The Three Horseshoes

Star rating: ****

I’ve been based in Shropshire for nigh-on 20 years now, living or working at some stage in all of the county’s major towns, writes Carl Jones.

But when it comes to exploring the labyrinth of lanes which pump the lifeblood around our wonderful county, I’ve barely scratched the surface.

Just north of Newport, on the A41, is a fingerpost luring visitors down a one-mile track to the village of Sambrook. It was time to add it to the “done” list.

Why? Well for starters, I knew the village had a pub. And not just any old pub, but one proudly featured in the 2008 Good Beer Guide.

There’s nothing like a properly nurtured pint of real ale to wash down a hearty lunch, and The Three Horseshoes treated us to a particularly satisfying combination.

Proprietors Kevin and Lynda Grimston are an honest, hardworking and unpretentious couple who present the village local as a simple, earthy home-from-home.

Chesterfield sofas sit in the small, cosy lounge, the quarry-tiled entrance winds its way to the public bar with its drinkers’ stools and woodburner, and the quaint 24-seater restaurant transports diners back to an era long before the all-conquering franchise juggernaut squashed the character out of many a community boozer.

Here, there’s a Shropshire Star on the bar, BBC Radio Shropshire adding colour to the lunchtime atmosphere, well-worn dartboard in the corner - and, if you’re after a quick bargain, one of the locals is advertising a cut-price goose- and chicken-house on the public service notice board.

This is the real Shropshire. In a pub like this, you’d expect no-nonsense food, and it’s exactly what you get. Good-quality fare served swiftly, with a smile, and in ample-sized portions.

It wasn’t Kevin or Lynda who welcomed us as we opened the door, in fact, but their chief meeter-and-greeter called Ben - a fun-loving, happy-go-lucky black spaniel puppy.

After checking our pockets to see if we had any treats (how did he know we always kept emergency supplies for our greedy Labrador?), he allowed us safe passage.

Awaiting us was a menu full of tried-and-tested classics - steaks from fillet to T-bone, plaice, breaded scampi, surf ‘n’ turf, broccoli bake for the veggies, and light bites such as sausage and chips, omelettes, and turkey dinosaurs for the kids.

Just as the menu described it…”the traditional taste of home-cooked food in the heart of the Shropshire countryside”.

We started with a shared plate of deep-fried brie and quince jelly - three good-sized chunks of crisp and melt-in-the mouth flavour.

For my main course, I chose the Three Horseshoes Burger on the basis that, since they allocated a whole page in the menu to describing it, it must be good. It was. Two four-ounce cheddar-topped burgers in a toasted chargrilled bun, with side garnish, homemade coleslaw and hand-cut chips for £5.25.

I only just managed to finish it. My wife Rachel went for scampi with side vegetables and chips, and was rewarded with 12 scampi pieces, well cooked veg, and more of those fabulous chips like my mum used to make.

For dessert, we could have chosen from a £2.95 selection of sticky toffee pud, treacle sponge, lemon tiramisu or apple-and-blackberry crumble, but opted for a cafetire of coffee instead. The whole bill, including drinks, came to less than £24.

The Three Horseshoes is not a pub with airs or graces, but a homely watering house which is the very essence of what a village pub should be - a hub for drinking, eating, gossiping and the occasional game of darts.

A loyal supporter of local brewers, it allowed me to sample a deliciously light pint of Shropshire Gold from The Salopian Brewery at the equally featherweight price of £2.10.

In a marketing-driven world where spin doctors are twisting us round in circles, Sambrook’s historic watering hole is a refreshing grass-roots antidote. And an incentive to explore more mysterious country lanes.

MENU SAMPLE:

Starters: Soup of the day (£2.65); pate (£3.75); melon (£2.65).

Main courses: Eight-ounce fillet steak (£10.75); surf ‘n’ turf (£8.20); breaded scampi (£7.25); plaice (£7); sweet-and-sour chicken (£7); ciabatta with garlic mushrooms (£6.75).

Light bites: Sausage, egg and chips (£3.75); three-egg omelette (£5); turkey dinosaurs (£2.95).

Atmosphere: Full of local character, and very dog-friendly.

Service: Friendly, swift and informal.

Disabled facilities; Some steps, and corridors narrow.

Contact: The Three Horseshoes, Sambrook, near Newport. Telephone (01952) 551133