"I'm staying at the Falcon for three nights, but sensing that something is awry. So I popped into the Oak, mid-afternoon, and the contrast was immediate, and palpable. In the end, I cancelled my dinner reservation at the Falcon, went back to the Oak later, and whilst waiting for a table, because the place was packed, wondered what the Falcon is doing so badly wrong. Firstly, it's not the staff. I get on fine with them all. Secondly, it's not the food. The lads in the kitchen are doing a fine job. So, I asked around, and the consensus in both places seems to be that Balfour are pushing the Falcon too far upmarket and chasing away a lot of business, especially locals. Basically, it is a country pub, and it needs to stop trying to be a posh hotel. It is the business model that is wrong, not the staff, and sacking people, and constantly re-recruiting will not solve the problem. It may well be that Balfour have to accept that they do not know how to run this place, and they may need to divest themselves of the Falcon, and find a better home for it. I only wish the Oak had rooms. I didn't want to leave this evening. There was a wonderful, warm and friendly atmosphere in the place, which, right now, the Falcon cannot match. Dr Paul Harris"
