Pub grub: Washford Mill

Jan 24 2008 By Graham Young

THIS was a night out of firsts.

It must have been the first time I'd been in here for 20 years.

It was the first time I'd had some (much missed) liver for almost as long.

And, sadly, we had the first bottle of HP Brown Sauce I'd seen sporting the dreaded words 'Made in the Netherlands'!

Closed for several months after being flooded by the River Arrow last summer, Washford Mill has been beautifully restored. Trouble is, the ladies' flooded again last week!

Indoors, the pub is aiming for the best of both worlds - part carvery, part live restaurant.

Collette took Madison for a roast pork carvery while Holly, Louie and I waited for our kitchen requests.

Our carvery testers hadn't been eating on their own for too long before we caught up, with twin child-sized portions of first class fish and chips and a winter warmer for me.

My liver with pancetta and mash sounded great.

Two slices of pancetta added flavour and texture, but I'd have liked a bit more of that and a touch less liver, as tender and tasty as that was in its rich onion gravy.

The mash was both a strange texture and colour, hence the emergency call for the now Dutch but still fail-safe HP!

Collette's carvery meat was almost stringy enough to build a harp. The roasters were average, the carrots brilliant and the broccoli slightly underdone - a typical carvery compromise, then, complete with Yorkshire puds that were almost big enough to wear as flat caps in the rain outside.

Early evening service was a touch slow for a family with young children, so we passed on the tempting desserts.

The Bill

1 Adult carvery . . . . . . . . . . . . £7.25

1 Carvery (3-12 yrs) . . . . . . . . . .£4.50

2x fish and chips . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£9

1 Lambs liver with mash . . . . .£7.95

2x £1.80 J20 bottles . . . . . . . . .£3.60

1 250ml Chardonnay . . . . . . . .£3.25

1pt Tetley Smooth . . . . . . . . . .£2.30

Total: £37.85

Verdict

PLUS: Characterful inn, friendly staff and a lovely pint of beer.

MINUS: Our table felt claustrophobic thanks to over-bright spotlights in the low ceilings (mind your head everywhere you go) and the proximity of nearby tables.