Sometimes it is nice to stop off for a bite to eat, instead of eating (and washing up) at home. After a hard day’s work, there are a few things better than letting someone else do the cooking.
That was very much the mood when my fiancee Claire and I decided to forego the kitchen chores and eat out at teatime for a change - at the Euston Way in Telford.
We had experienced a rather average meal there a few years earlier and following an extensive refit, we wanted to see whether our opinions deserved to change.
Perhaps just a little.
Although the interior has been impressively re-modelled, as has the menu, we just didn’t feel at home.
That, perhaps, is the biggest fault with many of today’s expansive food pubs - try as they might, they just don’t offer that cosy atmosphere.
And the food, unfortunately, doesn’t offer the sparkle that it so easily could.
With a menu that features such varied delights as chicken tikka and square pie, there are few excuses for dishes that do not do it justice.
For starters, I went for the Brie, while Claire chose the leek and potato soup.
Although I had been looking forward to some nice, melted Brie to go with my warm, crusty bread, the reality was not the same.
The bread was indeed warm and crusty, but the cheese largely failed to live up to expectations. Indeed, I was left posing question: “Is it supposed to taste this average?”
Claire’s leek and potato soup seemed to be on a similar level. While she chose the diplomatic route and told me it was simply “okay”, I suspect that is as far as it went.
Usually, she will rave when something catches her taste buds - and this was not one of those occasions.
The main courses, it has to be said, offered little new. Feeling buoyed by the different options available, I went for the chicken tikka masala.
For someone who only ever treats themselves to spicy food after a night out with the lads, this was something of a change - especially with Claire sitting opposite.
As is tradition, there were plenty of meaty chicken chunks, but the sauce was just a little bit of a disappointment.
It would be most unfair to call the whole course bland, although my expectations were quite a bit higher than the reality. Nevertheless, it filled a sizeable hole and gave me the ideal excuse to sit back and pat my growing stomach.
Just across the table, Claire was left thoroughly impressed by her sausage-filled Yorkshire pudding. Unsurprisingly, it featured a collection of impressive-looking sausages and a simple serving of gravy.
The Yorkshire pudding was, I am told, a crunchy delight and did a superb job of satisfying her appetite.
As with myself, she had been champing at the bit after being let down by a slightly disappointing starter.
Having completed our main courses, we decided to forego the desserts and take in just a little of the atmosphere.
Or lack of it.
Bearing in mind that it is located next to a hotel for business travellers, there seemed to be a lack of any real “localism”.
It may well have been an off day for local diners, but there seemed to be nothing to distinguish it from anywhere else in the country.
This, perhaps, is a shame, as the staff tried their hardest to make our experience that little bit more individual.
But with an atmosphere that falls far short of home, it was a fighting battle from the start.
ADDRESS
Euston Way, Telford.
Tel: 01952 201075
MENU SAMPLE
Starters
Smoked haddock and leek fishcake (£3.99), Mussels (£4.99)
Main courses
Beef, mushroom and onion square pie (£6.99), Chilli, lime and coriander chicken (£6.99)
Desserts
Warm pecan tart (£3.50), Lemon and poppy seed torte (£3.75)
ATMOSPHERE
Very quiet and unfortunately rather lifeless for an average teatime.
SERVICE
Efficient enough, but little that would make you remember any more than the basics.
DISABLED FACILITIES
There are disabled toilet facilities and access available.
SMOKING POLICY
Smoking is only allowed in parts of the bar area.
By James Shaw
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