Star Rating: **** When your local gets a makeover it has to be the perfect excuse to go along and sample the changes and more importantly to see if it has retained what makes it special.

Thankfully I can report that the makeover at the Red Lion in Ellesmere has seen changes for the better. That is unless, of course, you are a smoker.

Although the Red Lion has always been a firm favourite for value-for-money pub grub it had always seemed to have more than its far share of smokers around the bar.

On the eve of the No Smoking rules coming in at pubs across England licensee Mike threw a party unlike any other which made it on to the YouTube internet site. It culminated in the smokers drowning their sorrows in their own smog and a mass midnight stub out.

Then as they sorrowfully made their way home, a team of painters and decorators moved in for an incredible overnight revamp. The pub was stripped down and, in the wee small hours, walls were painted, furniture was recovered, and new curtains were hung.

By opening time on the Sunday no-one would ever have guessed that cigarettes once had a place within the ‘Red’.

The makeover has also made the pub seem more spacious and airy and, of course, eating is now even more of a pleasure.

I have said before you are not going to get haute cuisine and certainly not nouvelle cuisine at the Red Lion. But you are going to get excellent value, tasty grub and lots of it.

And whether it is lunchtime or the evening, you can opt to go the whole hog and have a three-course meal, or something from the not so hungry menu, whether Lite Bites such as a 4oz rump steak with chips and peas, for just £3.95 or jacket potatoes, sandwiches or wraps, all under £4.

We passed on the starters during a recent family visit, knowing just how good the main portions are.

However we could not resist a plate of garlic bread to keep us going while we waited for the main course. When they arrived everyone was pleased.

Melvyn decided to be the he-man and try the Red Lion’s famous Mix Grill which arrived on what looked like a serving platter.

For £8.95 he contentedly munched his way through gammon, rump steak, pork loin, lamb chop, sausage, black pudding, mushrooms, fried egg, onion rings, chips and peas – enough meat to have normally lasted a week. Oh, there was just one thing he couldn’t manage, the tomato ended up on my plate.

I spied the chicken stuffed with black pudding, smothered with a Stilton sauce for £8.85. Now I normally shy away from chicken breast, often too dry for me. But the black pudding, seemingly the in-food for chefs, gave it a more moist and flavoursome taste and there was plenty of tasty Stilton sauce.

I also opted for a jacket potato with sour cream rather than the chips or new potatoes, something just a little different.

Sophie loved her chicken sizzler, £7.95, arriving on a hot skillet sounding just like its name and with a her favourite sweet and sour sauce, half rice and half chips.

And Joe was delighted with his big burger, £5.95, a double beef burger with cheese and bacon, mayo and tomato, chips and salad on the side.

We needed a healthy time-out between our meal and even the possibility of a pudding.

Mel admitted defeat, the Mix Grill had finished him off. Joe too was also too full even for ice-cream.

But us girls simply couldn’t resist the puddings and both went for the lumpy bumpy pie, £2.95. It had obviously been bought in but well chosen, a decadent mix of chocolate and toffee, hard and soft textures.

Don’t be put off by the meat based menu – the Red Lion always impresses with its specials board which includes a range of vegetarian choices.

A vegetarian couple from Oswestry recently told me they enjoyed the Red Lion because they could always find something different on the specials board.

For good value pub food this is the nearest I have been to giving that magic five stars.

ADDRESS
The Red Lion, Church Street, Ellesmere, SY12 0HP

Telephone (01691) 622632

MENU SAMPLE
Starters
Black pudding stack with bacon and egg (£3.75); Jalapeno peppers stuffed with cream cheese (£3.25); salmon and dill fishcakes with sour cream and salad (£3.75).

Main courses
Hunters chicken topped with bacon, BBQ sauce and melted cheese (£9.50); duck in plum sauce sizzler £8.50; 8oz rump steak (£7.45).

Desserts
Hot chocolate fudge cake; lemon sponge with custard, cream or ice-cream; toffee cheesecake (all £2.95).

ATMOSPHERE
Informal and friendly.

SERVICE
With a smile!

DISABLED FACILITIES
There is a ramp into the pub from outside and tables and the toilets on that level.

By Sue Austin