Hundred House Inn, Norton
Star rating: **** There are four key ingredients to the perfect supper in the socially-aware noughties, writes Andy Richardson. A successful dish has to be fresh, local, seasonal and of good provenance.
Star rating: **** There are four key ingredients to the perfect supper in the socially-aware noughties, writes Andy Richardson. A successful dish has to be fresh, local, seasonal and of good provenance.
These days, the tastiest dinner is unmasked if it involves excessive air miles, chemical additives, cruelty to animals or pesticides. Anything with a whiff of environmental irresponsibility is, rightly, frowned upon.
So The Hundred House Inn, at Norton, near Bridgnorth, is a step ahead of the competition before the chef, Stuart Phillips, even enters his kitchen.
The country restaurant is surrounded by an idyllic herb and cottage garden, which provides the kitchen with all manner of unusual herbs, fruit, vegetables and edible flowers.
The venue has exceptional relations with local producers, only accepting the best quality from growers and producers whose reputations for integrity are beyond doubt.
The Hundred House Inn has ever-changing menus, reflecting the different produce available through the year. So, in spring, there are special asparagus events, when green stalks from local farms feature prominently. Game is popular in autumn and other fruits, meats, vegetables and fish feature when they are in abundance. Ethically speaking, there are no flies on the Hundred House Inn.
My wife and I have visited the venue on a number of occasions. We've grown to trust it down the years. The food is consistently flavoursome and robust, the service is friendly rather than classy or sophisticated, the prices are about right for a venue with two AA rosettes.
We've never felt short-changed, nor have we ever been served an indifferent dish. The menu provides plenty of choice and we've enjoyed wandering through the picturesque gardens, enjoying the fragrance of flowers and herbs.
Our most recent visit was on a Friday evening when the restaurant was almost full. We were shown to our table, brought drinks and spent plenty of time perusing the menu. Friday is fish night at the Hundred House Inn and there were plenty of specials, including langoustine, lemon soul, turbot and other varieties.
While we were making up our minds, our waitress brought us a basket of freshly-made bread, with a small pot of butter.
I decided to start with the langoustines cooked in a tarragon butter. My wife, meanwhile, opted for the grilled sardines with garlic butter and fennel salad. We were both delighted with our choices.
The langoustines had been cut lengthways and opened out. They were doused in a savoury herb butter, which lifted their natural, delicate flavours. My wife's sardines were a treat. The flavours of butter and garlic were suitable complements and the fresh, punchy salad was a triumph. So far so good.
For my main course, I chose the fillet steak served on a potato rosti with a red wine sauce. It was divine. The steak was served rare, as requested, and was packed with flavour. It was also exceptionally large, making the £20-or-so price good value for money.
The sauce was sweet and piquant. I only wish there'd been more. The rosti, meanwhile, was crisp and helped to absorb the flavours of the meat, red wine sauce and accompanying vegetables. I also ordered a herby side salad, featuring plenty of fresh picked leaves from the Phillips' overflowing garden. It was triumphant.
My wife opted for the whole grilled lemon sole with red pepper and paprika butter. The sole had been cooked on the bone and the flesh was translucent perfection. It was bought to life by the mildly spiced butter, which lifted the fish to a higher level. She purred her approval.
Having gleefully consumed two exceptional courses, served in generous proportions, we could happily have skipped dessert before heading home. But, in the interests of research, we read the dessert menu and made our selections.
My wife's choice of treacle tart with home made custard and a splash of fruit coulis was a winner. The tartness of the fruit coulis cut through the creaminess of the custard. The pastry was beautifully, butterfully short while the treacle filling was rich and sweet.
I chose poached pears with honey ice cream and fudge sauce. The pears were served in a brandy basket that snapped beneath the fork. The honey ice cream combined sweet and creamy flavours while the fudge sauce was utterly indulgent.
Our tummies replenished and our senses sated, we sat back in our chairs and relaxed. We'd enjoyed an exceptional dinner in convivial surrounds where the service was warm and welcoming and the prices the right side of fair.
The Hundred House Inn has worked hard over many years to establish itself as one of Shropshire's finest eating houses. That reputation remains intact and, if anything, it continues to improve.
Stuart Phillips' menus are creative and exciting. There are no fancy tasting portions, or clever egocentric dishes. He specialises in cooking clean, fresh dinners that fill the stomach and delight the tastebuds. Stuart obtains maximum flavour from local ingredients and has an exceptional grasp of taste combinations.
All elements - from the crusty baguettes to the deep, complex sauces and from the home grown vegetables to the dreamy ice cream - are prepared and made on the premises. The venue doesn't need to change. It is the best in its class and deserves the accolades and awards that it continues receive.
If you're looking for fancy dining in plush surrounds with microscopic canapes and tuxedoed waiters and waitresses who curtsey, don't book a table at the Hundred House Inn.
If, however, you want good honest Shropshire food cooked with great flair and technical skill that is served in authentic and traditional surrounds by people wearing a smile, you should book now.
ADDRESS
The Hundred House Inn, Norton, Bridgnorth
01952 730353
MENU SAMPLE
Starters
Tea smoked duck breast with warm pancake of confit duck salad with sesame, orange and ginger (£7.95); Rich chicken liver pate with cream and brandy, served with chutneys and brioche (£5.95)
Main courses
Bresse chicken basted with tarragon butter with potato gratin and girolle and mushroom jus (£16.95); Rack of Shropshire lamb with humous, ginger and sweet pepper with lemon scented jus (£17.95)
Sides
Herby garden salad (£1.95)
Desserts
Caramel rice pudding with fresh blackberries (£4.95); Treacle tart with homemade custard (£4.95); Strawberry meringue, cream and edible flowers (£5.95)
ATMOSPHERE
Great. The Hundred House is a cosy, intimate country inn. It resonates with echoes of country life.
SERVICE
Very good. Staff are honest-to-goodness-do-what-we-can-to-please types who are polite and courteous.
DISABLED FACILITIES
There's a disabled loo and staff assist.
