service was great and food delicious, especially the shreaded beef salad. Will definitely be going again, hopefully for my birthday which is coming up very soon!!!!
Quality Service Value
Nichola

Posted Monday, November 5, 2007
Nice place decor wise but after asking for a table in the Barn was served food at a low level table in the bar area as opposed to the restaurant where we had requested a table. Had to go to fetch salad apparently, but were not clearly told about this therefore went without.  Food was OK and music and ambience was good, staff seemed to be a little of a case of left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing and clearly under staffed for a weekend lunchtime. Bit disappointing having heard rave reviews but will go back for a second chance.
Quality Service  Value
Sue

Posted Monday, October 22, 2007
I visited the farm last night with my sons, and was very disappointed at the service of the *3* waitresses, not a smile in sight, and got our order wrong twice.  When asked for a cloth for a drink we spilled, did not return and we ended up using tissues.  The food was average, my sons skewer of lamb was tough and chewy, the swordfish skewer had only 3 small pieces of fish, and the staff did not seem interested.  Although very nice surroundings I was disappointed at my birthday treat.
Disappointed customers

Posted Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Had to book a week early to get a table for 4 on a Saturday night. The wait was worthwhile as the old Shelly Farm is now a very stylish and comfortable place to enjoy a meal with friends. My party of 4 had lamb chops, sea bass, lamb skewers and Steak and Ale pie all of which was perfectly cooked. The separate Farmhouse bar has also been given a stylish makeover and has a relaxing and friendly atmosphere. Top marks for the refurb, would recommend!
Dave and friends

Posted Monday, August 20, 2007
I would have been prepared to overlook the 'Beefeater/Harvester' feel to the menu, with salad bar and list of sauces to be served with steak, had the food experience proved worthy.  Unfortunately, I'm unable to report on the food as to my dismay they wouldn't allow us to order food in the lounge area of the Barn at 5.45pm (yesterday)!  Would have thought any new venture would need support and bend over backwards to serve the customer but luckily there are other eateries in Solihull so I didn't go hungry.  Is this small chain getting a bit above itself?
Lorraine

Posted Monday, August 13, 2007
The Farm, formerly known as The Shelly Farm has had a grand make-over...inside & out...WOW!
Finished to a high standard, the decor is clean, modern and pleasing. Even the bar has been brought up to date.
We booked a table for Saturday lunch and were impressed by all. Friendly welcoming staff (though some were new to the job) but nevertheless more than willing to do their upmost to please. From an exciting menu, the food was cooked to order, carefully prepared and well presented...but most importantly very tasty...worth every penny.. as they say.. you only get what you pay for. Even our 7 yr old daughter enjoyed the experience (she had lamb skewers).  Overall, a wonderful fine place to dine or relax with a drink. 
Well done to all with giving The Shelly Farm a new lease of life and long may it continue.... NO BULL!
Quality Service Value
Jane  & family

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