I used to drink here fairly regularly but this was my first visit in nearly ten years, it still looked exactly the same so felt quite familiar inside.
The breakfast menu is fairly straightforward and offers a vegetarian breakfast too. If you like double items on your breakfast it could get quite expensive though adding items at an additional £1 each.
When the Trafford breakfast arrived I felt slightly depressed. It looked quite small and I wasn't liking the plate it was served on.
The sausage was overcooked but quality meats were used and they tasted really nice. The beans were flooding the plate with too much juice but the roasted tomato tasted good.
My wife ordered the vegetarian breakfast but being vegan she swapped the egg for extra tomatoes. It arrived without mushrooms but once this was pointed out they were brought along later.
Almost a month had passed since my last review so I decided that I really should go out for breakfast somewhere. With so much of Norwich already covered on my blog my options were limited, even more so now as a vegan option is required for my wife. I researched a few places online and we decided to head along to The Trafford Arms on Grove Road. we were heading into the city anyway and it was only a short walk from St Stephens Street...
Upon entering - I spent many evenings at The Trafford Arms about ten years ago, as soon as I walked through the door it felt very familiar as it still looked pretty much the same as I'd remembered it. It's a traditional looking pub with plenty of tables to choose from and a large bar along the back wall. The menus can be found on each table so once you've decided what you would like, simply place your order and pay at the bar. Everything is brought over when it's ready and sauces are offered to you before the food arrives. We asked for some ketchup but were quite disappointed with the tiny amount that arrived in a small pot. It seemed like a nice enough place to enjoy a spot of breakfast, we were here just after they had opened though so the place was pretty much empty. 7/10
Service - I wasn't really too sure what to make of the service here, quite efficient but not very friendly. We walked into an empty pub and the lady behind the bar made no effort to say hello so straight away we didn't feel particularly welcome. We asked for a breakfast menu and was told they were on the tables and that we could sit anywhere except the tables which had reserved signs on. After choosing what we wanted we returned to the bar to place our order. My wife wanted the vegetarian breakfast without eggs which didn't seem to be a problem, the eggs could be replaced with extra tomatoes which seemed fair enough. First the drinks arrived on a tray with cutlery and we were offered sauces. My breakfast came out next closely followed by my wifes, something wasn't quite right though as her mushrooms were missing. My wife's favourite item on a breakfast is mushrooms so she wasn't best pleased with this! She pointed out the error and they were brought over later in a small bowl but only half cooked though. We didn't hang around very long after finishing our food and left with the same silence we were greeted with. 4/10
Presentation - I really wasn't a fan of the long plate this breakfast was served on, I always think items look awkwardly placed on these. Plate aside though I was loving the look of the fried bread and the egg was looking pretty good too. The sausage was looking a bit over cooked and the beans were sitting in too much juice. 5/10
The food - Although slightly over cooked the sausage did taste really nice as did the bacon, both were made using Blythburgh pork. My favourite part of this breakfast had to be the fried bread, golden and crispy but not too oily. I wanted to make good use of the fried bread so laid the fried egg over it and popped the yolk, a wonderful combination! The egg had heaps of flavour as you'd expect from a free range Great Ellingham egg. The mushrooms were sauteed and the tomato slow roasted, I thoroughly enjoyed both. The beans were Heinz but served in a bit too much sauce for my liking. Certainly an enjoyable enough breakfast and all served piping hot. 7/10
Value for money - The Trafford breakfast costs £6.75 and although it's made using quality ingredients it isn't particularly big. It filled me up for a while but I ate a sandwich as soon as I got back home again. You could add extra items but at £1 each things could start to get quite expensive if you go down this route. 5/10
Overall - A decent enough breakfast but a bit on the small side, I'd have certainly been more impressed if it included double items and hash browns. The quality of the ingredients were really noticeable and the fried bread was excellent. First impressions go a long way though and the lack of welcome we encountered here means we are highly unlikely to ever return. 5/10
You'd be better having a standard Weatherspoons brekkie instead. Not the best ingredients, but great value for money and usually decent service (from what I've sampled).