Food Review: The George in Ludlow is a success story

The George, in Ludlow, has been transformed into a light, bright, and breezy space that showcases great quality food, offers a welcoming space for drinkers, and provides a great meeting place for locals.

The question is, after an impressive start, is it now firing on all cylinders? Does The George have what it takes to be a lasting success or, metaphorically speaking, is it a flash in the pan?

The answer is simple. It’s here to stay. The George has been the most impressive new addition to Shropshire’s dining scene of the year. It might not offer the greatest gastronomic thrills – there are other, accolade-chasing restaurants within walking distance that will offer sublime food for a special occasion.

Yet great food isn’t just about a swish of this, a foam of that, or a quenelle of the other. It’s about offering great ingredients, sympathetically cooked, and bringing fabulous flavours together on the plate. It’s about creating a brilliant environment and favourable atmosphere so people can relax and have a great afternoon or evening.

And it’s about being fed at an affordable price where people go away feeling as though they’ve had a great time, without needing to remortgage their home.

And on all fronts, The George is exceptional. The menu covers all bases. The space is cool, contemporary, and on-trend. The staff are a delight – they enhance the offering and add value, providing warm smiles, genuine engagement, and a touch of class. Service is polished and high class. The money that the venue has presumably spent on training has been well spent and front of house workers are keen to assist and welcome all-comers.

And then there’s the food. It’s delicious. It’s also served in portions that would make a giant feel over-full, a weight-lifter imagine he’s – or, she’s – eaten enough for five, or a dieter to throw the towel in and embrace a larger size. Those looking for a three-course lunch ought to look elsewhere, or embrace their inner XXXL. Eating at The George is like winning the good-value lottery. There are parts of Shropshire where such portions are described as being ‘farmer’s sizes’. They are, and then some.

Here’s the thing. Go back a generation and Ludlow had it all. There were Michelin stars. There were brilliant independent producers. And there were great, mid-priced restaurants run by savvy restaurateurs who simultaneously knew how to make a decent profit while also putting a smile on customers’ faces.

Though the region’s last Michelin-starred restaurant, Pensons, near Tenbury Wells, is due to regrettably close around Christmas – Ludlow still smashes it when it comes to great producers, excellent retailers, and thoroughly enjoyable mid-priced restaurants that offer great food at value-for-money prices.

The George, in many ways, is the embodiment of that ethos.

Its specials menu is magnificent and combines recognisable dishes that people love to eat with others that offer adventures into different gastronomic cultures. So a cauliflower and cheese soup – the perfect bowl of food for cold winter days – features alongside a delicious assemblage of rosso prawns with celeriac puree and an apple and fennel salad.

Pizza of the day – in our case, mushroom, chicken, and pancetta – is served as well as a delicous-sounding pasticio, or, in more detail, a Greek pasta bake, topped with cheese sauce, a mini pitta bread, and a feta salad.

The fish of the day features a pan-roasted cod wrapped in pancetta and served with Meditteraean vegetables, new potatoes, tomato sauce, and more of those lovely rosso prawns.

The regular menu is just as impressive. A chorizo Scotch egg is soft-boiled and free range, providing a delicious golden yolk, and comes alongside a rocket and basil pesto, and rocket leaves to garnish.

Cauliflower is harissa-glazed, to bring out the earthy, wintery flavours, before being served with a red pepper and garlic hummus, and crispy onions. Good quality mozzarella di bufala is served with garlic and basil marinated Marazanino tomatoes, torn basil and olive oil.

The mains read like a list of dishes that all of us secretly crave: brilliant burgers, a bowl of chunky chips, a bacon and cheddar house burger, or gammon, egg and chips – because, let’s face it, who doesn’t like that stuff?

We opted for the big guns: cumberland sausage and mash, with green beans, peas, mashed potato – and there was sooooo much mashed potato – and a caramelised onion gravy.

My partner ate porchetta, comprising rolled belly pork with fennel, rosemary and sea salt, thyme-roasted carrots, tenderstem broccoli, and more of that fabulously buttery, creamy mashed potato. A portion of apple sauce and gravy finished that dish.

Both were a delight – and, at £14 and £17.50 respectively – were as cheap as chips. Well, nearly. Chips are actually £5.50, or £6.50 if you have the Lebanese version, but I digress.

The bangers were great. Well seasoned, fat, pork sausages have plenty of flavour and were sufficient for two. The mash was great, velvet-ey, and a little bit naughty, with oodles of butter. The gravy was nourishing and flavoursome. It was just so damn B.I.G.

The porchetta was similarly impressive. Slow cooked, so the fat had rendered through the meat, and filled with the flavours of fennel, rosemary and sea salt, it was magnificent. As were the accompaniments. The thyme-roasted carrots were earthy and sweet, the tenderstem broccoli was cooked al dentre while the apple sauce was sweet and the gravy just right.

We’d planned on staying for dessert, but it was a struggle to get through the two mains – we didn’t – and so bills were paid and it was time to go. We’d seen enough, however, to know that The George will be around for a long, long time, to know that the management team and investors have backed the right horse, and to know that the staff working in the kitchen and front of house are all pulling in the right direction.

It’s great to write about a success story – and that’s exactly what The George is rapidly becoming.

The George, 12 Castle Street, Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 1AT

https://www.thegeorgeludlow.co.uk/

01584 700810