The Herbert Arms at Chirbury

Reviewer's rating **** Sophie Bignall and her husband sing the praises of fine food in a countryside setting.

There is food, good food, excellent food, and superb food. And then there is the sort of food that is extraordinary, and makes you think, 'wow, this chef is a magician'.

They certainly work magic in the kitchen at the Herbert Arms in Chirbury.

It's an eye-opener.

The attractive and imposing Georgian building on the outskirts of Chirbury boasts of being a "traditional village pub on the Powys/Shropshire border".

I have driven past it for years en route to Manchester and never had time to stop, and I've always assumed it was a typical rural pub offering a pint, and hearty food with chips. But my husband and I found that appearances can be deceptive.

And as we stood outside admiring the fine facade, I was tickled to see, above the door, in the space normally reserved for the name of the licensee, a sign saying "The Frenchman and the Farmer's Daughters". That was our first clue that this was not your average village pub.

Entering a light, airy bar, with a merry band of regulars who had popped in for a post-work pint, we were soon ushered into the dining room, a big, attractive, characterful period room with a lovely oak floor and well-spaced tables that provide plenty of privacy.

It was rather noisy, full of people eating, drinking and having fun. The wooden floor probably accentuates the noise, but it would be criminal to cover it, for it adds greatly to the style and charm of the place.

The staff were absolutely splendid: polite, attentive but never intrusive.

We were shown to our table, which had very comfortable classic leather chairs and crisp cloth napkins, the sort of small details that make all the difference.

We started with drinks. I chose, as usual, a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, and my husband, who was driving, chose a half of Stella Artois. The wine was excellent, bursting with flavour, and as soon as we scanned the menu we realised we were in for a real treat. There is such a choice of wonderful dishes that one struggled to decide.

For starters, I chose the vintage Cheddar cheese soufflé with red pepper salsa, and my husband went for his favourite, scallops, which came with a beetroot puree and a honey-and-lemon dressing.

The soufflé was absolutely the best I have ever tasted. It had a crisp cheesy crust and a super-light fluffy inside. The cheese gave it a perfect subtle flavour without being overpowering, and was a perfect partner for the red-pepper salsa.

It was delicious, melt-in-the-mouth heaven, and eating it has encouraged me to have another go at making soufflé at home, after years of failed attempts. I doubt very much that I'll achieve anything like this one!

The scallops, according to my husband, who adores them, were the stuff of dreams. He's had them in all kinds of ways, usually with something like a drizzle of olive oil and some herbs.

This time he was ecstatic. He said the beetroot puree with honey-and-lemon dressing gave the scallops a whole new dimension, and he couldn't remember when he'd ever tasted anything better.

A trip to the toilets revealed tidy, if tiny, facilities, not terribly posh but clean, with soap, very nice hand cream and everything you might need.

Having to negotiate the toilets in a wheelchair might be tricky, but the staff are so nice and so keen to assist that I'm sure they would do everything they could to help.

Our main courses also proved to be absolutely stunning. We recently had a holiday in France during which we had some particularly memorable meals, but we both agreed that this was probably the best meal we had had for a long time.

My husband went for the roast breast of duck, crushed potato, poached peach and raspberry jus and he said it was marvellous. He had been asked how he liked his duck, and it came exactly as requested, crisp on the outside, succulent inside, with just a hint of pink.

Normally he is not particularly enthusiastic about fruit with main courses, but he said this was so perfect, the peaches not too sharp but subtly cancelling out any slight oili-ness in the duck, that he thoroughly enjoyed it.

My main course consisted of grilled artichoke and summer vegetables with goat's cheese and pesto dressing.

It was sublime. That's all I can say.

The flavours were just second to none, quite heavenly, and I ate every last crumb.

There was a gorgeous selection of puddings, very tempting indeed, but neither of us has a sweet tooth and we decided to share a selection of English and Welsh cheeses, which were excellent.

We liked the fact that plenty of time was allowed between courses, with no hint of hurry. One of the best things about the meal was that, as well as being totally outstanding cuisine, everything was very clearly made from scratch. Another thing we liked was that there was not too much of it.

Too often nowadays restaurateurs go for quantity rather than quality. It was nice to leave a restaurant feeling totally satisfied instead of disgustingly full and bloated.

I have to say that this was one of the most delicious meals we have had for a long time, so it was no surprise to discover that the couple who run the Herbert Arms, Stephane Borie and his wife Sarah, met while working at Michel Roux's famous Waterside Inn in Bray, Berkshire.

Stephane started as a commis and left as a senior sous chef seven years later. Sarah, after three years at the Waterside, established her business as a freelance private chef until the arrival of their daughter in 2007.

The couple took over the Herbert Arms nearly a year ago together with Sarah's younger sister Kathryn.

The pub's website says: "We share passion for food, friendly service and people enjoying their local."

That's exactly what you get at the Herbert Arms. For a meal out that is really memorable, I can't recommend it too highly.

Already, in just under a year, the place is a huge success. It was packed, and when we commented to the waitress that it was a very busy night, she smiled and said it was like that every night.

We will go back, for sure. This is definitely a very special restaurant, and I think Stephane, Sarah and Kathryn have got everything absolutely right.

It's still a traditional local, but with absolutely tip-top, amazing food, surprisingly at a very reasonable price.

MENU SAMPLE

STARTERS

Salad of seared scallops, beetroot puree with honey-and-lemon dressing (£9)

Vintage Cheddar cheese soufflé with red pepper salsa (£6.50)

Smoked salmon mousse with crisp leaves and lemon vinaigrette (£6.50)

MAIN COURSES

Roast breast of duck, crushed potato, poached peach and raspberry jus (£14)

Fillet of beef, garlic fondant potato, wild mushrooms and red wine jus (£22)

Grilled artichoke and summer vegetables with goat¹s cheese and pesto dressing (£10.50)

DESSERTS

Dark chocolate and caramalised walnut delice with local ice cream (£5)

Vanilla panna cotta with berries (£5)

A selection of English and Welsh cheeses (£6)

Freshly brewed coffee with home-made chocolates and fudge (£2.25)

ATMOSPHERE

Lively, warm and sociable

SERVICE

Second to none

DISABLED FACILITIES

There is access for people in a wheelchair to the bar area, but step up into the dining room. No disabled toilets, but staff are willing to help.

Contact

The Herbert Arms, Chirbury, Montgomery, Powys. Tel: 01938 561216