Ye Olde Bullring Tavern, Ludlow

Reviewer's rating ***There is plenty of fabulous, posh and even pretentious food about in Ludlow, writes Sophie Bignell. But what if you just fancy some good old-fashioned home cooking?

Steak and chips or liver and onions, followed by good old spotted dick and custard, anyone? Well, if that's your kind of food, Ye Olde Bullring Tavern in the heart of this picturesque market town won't disappoint.

It's one of those places I have often meant to try, but I admit to having been deterred in the past by a suspicion that the menu was burgers and chips with everything.

That's fine if you like it, but it's not really me. For a start, I'm a vegetarian. And I prefer quality to quantity. But I got a pleasant surprise when we decided to drop in for a quick pre-theatre meal early on a Friday night.

The pub itself certainly is amazing. It's believed to be the oldest existing public house in Ludlow. The building, which dates from the 14th century, is right in the heart of the historic town.

In the lounge there is splendid ancient oak panelling around the fireplace. Real history is something you seriously cannot fake. The restaurant area is light and airy, with not too many tables crammed in, giving diners a sense of privacy. Around the room are pleasant settees and armchairs where people can relax in comfort and chat.

We were greeted by a pleasant, jolly bartender who went out of his way make sure we had everything we wanted. We enjoyed a drink while we scanned the menu. I had a J2O while my husband went for a bottle of chilled Stella Artois.

He was pleased that the barman asked if he wanted a glass and proceeded to pour the drink for him. It's a small detail, but it's surprising how many pubs these days plonk a bottle down in front of you and expect you to slurp from it.

I was slightly disappointed by the lack of choice on the menu for vegetarians. Of the four choices for starters, two contained meat and a third contained mushrooms, which are not a favourite of mine, so I was forced to go for the soup, which fortunately was vegetable. My husband could not resist the pate, a favourite of his.

When the starters arrived, we were utterly stunned. Plates of food arrived that could have served quite well as main courses. I was presented with a large bowl of delicious, hot, flavoursome soup and not one, but two crusty rolls and butter.

My husband, meanwhile, was served a good-sized ramekin of pate which he thought had a very pleasant hint of horseradish, and eight (yes, eight!) bits of hot brown toast. His plate was also garnished with an absolutely mouthwatering salad of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and slices of orange. Despite its size, it was so good he ate the lot.

Although I dislike waste, I deliberately held back from finishing my delicious soup and bread, for I had a feeling that the feasting would not end here and that the main courses would be equally generous.

In the meantime, I took a quick trip to the toilets and found them to be satisfactory. I suppose if I were to be hyper-critical I might say the decor could do with a bit of a freshen-up, but generally the place is clean and all the essentials are at hand.

When I returned to our table I was in for another big, and I mean big, shock. The main courses had arrived and boy, did we know it! The plates looked amazing, groaning with food. My vegetable lasagne, chips and salad could easily have lasted me for three days, and that is no exaggeration.

It looked and tasted wonderful. The lasagne was cheesy, the chips crispy and the salad beautifully colourful. But for me, the size was enormously off-putting. I knew before I even began that there was no way I was going to manage to eat even half of what was on the plate.

My husband, who has a hearty appetite and can polish off a good meal with the best of them, agreed. His liver and onions, with potatoes and vegetables, was equally daunting. There was a whole dish full of liver, plenty of both new and roast potatoes, and a separate large dish of vegetables. He said the liver was really tasty, and came with plenty of delicious onion gravy.

He managed to eat almost all of it, but he could manage only one or two of the new and roast potatoes and a sample of each of the five vegetables: peas, broccoli, sprouts, carrots and french beans. It was all perfectly cooked, and very enjoyable, but you would have had to have had a gargantuan appetite to do it justice.

My husband is a fan of spotted dick, and would certainly have ordered it had he had room. When we asked the barman who collected our still-full plates whether anyone actually ever managed to eat all of their meals, he replied with a grin: "Occasionally."

"Better too much than too little," we were told when we commented on the size of the meals. And for sure, if you a really hearty eater, and want good, wholesome, tasty food and good value, the Tavern would be very hard to beat.

With my meal I had a glass of Merlot which proved to be smooth and flavoursome and just hit the spot. No non-alcoholic lager is available, which is a pity, leaving drivers limited to sweet soft drinks.

There was a further surprise when we came to pay the bill. It came to just over £30, a bargain for two big starters, two huge main meals and two or three drinks.

One minor hitch came as I tried to pay with plastic, for the pub doesn't accept cards, so be warned that a quick trip to the near-by cash point may be necessary if you are not carrying enough cash.

All in all, Ye Olde Old Bullring Tavern is a lovely place to visit. It has a very pleasant, relaxing, friendly atmosphere and I think licensee Simon Patrick manages to provide wonderfully well for a wide spectrum of customers. It is popular with younger people, who frequent the bar in the evenings, and the pub also offers excellent special meal deals for pensioners.

ADDRESS

Ye Olde Bullring Tavern, 44 Bull Ring, Ludlow, SY8 1AB

Telephone 01584 872 311

MENU SAMPLE

STARTERS

Soup of the day £3.95; Chicken dippers £4.24; Pate and toast £4.95

MAIN COURSES

Cod and Chips £7.50; Liver and onions, potatoes and vegetables £7.95; Vegetable lasagne and salad £7.50; Steak and chicken and mushroom pie with chips £7.95

DESSERTS

Sticky toffee pudding £3.95; Spotted dick £3.95; Cheese and biscuits £3.95

ATMOSPHERE

Lively with unobtrusive music from the bar

SERVICE

Efficient, warm and friendly

DISABLED FACILITIES

Good. There is a small step to negotiate for the toilets, but staff are willing to help and a ramp is available