Star rating: **** These days, you almost take it for granted that pubs will serve some kind of food. But it’s not an assumption you’re wise to make in the north Shropshire market town of Wem, writes carl Jones.
With tax on a pint of ale going through the roof, rustling up a hearty meal is the only way for pubs to make any decent cash and pull in the punters, isn’t it? Seemingly not.
First off, we set foot in The Castle, fondly remembering the working lunches it used to offer in years gone by.
No joy - they don’t do food any more. It was the same story in the next two pubs we set foot in . . . old fashioned drinkers’ bars where a strictly liquid lunch is on the menu.
So it was with a mixture of growing hunger and great relief that we finally rolled up on the car park of The Albion, just a stone’s throw from the railway station, to find folk of all ages tucking into healthy, honest fare.
The Albion is a jack-of-all-trades place. It has a decent selection of beers, a cosmopolitan clientele, community events from poker nights and quizzes to book-swapping services, and a fairly traditional lunch menu which won’t crunch your credit.
My wife’s grandmother, who we were treating to an afternoon adventure, isn’t one for nouvelle cuisine. She knows what she likes, and likes what she knows. Usually, that involves a no-nonsense helping of fish and chips, topped off with vanilla ice cream!
Happily, The Albion came up trumps. It has a very popular lunchtime “lighter bite” menu which offers either a starter and main course, or a main course and dessert, for just £4.95. You could barely cook it at home for that price! I started with chicken tikka, rice and miniature naan bread off the light bite selection, which was a good sized, piping hot, and tasty portion.
Grandmother Betty went, of course, for battered fish, chips and peas. Judging by the lack of food left on the plate, it lived up to her fairly exacting requirements. My wife Rachel veered off to the main menu, where scampi and chips in a basket as a main course was priced at £4.95. A tried and tested dish with an old fashioned twist, the dozen scampi pieces and chunky, fluffy chips hit the mark.
In some pubs, cut-price special menus mean slimmed-down portions. This was not the case at The Albion. There was little difference between the size of my dish, on the cheaper menu, and Rachel’s scampi. We’ve had smaller meals for much higher prices at other pubs in the past.
Our dessert choice was, I’m afraid, unadventurous. Betty tucked into her usual vanilla ice cream, and we followed suit. On the light bite menu, there were three other options we could have chosen - apple and blackberry pie, apple pie, or funky banana cheesecake.
The lighter bite menu is just one small part of The Albion’s food offering. The main menu, has a “two dine for £10.99″ section where main course choices range from spicy chicken burgers and BBQ chicken to hot salads with garlic bread, lasagne, and three fish dishes accompanied by mushy peas.
From the grill, there’s rump steak at £10.95, steak and ribs for £14.95, and Cajun chicken at £8.95, all served with chips, onion rings, grilled tomato, mushrooms and peas, plus hot sandwiches and baguettes from bacon and sausage to chicken and Stilton.
Desserts to tempt diners on the main menu include After Eight or Malibu Desert Island sundae for adults only (£4.95), banana split (£3.95), and chocolate nut sundae (£3.95).
Interestingly, the front page of pub’s main menu describes The Albion as being in Shrewsbury, not Wem. Are they ashamed of their home patch, or just guilty of a printing error? Surely the latter, but we didn’t ask.
One thing which certainly is accurate, is the house food policy which states: “We serve food and beverages in a comfortable, clean and relaxed environment.”
No arguments there. Service was cheerful, friendly, and very swift, even though there were plenty of other diners. We ordered at the bar and paid in advance, and our food was with us in about five minutes.
And however misleadingly the location is described, it’s clear that people have no problem finding it. There were lots of regulars in attendance both at the meal tables and round the bar, and not many spaces were free when we walked in unannounced, shortly before 1.30pm on this particular Friday.
So it doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to unearth two important clues . . . repeat business means satisfied customers, and unlike us, you’re probably advised to ring ahead and book.
Otherwise, you may have to settle for a bag of pork scratchings a few hundred yards down the road.
ADDRESS
The Albion Inn, Aston Street, Wem.
Tel: 01939 233933
MENU SAMPLE
Starters
Tomato and basil soup with roll and butter, Curried sweet potato balls, Potato wedges with garlic dip (all part of the £4.25 lighter bite special deal)
Main courses
Jumbo battered haddock (£6.95); Smokey BBQ chicken (£5.95); Surf and turf (£14.95); Chicken New Yorker “steak topper” (£11.95); Jacket potatoes - choice of seven fillings (£4.25)
Desserts
Chocolate nut sundae, Banana split, Lemon lush, Mint chocolate sundae, Knickerbocker glory (all £3.95); Fruit pie or pudding (£2.50)
ATMOSPHERE
Bustling and friendly.
SERVICE
Speedy, and with a smile.
DISABLED FACILITIES
There are some steps from the rear entrance, and sloping floors inside the pub.
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