Food review: The Boathouse, Shrewsbury - 3.5 stars
The transformed Shrewsbury pub has proved itself over a period of time but this visit was a little disappointing, says Andy Richardson.
The sun is fading and the evenings are drawing in. The county’s parks are no longer filled with sunseekers and day-trippers; they’ve long since been replaced with hardy dog walkers and joggers. Beer gardens are filled with fallen leaves and it will be seven or eight months before the mercury starts to rise. Some of the county’s best known pubs and restaurants – those that fill their outdoor spaces with tables and chairs – have long since retreated indoors.
The Boathouse is a property that falls into that category. Lying on the side of the River Severn, not far from Theatre Severn and the Welsh Bridge, it’s a hotspot for the summer crowd. There’s arguably not a more desirable location that The Boathouse’s beer garden on sultry summer evenings – little wonder it was named one of the best in the UK in a recent survey.
There was a time when the pub would empty once summer had left. But that was before The Boathouse was acquired by one of Shropshire’s smartest pub-restaurant owners, Jim Littler, some years back. He transformed the venue, turning it from a dowdy venue, much loved by students (some underage) that served a depressing diet of low grade cheesy chips into the sort of place in which all-comers feel comfortable.
Tapas, bistro, pub
Given Littler’s long experience, from Michelin-starred restaurants to The Lion & Pheasant, which remains one of the town’s finest, it was no surprise that he quickly put the food offering onto the right track. His team also re-imagined the interior, creating a light, bright space with nooks and crannies and creating a warm and convivial atmosphere.
His staff are pretty decent, though there’s still work to be done. When I requested a large bottle of sparkling water, I was told by the waitress that they didn’t have any sparkling water but I could have still. I put in my order, only to be told that I could get a large bottle if sparkling water was what I wanted. And then, having successfully delivered the off-on eau pétillante, the waitress appeared again to ask if I’d like to order any drinks. Confused? You will be.
The menu, happily, is more straightforward. A selection of tapas-style small plates, classic bistro dishes and entirely familiar pub dishes are present. So guests can choose from fish and chips, fresh tagliatelle pasta, crispy calamari of pan-fried sea bass.
There’s a Chinese-style pork belly, a Boathouse burger and even pork pie with English mustard. There’s nothing unexpected, nothing that pushes the envelope – just simple food done well.
The one achievement that ought to give Littler considerable pride is that he’s achieved consistency during his tenure. Running a restaurant isn’t easy and with staff coming and going – many playing the round-a-about games that involve hopping from one local restaurant to another – it’s not easy to maintain standards day-in and day-out. Littler has done just that and his kitchen team are decent, if not remarkable.
So while we’re not suggesting for one moment that it can hold a torch to, for instance The Boat Inn, at Lichfield, which is among the best in the country, let alone the region, it does what it says on the tin, which is more than can be said for many.
The food
I started with a plate of hoisin crispy duck, served with spring onions, shredded cucumber and pancakes. Except the pancakes weren’t there. They’d been replaced by erroneous pitta pocket, which had been scorched on the grill so that it was piping hot.
And so the disaster kinda fell at the final hurdle. The components were all great, but the glue that ought to have bound it together was missing. Pitta versus pancake – is it that big a deal?
Well, no, not if you think it’s okay to play football with a rugby ball, or tennis with a cricket ball, it’s perfectly fine.
My guess is they’d run out of pancakes and so substituted them with the next best thing – and, to be fair, the duck was better served with those that it would have been with a slice of Sunblest. But it was still wrong.
The duck, incidentally – and in contrast – was brilliant. Fried to within an inch of its quacking life, it was as crisp and crunchy as a pork scratching and twice as tasty. Small sesame seeds had been scattered on top and you can’t go wrong with crispy duck with spring onions and cucumber. Unless you serve it with pitta pockets. Doh.
My main was less alluring. A chargrilled chicken and chorizo jambalaya was served with wild rice, spring onion and corn on the cob.
The rice had been overcooked, so that it was mushy, while the over-riding flavour was tomato – there was no subtlety, no taste of the Deep South, no sense of Cajun cuisine.
The chicken was fantastic; moist, tender and thrillingly well cooked. The corn was also good; beautifully cooked with a little bitter scorch. All it needed was a drizzle of butter. But the rest was a bit meh. The chorizo was chewy, the rice like mush and the tomato overpowering.
We’ve been accused of being too soft on Shropshire’s restaurants in recent times and dishing out high marks like confetti at a wedding. And perhaps there are times when we ought to be a little stricter on what we do and don’t recommend. But for all of The Boathouse’s minor faults – the mushy rice in particular – it remains a venue that’s worthy of recommendation. Standards are higher than most, the sourcing policy is good, it has a terrific owner and the staff are eager to place, if not sometimes a little lacking in the execution of their duties.
And so though things were far from perfect – please chefs, call up the delivery company and order in more pancakes – it’s still worthy of a high mark.
Three and a half stars out of five may seem generous, but it’s proved itself over a period of time and remains one of the county’s best-in-class.
Sample menu
Nibbles
Mixed olives, £4
Antipasti vegetables, £4.50
Crispy filoprawns with sweet chilli dip, £5
Small plates
Crispy calamri, spring onion, sweet chilli sauce, £7.95
Hoisin crispy duck, spring onions, cucumber, pancakes and sesame seeds, £9
Peach and mozzarella, honey, rocket and pine nut salad, £7
Mains and grill
Shropshire Gold-battered cod fillet, skin on fries, crushed peas, pubmade curry sauce and tartar sauce, £14.95
Pan-fried sea bass fillet, clam and tomato stew, patatas bravas and tenderstem broccoli, £17
Chargrilled chicken and chorizo jambalaya, wild rice, spring onion and corn on the cob, £14.50
Contact details
The Boathouse, New Street, Shrewsbury, SY3 8JQ
01743 231658
