The Dun Cow, Trench

Reviewer's rating ***

Whenever I review a pub or restaurant, it is rare that instead of concentrating on my meal, the main focus of conversation is on a venue's potential,

.

Let me explain.

Some places are effortlessly good and the food is of such a high standard that I am impressed straight away.

Similarly, other pubs are so poor that the first moments of a meal are an ugly forebear of what is to come.

The Dun Cow in Trench, Telford, is a little bit in the middle - it has all the potential to be a real winner, but the effort just isn't there.

When Claire and I visited a few weeks ago, it was a quiet Tuesday evening and we were the only diners.

To our disappointment, we discovered that it was a carvery night (some of the pub review websites we looked at said it served more).

Thankfully, weekend customers are a little better served, with a four-meat Sunday lunch available, as well as occasional curry or steak nights. But we were hungry and agreed to stay.

The meats on offer were the normal favourites - beef and pork, although they were dry and had seemingly been on the warming shelf for a few hours.

The condition of the meat spoiled our meals a little and although Louis delved in with real enthusiasm, neither Claire nor I were too impressed.

And this is where I have a problem.

With a little bit of effort and care, a good carvery is a real winner with customers, many of whom will be tempted to return by a selection tasty, moist meats.

Clearly, the Dun Cow has great potential and should, in my opinion, stand head and shoulders above many of its neighbouring eateries.

The dining room is well secluded and beautifully decorated, with an atmosphere that is hard to replicate.

I reviewed a nearby pub, of similar size, just 12 months ago and was hugely impressed.

I even gave it four stars - and that is what the Dun Cow should be aiming for.

But, rant over, what about the rest of our meals?

Apart from the meat, the other accompaniments were a relative success. The vegetables, in complete opposition to the meat, were moist and full of flavour. It was the same with the potatoes, stuffing and Yorkshire puddings.

I suppose it could be argued that the carvery was a relative success - if you ignore the actual carvery part.

Perhaps the best part was the price and at £3.50 each, there was little to complain about on that score.

And talking of price, the desserts were a real treat. At just £1 per portion, the owners must be close to making a loss on this part of the meal and I suspect this will change in the near future.

I chose chocolate gateaux, while Claire had apple pie and Louis was served his own little dish of ice-cream. That didn't last long. Some care had been taken in terms of preparation and while my dessert was tasty enough, it was nothing out of the ordinary.

Claire's apple pie, meanwhile, was a bit more of a triumph - there were lots of chunky apple pieces and a covering of lovely thick pastry.

The whole meal came to little over £13, plus drinks, of course.

As I said earlier, the interior of the Dun Cow is a wonderful place and it holds great potential.

The same could be said of the staff, who clearly had the ability to make us feel at home, but just didn't seem to put the extra effort in.

You might have noticed that I have used the term 'potential' more than a few times in this review.

Perhaps that is why I have given the Dun Cow three stars. Usually, it would rate no more than two, but bearing in mind the welcome we received and the possibility for development, I think my rating is justified.

Some might say that wasted potential is a terrible thing, but with a little bit of effort, the Dun Cow might - and I stress might - be able to take on some of the town's big hitters.

ADDRESS

Dun Cow, Trench Road, Telford TF2 7DU

Telephone: 07890 366148

Menu Sample

Food:

Currently, the Dun Cow serves a carvery during the week, consisting of two meats, plus accompaniments. Cost: £3.50.

On Sundays, the Dun Cow serves a four-meat lunch, plus accompaniments and a pudding. Cost: £4.95.

The Dun Cow also holds occasional curry and steak nights, subject to customer demand.

Desserts change, often on a nightly basis, with a hot option available. Cost: £1.

Atmosphere:

Very quiet, as we were the only people eating, although the layout is very open.

Service:

Efficient enough and a little effort goes a long way.

Disabled Facilities:

The whole pub is on one level.