Bottle & Glass, Picklescott

Star rating: ***** Andy Richardson can hardly contain his enthusiasm for one Shropshire pub.

"Slow down, Andrew, nobody's going to take it away from you." It was the voice of my wife, or, as she is more frequently described, She Who Must Be Obeyed.

I was scoffing indelicately at the Bottle & Glass, in Picklescott, near Church Stretton. The mesmerising food on my plate was being assaulted with the sort of ferocity that lions show exhausted gazelles.

A sharp kick rained against my shin. Momentarily, I slowed down as pain coursed through my leg.

Then, blithely, I ploughed on. Within minutes, the game pie had been dispatched and I reclined, brimful of delicious, seasonal flavours. Mmmm.

Any chance of seconds?

My wife and I have visited the Bottle & Glass on a number of occasions in the past five or six years. Our dinners there have always been above average and it's retained its place on our list of reliable and consistent eateries where good food, harmonious surrounds and excellent value are assured.

On Saturday, however, it excelled itself.

Now, allow me to draw you an analogy.

Just for a moment, we'll liken your trusted panel of weekly reviewers to the judges on Strictly Come Dancing.

Among our number, there are those who like nothing more than triumphantly heralding pubs and restaurants as the finest in our gorgeous county. Like Bruno Tonioli, they'll award top marks whenever possible.

Then there are those who, like Len and Alesha, will emphasise the positives, offer positive criticism and award fair-to-generous marks.

I don't fall into either category.

I'm more of a Craig, waiting for disappointments and faults. I've never awarded full marks to a pub, and only once to a restaurant.

But back to dinner.

The Bottle & Glass is a sumptuous country pub, all wood panelling, oak beams and whitewashed walls. It's a quintessentially Salopian venue that oozes character and charm. There are regulars in the bar who've never once left the county, and probably not even the village, while others travel from far and wide to sample our best fare.

The new team at the helm have made an impressive job of things. Service is slick and unobtrusive, prices are economical and the food, well, the food is something else.

On a shelf behind the bar was a volume that told me everything I needed to know about the Bottle & Glass's kitchen. The book, Larousse Gastronomique, is the world's greatest cookery encyclopaedia. It's not cheap, it weighs around four kilos and it's indispensable among those who are serious about food.

Our food was dazzling. Every course was memorable, each one a perfect combination of flavours, textures and lovingly rendered ingredients.

My wife started with a seasonal hot and cold duck salad, which comprised tender slices of duck breast in a Chinese five-spice style dressing with spring onion, pepper, cucumber and leaves. We fought over it. It was that good.

My prawn tempura with a ginger and garlic dressing was sensational. The batter was light and crisp, the prawns plump and unctuous.

My wife's fish pie was a master class in brilliant British gastro pub classics. There were generous chunks of smoked haddock and salmon, delicate dill infused sauce and lovely, creamy mash. My game pie was phenomenal. The chunks of venison, rabbit and pheasant were meltingly-tender, the meaty red wine sauce was exceptionally moreish and the buttery puff pastry was delicious.

For dessert, my wife enjoyed a properly made treacle tart, all bread crumbs soaked in golden syrup wrapped in a buttery pastry.

I was enraptured by pear poached in warming spices and served with a brilliantly executed panna cotta.

To return to the Strictly analogy. Our dinner ended, our bill, with two drinks each, nudged £55. I contemplated the score. As Craig might have said: "Sadly, I

couldn't find anything wrong with it. I have to award full marks."

MENU SAMPLE

STARTERS

Chicken liver paté with red onion marmalade and warm toast (£6.50)

King prawns in tempura batter with a sticky garlic and ginger sauce (£6.50)

MAIN COURSES

Welsh lamb cutlets with red currant and mint lamb jus (£14.50)

Salmon fillet baked in a chive and lime sauce with dauphinoise (£12.50)

DESSERTS

Pear and panna cotta (£4.50)

Bakewell tart (£4.50)

ATMOSPHERE

Brilliant. Epitomises all that is good about a quintessentially Salopian pub

SERVICE

Exemplary. It's friendly and attentive, rather than silver service

DISABLED FACILITIES

Disabled entrance and toilet

Contact

Bottle & Glass Inn, Picklescott, near Church Stretton, SY6 6NR

Tel: 01694 751345