Rating: ***
Pub chains are a much maligned breed - no character, mediocre food, are some of the brickbats thrown at them. But there are times when they come into their own. Find yourself in a strange town and at least you know where you are with a pub chain.
And, when you are looking for somwhere to eat at that strange time betwixt afternoon and evening they can also be a blessing. Which is why I and two colleagues, Suzanne and Vicky, made our way to the Wilfred Owen in Oswestry at 5pm one Monday night to eat before our respective evening meetings.
The Wilfred Owen is part of the JD Wetherspoon chain. It is a company known for transforming the strangest of buildings, from old cinemas to banks and railways stations into its own style of pub with value for money seemingly top of the list of its priorities.
The Wilfred Owen was once the town’s Royal Mail sorting office, not the prettiest of buildings in Willow Street. But when the sorting office moved out of town, Wetherspoon moved in, and with good use of glass frontage turned it into a modern style pub.
Although it is raised above street level, a long ramp allows easy access for everyone. In fact, my own mother-in-law, was apparently spotted driving her mobility scooter up into the pub one Wednesday lunchtime - for a soft drink of course!
We were amazed at how many people were in the Wilfred Owen at 5pm on a Monday night, some enjoying a drink others, like us, looking for food. The restaurant section is at the rear in the non-smoking section.
The menu is large and ranges from a bowl of nachos to share over a drink, to an all day breakfast to a three course meal and children’s meals.
Now this isn’t cordon bleu cooking, it’s honest pub grub at around a fiver a time.
I went for Wetherspoons curry - chicken tikka masala (£5.95) always a safe bet. I was pleasantly surprised by the portion, a large batli dish of curry with plenty of chicken pieces, two crispy poppadums and chutney, rice and nan bread.
The rice was slightly spiced and the poppadums lovely. But oh dear, what happened to the nan bread. I love nan bread, whether bought from the supermarket or the Real McCoy found in Indian restaurants. This was completely inedible, tough as boot leather.
I should have sent it back and am sure I would have had a replacement, but I didnt think there would be enough time to enjoy it and my tikka masala would have gone cold.
We did complain when Vicky’s salsa didn’t arrive with her Veggie burger and she received some immediately, transforming the burger into a tasty treat.
The burger - vegetables not Quorn - arrived in a large bun with chips and a side salad and also a separately ordered side of onion rings for just 60p.
Suzanne was pleased with her chilli. topped with sour cream and served in a bowl with basmati rice and tortilla chips on the side. They chose their meals as part of a meal deal - an amazing £5.99 for the two or just £3 per meal.
The decision to have dessert was a good one. We all chose the same, Eli’s original baked cheesecake (£2.69). The tart rasberry sauce, thankfully swirled on the plate not smoothering the cheesecake, was the perfect complement to the plain but really tasty dessert.
It’s not a pub where you’d go for a special occasion, but after work or at lunchtime, certainly a good deal.
ADDRESS:
The Wilfred Owen, Willow Street, Oswestry
Te: 01691 684910
MENU SAMPLE
Starters:
Chef’s daily selected soup (£2.19); salmon and lime fishcake (£2.29).
Main courses:
Chicken, smoked ham and leek pie with chips, vegetables and gravy (£6.19); five-bean chilli (£5.39); braised lamb shank in a mint and rosemary sauce with mashed potato and vegetables (£6.79).
Sides:
Coleslaw (60p); garlic bread (£1.19).
Desserts:
Apple pie with ice cream or custard (£2.19); chocolate fudge cake (£2.69); treacle sponge with custard (£2.69).
ATMOSPHERE
Strange time of day to judge the atmosphere.
SERVICE
Polite and friendly.
DISABLED FACILITIES
Ramp up to pub, disabled toilets.
SMOKING POLICY
No smoking in food area at the back of the pub.
By Sue Austin
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