Church Wicketts, Dawley, Telford

Star rating: *** There are plenty of pubs in the Telford area that I remember well from my younger days, writes James Shaw.

Indeed, this job allows me to visit many of them and decide whether those schoolboy myths were really justified.

The Church Wicketts is one of those places - a pub I passed every day on my long walk to school.

Just what lay within those hallowed walls as I trudged along the border of Malinslee and Dawley?

For the first time, my wife Claire and I, along with The Little One - thankfully asleep for once - decided to explore the myth I had generated.

In the best of traditions, reality did not live up to the legend. But it certainly went a long way.

The pub has clearly been renovated a number of times over recent years and has a bright, airy conservatory for diners, along with some dark corners.

It was a wet and windy day when we visited, so we were glad to decamp in the main part of the pub.

The first thing we noticed was the lively banter on both sides of the bar - an attraction sorely missing from so many "eateries" these days.

Thankfully, the personality has not been sucked out by a desire for so-called family dining.

You know the kind of thing - a quiet, refined eating experience where you can hear a pin drop, such is the lack of atmosphere.

Not here, although many signs of family dining were there. Especially on the menu.

For my starter, I chose a hearty serving of chilli nachos, while Claire went for the potato skins.

It was an encouraging start.The nachos were typically dry and crispy, while the chilli was just spicy enough to tingle my taste buds as I prepared for my main course.

No need to gulp down pints of water and spoil my appetite.

Unsurprisingly, Claire's potato skins contained cheese and bacon - a winning combination that bore all the hallmarks of her favourite dish. The potato was light and fluffy, while the cheese and bacon added much-needed flavour.

For my main course, I selected the Hunter's Chicken, while Claire went for something a little different.

Her choice of Yorkshire Wrap was something neither of us had come across before, but it appeared to be a worthy risk.

Typically, the dish was a Yorkshire pudding filled with roast beef, but wrapped into a sort of kebab form.

It wasn't the most obvious way to prepare and cook a Yorkshire pudding, although all the boxes were ticked.

The roast beef was warm and plentiful, while the Yorkshire pudding wrap had not suffered from being twisted during the post-cooking process.

My Hunter's Chicken did not provide quite the same level of joy, but it went a long way nevertheless.

The chicken was cooked well enough, as was the bacon, but it just did not appear to be 100 per cent.

The bacon, for example, just seemed to fall off the chicken breast all too easily, although the barbecue sauce was superb.

The chips and vegetables provided a worthy accompaniment and made sure I went home rant-free.

But what was the highlight of our visit to the Church Wicketts?

Well, that's easy - the bill.

The pub's deal of two main courses for £8 meant that even with drinks and starters, the bill was a shade over £20.

ADDRESS

The Church Wicketts, Church Road, Dawley, Telford.

Tel - 01952 506825

MENU SAMPLE

Starters

Chilli chicken batons (£2.65); House platter to share (£5.25)

Main courses

British beef and ale pie (£5.75); Fish and chips (£5.65)

Desserts

Chocolate brownies (£2.95); Chocolate and orange puddle pudding (£2.65)

ATMOSPHERE

Relaxed, but with a healthy and boisterous atmosphere

SERVICE

Friendly and attentive

DISABLED FACILITIES

There are disabled toilet facilities with access