Rating: *** James Shaw discovers little improvement after this Telford pub’s refit.

Take one slightly run-down pub, add tens of thousands of pounds, shake a little, and you will usually get a great place to eat.

That was the impression given when Claire and I took Louis and Luca to the Priorslee a few weeks ago.

And other pubs have gone through the same transformation in previous years – take the Cuckoo Oak in Madeley, for example.

So why not the Bridge Builder, on the Wellington Retail Park?

On first impressions, the rebuild has totally changed the look of the pub, and for the better, too.

Gone are the tatty circular tables and in their place, stylish furniture and cosy alcoves. But that surface is clearly yet to be scratched.

The pub has been relaunched under the Fayre & Square brand, with new menus and some quirky additions. Like the square burger, for example.

In the interests of fairness, however, I decided to try the lasagne. On a previous visit, I was given a lasagne which had been microwaved to within an inch of its life. So I had high hopes of avoiding a repeat.

Claire, meanwhile, asked for the gammon steak, while Luca plunged straight into a bowl of macaroni cheese.

For once, we were without Louis – he was at nursery for the day.

My lasagne arrived with chips instead of salad. Or should I say a small pile of chips, rather than anything near a full portion.

I was hoping that my memories of the rock-solid, burned lasagne I had previously ‘enjoyed’ would be banished forever by a fresh and flavoursome main course. Not really.

The first few layers were nice enough – although not especially tasty – with enough mince and sauce tucked between the cheesy pasta sheets to keep me happy.

It was the sides that caused me the most concern. All four sides of the lasagne clung grimly to the sides of the dish, completing a burnt inner ring.

My enjoyment of the main course wasn’t completely spoiled, but it was a disappointment.

Inside the Bridge Builder, Telford

Claire’s 10 oz gammon steak, however, was a huge let-down. It didn’t seem terribly large when our waiter plonked the plate onto the table, and a closer look failed to improve matters. A third of the steak was, in fact, a large streak of fat.

It was at least an inch wide and ran down the entire length of Claire’s steak. And the meat itself wasn’t exactly tasty. It was thick enough, but nothing to make it stand out.

Once we had finished our main courses, it was time to wait for desserts. And wait. And wait.

Almost 30 minutes had passed before our plates were cleared from the table and although desserts arrived moments later, we felt forgotten.

The staff, who glanced at our table several times before passing us by, did not seem at all bothered.

To finish my meal, I had the chocolate fudge cake, while Claire chose the New York style cheesecake.

Both were nice enough, but at a cost of £3.99 and £4.29 respectively, they didn’t really seem great value.

So why the three stars, you may ask?

I have wavered between three and two stars for some days, but bearing in mind the pub has only just reopened, it has the benefit of the doubt.

Goodness me, though, it was close.

ADDRESS
Bridge Builder, Wellington Retail Park, Telford TF1 2DE

MENU SAMPLE
STARTERS
Soup – £3.29
Sticky chicken wings – £3.59

MAINS
Square XL burger – £8.59
BBQ bucket – £9.79

DESSERTS
Bramley apple pie – £3.39
Profiteroles – £2.49

ATMOSPHERE
Plenty of room and no need to be disturbed if that is what you want

SERVICE
Not great. Although the staff were nice enough, they were simply unable to recognise a table full of dirty plates waiting to be cleared.