Started off disappointing, finished with PUBIC HAIR IN PUDDING ☹ We were gifted Sunday Lunch and chose The Ickworth Hotel, which was a monumental disappointment. Sunday lunch at Ickworth Hotel DO NOT BOOK as the food was terrible, simply mediocre. Starter: I had chicken pate, basic presentation. Was a large piece of pate, tasted v cheap and it was definitely not made in house. We noted that the table next to us left at least half the pate and also commented on it to the waitress. If it is portion size you are after – great. However, it you want quality food that tastes remotely decent - this is definitely not for you. The toast had deliberate black burn lines, which actually left it tasting burnt and bitter, v unpleasant. You have to work at making food taste that bad. The vegetarian option was hummus, which came with over cooked carrots - no toast. Hummus tasted shop bought, with that sharp acidic taste of budget hummus. V disappointing. And why no toast / bread, makes no sense. Mains: I had the beef Sunday roast. Looked ok and came with cauliflower cheese. Reasonable presentation. Unfortunately, the beef was fairly tough, and I noted another couple struggling to cut their beef. Combination of blunt knife and tough beef? Whilst my top slice of beef was ok, the bottom slice was only gristle, unacceptable to serve, disgusting, indicating poor quality meat, see attached picture. My wife had a black rice dish dish, which she said was fairly boring, lots of soya sauce but lacked depth. After the main, the waitress re-laid the table for pudding. However, there was some food spilt (it happens) on the table in both our settings, which the waitress could not miss, she ignored and failed to clean when she laid the pudding table. We had to ask her to come back and wipe the table. Pudding: Unfortunately, this is where the meal really was a disaster. My wife had chocolate fudge cake with ice cream. The cake was dry and on the plate was what looked like a catering/ dustpan brush bristle and under the cake was a large pubic hair, see attached picture. Gutted we were served a ‘special’ with extra helpings c/o the bristle and bodily hair, as it turned what should have been a very enjoyable meal out with my wife, into one of our worst restaurant experience to-date. Food made my wife feel v sick, and we complained accordingly. The head waiter offered us another voucher, which we declined, politely explaining that we did not want to subject ourselves to another meal in their establishment, given the bristle and pubic hair in the food. Whilst the Ickworth hotel has some oldy worldly charm, it could also be described as v dated and well worn, and restaurant area was cold for November. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED …