KATHERINE MACALISTER ventures into a revamped Sturdy’s Castle in Tackley to find things are much as they were when pub lunches were the real hot potato

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Remember that will you when you venture down to Sturdy’s Castle, rather than buzzing like bees around the honeypot, crazed by the 2 for 1 offer.

Just step back for long enough to consider what you will actually be committing yourself to. Because if a burger and chips costs £6 at lunchtime then fair enough. Charge twice as much (£11.95), £13.50 for the chicken and ham pie or £14.95 for the loin of pork, and then get the other meal for free, and you end up paying the same. Genius.

So there we were, led like lambs to the slaughter by the lure of a bargain, wallets ready, tongues hanging out, willing to be fleeced and then made to feel grateful for the privilege.

I’m ranting about Sturdy’s Castle by the way, the infamous potato pub near Tackley on the main road, which has had an enormous refurb, and not before time.

I’m sure back in the 1980s when jacket potatoes were right up there with shoulder pads and Duran Duran, it was a real novelty, but the glamour of the faithful spud has long since faded and Sturdy’s was due for an upgrade.

However, a bit like a pop star with a new hairdo, while Sturdy's might appear to have been nipped and tucked, food-wise, fundamentally it’s the same. And with a whole section of their newly relaunched menu still dedicated to jacket potatoes, there’s not much dispute about that.

Have we not evolved enough over the past few decades to expect more than a new lick of paint and an embossed menu?

But with so many of you asking what Sturdy’s was like, I thought I’d better come up with the goods anyway, because it seems to be the 2 for 1 bargain that people are attracted by, not that many will be going back.

The National Trust colour scheme, tasteful wooden cladding, wallpapered loos, and waitress service, are also conducive to giving it a go, until you enter the dining room that is, which is entirely separate to the bar, and rather like eating in someone’s front room; the tables placed randomly on the newly carpeted interior.

The lack of any kind of meet-or-greet system means you stand there like a lemon until someone comes and takes notice, which in most cases was a long time, leaving customers to wander round randomly trying to find somewhere to sit.

At the other end of the room is a glass booth like a ship’s bridge, which houses the till and utterly foxed me. Not only was it bizarre in appearance and position, it was obviously responsible for the unmanned dining room; all the staff huddled around the screen, separating them from the very people they were supposed to be looking after.

It meant there was no one on hand to seat you, order your drinks, bring menus, food or service of any kind, in a feast or famine style scenario – nothing, then three at once.

The Fawlty Towers scene continued when the manager arrived and started reprimanding his staff loudly in front of the diners, rampaging around the restaurant. I was just waiting for the goose-stepping to start. That was the entertainment provided then, but what of the food?

That was entertaining too. What on earth is a hot gammon and pineapple salad? And does anyone still eat mushroom stroganoff? It doesn’t even come up on the spellcheck.

We didn’t try the starters, they were all a bit predictable without being retro (potato skins, prawn cocktail, garlic mushrooms, that sort of thing). As it was lunchtime we settled for the safer options: the burger, which came pub style with onion rings, chips etc and made up for in quantity what it lacked in quality.

I had the haddock and pea risotto (£11.75), which wasn’t bad actually, and we also tried the chicago chicken with BBQ sauce and coleslaw (a mind-boggling £13.95), but all utterly predictable and old school.

After pushing our food around for a bit, we gave up, paid when we could find a waiter, and left, never to return. Perhaps I should have had a potato!

So don’t be foiled. This really is a case of the Emperor’s new clothes, or not even new clothes, just the old ones with a bit of new braiding on the jacket. See what I did there?

And with Killingworth Castle just up the road from this Tackley location, serving mind-bogglingly good tucker and a £7 lunch, there is no excuse.

Sturdy’s Castle is in Banbury Road, Kidlington. See sturdyscastleoxford.com or call 01869 331119