The Coach and Horses, Shrewsbury

"People must really hate you," said my dining companion, as we visited The Coach at Horses, in Shrewsbury for a light lunch,

.

As an opening gambit, it took some beating. I smiled, concerned at what she might say next.

"I don't mean everybody," she laughed, realising I'd placed a different interpretation on her remark to the one she intended.

"I mean people in restaurants; cooks, restaurateurs, those sort of people."

Ah, I see.

"They don't know you're visiting and if they have an off-day, well . . ." She breathed in sharply, like a plumber about to answer a customer's question about the size of their bill. The remark hung in the air.

"Let's look at the menu."

It's been a while since I last visited the Coach and Horses, in Shrewsbury. It's location in the centre of town makes it popular with people from all walks of life.

You're as likely to find yourself in conversation with a town solicitor as you are a construction worker who's been fixing the road.

It is divided into two distinct sections, with a bar to the right and a dining room to the left. In many ways, it's a throwback to the way things used to be.

The bar feels like a 'snug' and is populated by couples in quiet corners or men propping up the furnishings, either putting the world to rights or pouring over The Times crossword. "Anyone know what three down is? And I'll have another pint . . ."

The menu puts the 'old' into 'old-fashioned'. There are traditional pub staples, visitors can typically expect steaks, fish and chips, chilli or similar pub fayre.

The Coach and Horses also has a specials board, though customers should not expect anything too fancy. The Coach and Horses isn't the sort of gaffe to serve pan fried scallops with a cauliflower puree and crispy pancetta, or, for dessert, a seasonal beetroot panna cotta with parsnip crisps. My partner and I enjoyed a drink at the bar before being shown to the snug by an uber-industrious waitress.

The woman, in her thirties, was probably the highlight of our lunch. She was providing service to the entire venue, serving customers at the bar, taking orders from guests in the dining room and ferrying plates back and forth. She was a great attribute to the venue, a tireless worker who was friendly and engaging.

If ever disaffected waiters and waitresses from other Shropshire venues need a lesson in customer service, they should head straight to the Coach and Horses to learn how a professional does it. Her service could not be faulted, it was truly impeccable.

My friend and I choose a table in a cosy corner, much the better to enjoy a light-hearted conversation. The Coach and Horses had its work cut out to impress, and not just from this hard-to-please eater. My partner is also a formidable foodie, having once run one of the county's best delis and served as a judge at numerous food contests, including the World Cheese Awards. In her spare time, she's flown to far off hotspots on foodie fact-finding missions – she even wowed Ed Baines, Gilly Goolden and John Burton Race when she appeared on Britain's Best Dish.

We perused the menu and both opted for one of the specials. My friend selected a hearty plate of beef bourguignon served with rice while I opted for local faggots served with mash and onion gravy.

"I just fancy a few chips," I said, revealing to my partner an insatiable craving. The waitress was on to me in a flash. "I'll ask chef if he can do a few chips instead of the mash." He did, and it was heavenly.

My friend enjoyed her bourguignon, which would have been improved with the addition of a richer, deeper sauce. "It's good," she said. "The beef is tender and flavoursome, but it needs a little more liquid."

My faggots were an absolute treat. Offal is a distinctly under-rated component on most menus and I enjoyed every mouthful. The exterior of the faggots had been roasted, so that they were lightly caramelised. The onion gravy was a treat and the chips were wonderfully well-cooked, with crispy golden exteriors hiding hot, fluffy inners.

Our main courses had been so generous that my partner suggested we skip dessert. I demurred and, after gently persuading her of the merits of, say, a good sticky toffee pudding, we ordered. I went for the said pudding, which was a sweet and indulgent treat, while my friend went for the crème brulee with a sweet biscuit.

Both were pretty good, without having a Wow factor. The toffee pudding was dense, filling and utterly calorific, as it should be, while the crème brulee was delightful. The accompanying biscuit was a needless addition and should have had less sugar, but we both enjoyed the lunch.

The Coach and Horses provides exceptional service and pretty good food in pleasant surroundings. It's not the best in the county, but it's well above average.

ADDRESS

The Coach and Horses, Swan Hill, Shrewsbury SY1 1NF

Tel: 01743 365661

Web: www.odleyinns.co.uk/coach-horses

Coach & Horses at a glance:

Food: Classic pub grub. No twists and nothing fancy – just good ol' steak and chips.

You really must try: The faggots – though heavens knows how anyone could eat two in one sitting. Great local food, cooked with skill.

Service: Exceptional. It really doesn't get any better in local pubs. Our waitress was a 10/10

Local/seasonal: Not bad, although this is an area where the pub could easily improve. Local ingredients are advertised, the chef rightly proud of his sourcing policy, but there are plenty more good suppliers who'd welcome his trade.