The Maynard | Senza glutine a Grindleford

Jason Lee Patrick
22/02/2026

4

We stayed overnight at The Maynard, on the 15th Feb, in Room 11, to celebrate our birthdays. The hotel was very busy and had a wedding booked for the following day, so we weren’t expecting it to be quiet. The atmosphere, however, was friendly and welcoming. The room was spacious, clean and well presented. Music was playing on arrival, which was a nice touch. The coffee machine and pods were excellent, although a little more milk would have been useful. Dinner had some strong points. As my wife is coeliac, she chose the gluten-free options throughout the meal. The gluten-free offering in general was reassuring and clearly well considered. I started with the rabbit croquette. Unfortunately, it didn’t really taste of rabbit. The star of that dish was the mushroom and truffle sauce, which was excellent. We both had the Scotch eggs, and they were the best thing we had during that meal. Very well executed and full of flavour. My wife chose the gluten-free chicken burger. The chicken itself was perfectly cooked and the coating was crisp and nicely textured. However, it lacked seasoning. There was no noticeable salt, pepper or flavouring in the batter, which meant it tasted fairly plain despite being well cooked. I opted for the breast of lamb with a lamb pancake? The meat was cooked beautifully pink. However, the addition of a pancake felt slightly unnecessary. Although the skin on the lamb had been seared, the fat hadn’t fully rendered, making parts of it a little chewy. The tempura battered broccoli was the real highlight of the plate and lifted the dish considerably from average to reasonable. The sauces/purees were fine but not especially bold. Breakfast the following morning was decent overall. The sausage was very good. However, there was no gluten-free black pudding option available. Given how widely gluten-free black pudding is now available, even in supermarkets, it felt like a missed opportunity on an otherwise strong gluten-free menu. The filter coffee was unfortunately very weak. When I dropped a sugar cube in, I could see it clearly at the bottom of the cup. Coffee strength is personal preference, but this was notably thin. If you wanted a latte or cappuccino from the machine, you had to pay extra on top of the breakfast cost, which felt unnecessary. A proper coffee option should really be included. The beans were warm rather than hot, but otherwise it was an average, fair breakfast. Service remained good. Overall, for the price, it was good. Not five-star dining, but certainly above standard pub food. It’s just a shame the lamb, the croquette and the breakfast coffee let it down slightly. 3 starters, 2 mains and a bottle of wine around £100

Gordon Taylor
21/02/2026

4

Went for lunch. Very quiet probably because the weather was poor. Staff were lovely. Food was good with gluyen free options although the choice of gluten free sweets wasn't great. Recommended.

Anne Bailey
23/12/2025

5

We celebrated our ruby wedding anniversary at The Maynard’s last Saturday, along with friends and family, and it couldn’t have been more perfect. We always choose The Maynard’s for our special occasions, and once again they exceeded every expectation. The staff knew it was our ruby anniversary and welcomed us with sparkling wine, which was such a thoughtful touch. The food was, as always, exceptional — and as someone with coeliac disease, it’s a real joy that so many dishes can be made gluten‑free without compromising on flavour or presentation. The service was warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming throughout the evening. Thank you, Maynard’s, for helping make our anniversary celebration truly special.We celebrated our ruby wedding anniversary at The Maynard’s last Saturday, surrounded by friends and family, and it couldn’t have been more perfect. We always choose The Maynard’s for our special occasions, and once again they exceeded every expectation. The staff knew it was our ruby anniversary and welcomed us with sparkling wine, which was such a thoughtful touch. The food was, as always, exceptional — and as someone with coeliac disease, it’s a real joy that so many dishes can be made gluten‑free without compromising on flavour or presentation. The service was warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming throughout the evening. Thank you, Maynard’s, for helping make our anniversary celebration truly special.