New Inn, Hookagate

Star rating: *** Andy Richardson praises an honest-to-goodness village inn

Publicans across the region paint a pretty gloomy picture when you ask them to peer into their crystal ball. The pub trade has been hit, they say, by increased prices, higher taxes and falling revenues. Pubs can't compete with drink-at-home boozers because supermarket prices are so low.

At the New Inn, in Hookagate, they've found a way to fight back. Its bar is always busy, serving as a quasi community centre for local drinkers and workers, while its nothing-fancy restaurant is packing them in despite the recession.

My wife and I have visited the New Inn on a number of occasions. It's always a similar story. The food is served in gargantuan portions that would make your average Texan farmer blanch. It's simply cooked, well sourced and moderately priced.

We made our most recent visit on a Saturday evening and were glad to have arrived reasonably early.

By 8pm the dining room was full, with not a table to spare, though our food had long been ordered and was on its way to us.

Experience has taught us not to even attempt three courses because the portions are simply too large. So, we skipped straight to the menu's list of main courses. I went for the daily special, wittily titled Breakfast In A Bun.

It was supposed to feature the following: black pudding, burger, sausage, bacon, egg, mushroom and tomato. The accompaniment was listed as baked beans and saute potatoes and it cost around £8. Even for this lover of the great British fry up, it was too much, so I asked for a slimmed down version.

"What, no tomato, beans or egg," the waitress asked, quizzically. "Would you like anything else instead?" I explained that I'd struggle to eat it all, but she gave me a look that suggested I might be speaking an indecipherable language.

When my food eventually arrived, the kitchen had used its initiative and added an extra burger to the towering plate. "Here it is," said the waitress. "Now, can we get you anything else?" Erm, how about a bed at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and a triple heart bypass.

The food was, of course, brilliant. The ingredients had all been sourced from a local butcher who, in turn, had obtained his meat from local farmers. I wolfed down the lot, though when I got home the scales indicated that I was two pounds heavier!

My wife, sensibly, opted for a less challenging meal. She chose a burger and chips, which came with onion rings, a mountain of melted cheese and garnish of salad. Somehow, she managed to pack the lot into her still-slim frame.

After a pause, we deliberated desserts. There was a 'we shouldn't, we can't, it's wrong' conversation before we dived in. My wife was thrilled with her strawberry meringue while I polished off my rhubarb and almond tart with fresh cream before rolling back to the car, wondering how I'd still fit into my work suits.

The New Inn doesn't do posh and it doesn't do fancy. It does, however, do great value, great ingredients, simple and honest pub grub as well as any other outlet in the county town.

It's run by a pair of publicans who are passionate about local produce and about providing good value for money in a rural area where every penny counts.

It has built a strong reputation over many years and that will endure because it is a consistent and impressive eaterie where attention to detail and customer service are as important as the food on the plate.

Customers who visit want good, honest plain Shropshire food and that is exactly what they get. It's a friendly, unintimidating place where families are always given a warm welcome.

The true test of any eaterie is, of course, whether its customers return. My wife and I have been there three times and will doubtless return.

First, though, I have to work off that extra weight I put on when I foolishly chose the towering, monstrous and wonderfully meaty Breakfast In A Bun.

MENU SAMPLE

Starters

Pan-fried mushrooms (£3.50)

Black pudding in pepper sauce (£3.50)

Main courses

14oz rump steak (£11.95)

Beef stroganoff (£12.50)

Desserts

Rhubarb and apple fool (£2.25)

Profiteroles (£2.25)

ATMOSPHERE

Marvellous. It's an honest-to-goodness place where there's plenty of banter and chat.

SERVICE

A strongpoint. It's warm, honest and sincere, rather than refined.

DISABLED FACILITIES

There are few steps and staff help.

Contact

The New Inn, Hookagate, near Shrewsbury. Tel: 01952 860223