The Staff Of Life

“October 2025 We stated here with friends to enjoy the nearby Calke Abbey and some local walks. Stumbled across the place when looking for a place to stay near Calke Abbey. Comfortable rooms and beds, plenty of hot water, excellent breakfasts and hospitality. Jane even sorted taxis out for us to visit friends in a nearby village. Nothing was too much trouble. Highly recommend for a traditional pub welcome.”

“A lovely pub and inn. Very helpful and smiley staff. Good beers. Stayed a night, very comfortable bed, all the facilities you'd need, warm. A great breakfast in the morning, not too fussy, just what you need. All at a fair price. Plenty of parking.”

“Great little pub, excellent friendly service from the hardworking Landlady. Good wholesome food and beers at at fair price. Nice little beer garden. Would recommend!”

“Was looking around for somewhere to go for a meal, and remembered seeing the Staff of Life featured in the Derby Telegraph a while back. I sent a request for a table late on Thursday evening and received a response at about 7am the next day confirming my reservation. Upon arrival we were greeted by the lady behind the bar who gave us a pick of the reserved tables. The lady came and took our drinks order and returned with the menus. We opted for the halloumi sticks to start, following by the Steak Pie. The halloumi were big, crunchy and very tasty. A bigger pot of sauce was needed to dip them in but no major issue. Then came the Steak Pie with hand cut chips. Going to throw it out there, the best steak pie I’ve ever had - the meat was tender and the dish was packed full, with a small shortcrust on top (I do prefer the full pie type normally but again I won’t hold it against the pub ). I normally have room for dessert but the pie was so filling I decided against it. The accompaniment of a gravy jug was a nice touch, it was a thick consistency too. The waiter (a young lad) was attentive, polite and checked we had everything we required without being overbearing. It was quiet for a Friday evening (630pm) with a few people and some dogs arriving later. Overall a thoroughly pleasant dining experience. Will definitely be back.”

“Nice pub based in Ticknall. Lots of lovely walks available from here. Food was nice. Good beers. I believe it offered accommodation as well but check. Recommend get an os map and explore the national forest and calke abbey from here.”

“We had a group of 37 booked to eat here to celebrate a 60th birthday, and everything was absolutely fantastic! The food was beautiful – proper homemade and full of flavour. The staff were friendly and polite, and the management couldn’t have been more helpful. Everything ran so smoothly, with perfect timing on all the dishes – even the kids were served first, which was such a thoughtful touch. We’ll definitely be returning. A huge thank you to everyone for making our visit so enjoyable!”