Bottle and Glass, Picklescott

Star rating: **** Andy Richardson finds that there is so much to recommend after a night out at a welcoming country pub.

Star rating: ****

It's difficult to know what customers enjoy most about the Bottle and Glass. It has a lot going for it. Some customers enjoy the good food, which is consistent and fresh and is served in generous portions.Others delight in the venue's idyllic, rural setting, enjoying their food al fresco beside a babbling brook.

And then there are those who enjoy the ribald banter of its landlord, the witty raconteur Paul Stretton-Downes. Whatever it is, the Bottle and Glass has found a recipe for success and is one of the county's best foodie pubs.

This year's Good Pub Guide lists Stretton-Downes and his wife, Jo, as the licensees of the year. It's easy to understand why. They are a well mannered and hospitable couple who oversee every detail of the venue.

Most evenings, Paul welcomes customers from the bar, while helping himself to a 'quick sharpener' himself. He's funny, engaging and has a dry wit that sets him out as a Basil Fawlty-but-without-the-panic figure.

He is a discerning barman who knows his drinks and can offer spot-on recommendations. He also dispenses bonhomie and is not afraid to offer spikey put downs if people get carried away.

Jo, meanwhile, runs the kitchen and is as adept at producing fine food as her husband is at nailing a joke from 50 paces. Her food is flavoursome, unfussy and always comes in generous portions. People more used to eating at restaurants may struggle to eat a three-course meal, there's simply so much food on her plates.

Sensibly, Jo also sticks to what the locals like. Her creamy fish pie is to die for, her meat dishes are always cooked properly, leaving the meat moist and tasty rather than dry and chewy. Her sauces are simple and add colour and taste. Her presentation is always spot on.

My wife and I have visited the Bottle and Glass on previous occasions. It is one of three or four pubs in Shropshire that are sufficiently good to keep calling us back.

We visited on a midweek evening. The venue, typically, was completely full and there were queues for tables.

The Bottle and Glass is a cosy, welcoming pub that is located in picturesque Picklescott, a charming hamlet miles from anywhere in the rolling south Shropshire hills. It's surrounded by a lush, verdant landscape and a pretty little stream runs at the boundary of the pub.

The buildings themselves date back to the 16th century and they are packed with character. Old wood, period features and tasteful decoration mark it out as one of the county's more aesthetically-pleasing venues.

My wife, quite sensibly, decided to forego a starter while I opted for a zingy little number featuring lightly spiced prawns. It was a treat, the prawns were fat and juicy and I finished it with relish.

I chose the chicken in a cajun spice dressing with potato wedges as a main course. Again, it was a great dish that had been cooked with consummate skill. My wife opted for the fish pie, having sampled the dish on a previous visit. The mash was light and fluffy, the fish was tender and succulent, the sauce was creamy and packed with flavour.

At that point, we ought to have enjoyed a final drink before heading home. But we opted for dessert, for research purposes.

Though our stomachs were groaning, we were glad that we did. My wife's chocolate pudding was a sticky, gooey treat. My toffee pudding with a butterscotch sauce was outrageously fattening but simply adorable.

Jo and Paul Stretton-Downes deserve their crown for being licensees of the year. They have built one of the county's finest pub businesses and offer charming food in convivial surrounds.

It's good value, tasty, enjoyable and fun. Everything you could want, in short.

by Andy Richardson

The Bottle and Glass, Picklescott, Church StrettonTelephone: 01694 751345

MENU SAMPLE

Starters

Mozarello, tomato and basil salad (£4.50)

Prawn and red pepper pate (£4.50)

Main courses

Fish pie (£10.50)

Rosemary and garlic encrusted rack of lamb (£15.50)

Greek filo spinach feta pie (£9.50)

Desserts