Reviewer’s rating ****

Pre-conceptions can sometimes be a terrible thing. Take my thoughts on The Bridge, at Trench, Telford, for example.

For some years, I had seen it as a pub to be avoided – not the sort of location that would deserve more than a few stars as a rating.

But, inevitably, I was wrong.

Over the last year or so, as I have driven past, the exterior has transformed from a typically drab colour to something that promises a little more.

Most people will know what I am talking about – add a lick of pastel paint, some new signs and, suddenly, it all looks a little brighter.

A huge number of other pubs have tried the same thing and not really made a difference.

But would that be the case when Claire and I called in with our son Louis?

Although it was early evening on St Patrick’s Day – that most raucous drinking day of the year – there was little sign of rowdiness. Indeed, it all seemed a tad too quiet.

The menu offered all you would expect from a larger chain pub, which has both good and bad points.

While there is the obvious benefit of cheaper mass-brought food, diners miss out on the individual, unique charm of smaller eateries.

Nevertheless, the menu offered all the usual options – mixed grill, scampi and lots of burgers.

For my main course, I went for chilli and nachos, while Claire plumped for the roast beef dinner. Louis was happy enough with his thumb, thankfully.

Bearing in mind chilli is one of my favourites, it disappeared all too quickly and suddenly, I was staring at an empty plate.

It was, however, all a little bit too standard and nothing out of the ordinary.

The high point was the huge pile of nachos and cheese that came as an accompaniment. Very, very naughty, but nice!

Claire’s roast beef dinner was, by all accounts, something of a triumph.

The meat was tender, juicy and far removed from the dry and tough offerings to be found in many pubs.

Other accompaniments were nicely cooked, but paled into insignificance when compared to the delicious meat.

From that high point, any dessert chosen by Claire would have a hard to act to follow, whereas I was even harder to please.

But first, we took a look around. The pub has clearly been heavily renovated in the recent past and does a good job of separating the drinkers and the diners.

The bar area is set off away from main dining section and, although there is some inevitable cross-over, the two groups exist happily together.

Perhaps that is why we found it so quiet on St Patrick’s day.

The desserts were very much in the same mould as the main courses – a nice enough treat to finish our meal, but not really spectacular.

Typically, I chose the chocolate brownie, while Claire was tempted by the apple pie, with custard.

My brownie brought back memories of my schooldays – no, not ugly and tasteless, but a delight I thought had been lost forever.

I found once again one of my favourites – a crispy shell, then a soft, chewy centre with lots of chocolate sauce.

Once again, not the greatest advert for healthy living. Claire’s apple pie was of equal measure.

Underneath the thick pastry, she discovered plenty of chunky apple pieces and was happy enough to eat it with lashings of custard.

But what was our biggest memory of The Bridge, a pub that has been transformed over recent years? That’s easy.

As the pub has developed, so has my waistline. And judging by the feeling of guilt as I left, that development has continued apace.

Time the dust off the treadmill.

By James Shaw

MENU SAMPLE

Starters

Garlic bread (£1.25)

Soup of the day (£1.95)

Main courses

Golden fried scampi (£4.85)

16oz rump steak (£7.95)

Desserts

Raspberry cheesecake (£2.35)

Chocolate fudgecake (£2.35)

ATMOSPHERE

Very quiet in the main eating area, although the separate drinking section accounts for this.

SERVICE

Efficient enough – nothing to complain about.

DISABLED FACILITIES

There is access for wheelchairs and toilets

Contact

The Bridge, Bridge Road, Trench, Telford. Telephone (01952) 613663