Reviewer’s rating ****

When Claire and I last ate at the Bell in Tong some years ago, we were both a little richer, both a little thinner and indeed, we were both a little naive.

It was one of the first places we ever reviewed and although it was nice enough, I remember struggling to get my true opinions across in a legible form.

Some might say not much has changed – apart from my weight – so we decided the time had come to return to one of our first haunts.

The Bell’s location, just off the main A41, is perhaps a little unfortunate in terms of heavy traffic, but the interior more than makes up for that.

It has clearly been tastefully extended at some point, with the diners tucked away in quiet little corners, away from the main hustle and bustle.

This can sometimes suck the atmosphere out of any eating experience, but there were enough fellow diners to make up for that.

Thankfully, The Bell still retains the kind of welcoming charm that is hard to replicate in larger chain pubs.

It is these details that really make a difference – such as when Claire discovered that the bread roll with her starter was still frozen in the middle.

Some places would simply shrug it off and offer a simple, but clearly shallow, apology.

Not here.

Our waitress for the evening seemed genuinely sorry and rushed off to admonish the guilty party behind the kitchen doors.

She stopped short of being distraught, but it was obvious that somebody would receive the sharp end of her tongue.

If we didn’t feel so guilty, it would have been great theatre.

But back to the food.

To begin, I chose the cheesy nachos with sour cream and salsa, while Claire went for tomato and basil soup.

For reasons I still cannot fathom, I asked for no sour cream or salsa, so I got nachos. With cheese on them. And that was it.

Not the greatest start to a meal, but I can’t really blame anyone else but myself.

Claire, on the other hand, was again sensible enough to choose the tomato and basil soup.

It wasn’t the most adventurous start to a meal, but she loved its creamy, yet slightly smoky flavour.

As you have already read the mini-drama involving Claire’s bread roll was soon solved to everyone’s satisfaction.

Except that poor soul in the kitchen, of course.

For my main course I went for the chilli sizzler combo, which included rump steak and chicken breast, along with sweet chilli salsa, while Claire had the 10oz gammon steak.

My sizzler arrived, as expected, in a cloud of smoke, steam and noise.

It was probably the loudest arrival for a main course I had ever experienced, and young Louis, sitting just feet away, was determined to get in on the fun.

Clearly, young hands and hot plates do not mix and his reins certainly came in useful.

Once the smoke had subsided, I was left with a hugely tempting pile of beef, chicken and vegetables, all drenched in a sweet chilli salsa.

While the meat was delicious and tender, the sauce was a little too sharp for my uneducated palate.

It didn’t spoil the meal, but I personally would have preferred it to have been just a tiny bit milder.

Claire’s gammon, meanwhile, was a triumph – well, it was as much of a triumph as a simple piece of meat can be.

On the many previous occasions when Claire has had gammon, there has often been a problem with the accompanying fat.

Not here.

This was literally the leanest piece of gammon either of us had ever seen, with just the tiniest piece of fat attached.

It had a superb taste to match and was a truly memorable feature of our night out.

The bill for our meal came to a paltry £30, which included drinks, and was hugely impressive. And although it had been five years since we last ate at The Bell, we certainly will not be leaving it as long until our next visit.

Contact

The Bell, Newport Road, Tong, near Shifnal, TF11 8PS

01952 850210

MENU SAMPLE

Starters

Hot potato wedges (£3.25)

Crunchy chicken tender (£3.95)

Main courses

Chicken tikka masala (£6.50)

Canadian barbecue melt (£7.50)

Desserts

Sticky toffee pudding (£2.95)

Chocolate indulgence sundae (£3.50)

ATMOSPHERE

A little quiet at first, but we were soon joined by plenty of other diners.

SERVICE

Extremely efficient and structured, although at the same time very friendly.

DISABLED FACILITIES

There is access for wheelchairs.