Plough, Wall-under-Heywood

***

I have lived in Shropshire for all of my years, and never have I felt anything but a true Shropshire lad.

Never, that is, until my recent visit to The Plough at Wall. In three weeks I leave this beautiful, bucolic county for the bright lights of London. Well, the slightly murkier lights of Brixton, actually, but a flat is a flat.

Perhaps in anticipation of my move I have already become somewhat urbanised, nay even pretenious, maybe even bordering on the realm of a snob? Judging by the reaction of the locals when I requested a wine list at dinner there this week, you might think so.

The guffaws and titters of the gentlemen at the bar, who requested a bottle from the chiller to examine and comment on in mocking tones, amused me intensely.

But let me get this straight: if you're a pub serving food at up to £15 per main, then you carry a wine list. I'm not expecting lashings of 30-year-old claret; a choice between a basic merlot, a rioja, a pinot grigio, a sauvignon blanc, possibly even a pinot noir if you're daring, is fine. My local, though it is predominantly a drinkers' real ale pub, has an excellent wine list on a realistic budget. It's not hard.

That aside, The Plough makes a good first impression on entry. The bar is spotless, well organised and polished to a shine. The staff are friendly, smartly presented and confident. The atmopshere is warm and welcoming. No wonder we found it packed to the rafters on a cold November Wednesday.

After a quick drink we had a look at the menu which, though already broad, is supplemented by a specials board, containing such delights as mussels, rack of lamb in redcurrant gravy, halibut and others. Perhaps my irritation at the lack of a wine list now seems a little more reasonable – burger and chips this aint.

That said, the menu does offer a wide selection of traditional pub grub at great prices; how often do you see ham, egg and chips, for under a fiver, alongside a specials board like that? This, perhaps, is the point. The Plough hasn't quite made up its mind about what it wishes to be yet, but more on that later.

To start, my companion ordered black pudding and haggis (£4.25), while I opted for garlic mushrooms (£4.25). Despite being obviously busy, the staff were attentive and the food arrived in good time. Side salads in most pubs of this ilk are a simple affair of a wedge of iceberg, a bit of tomato and some cucumber.

Nothing wrong with that, but I was pleased to note here a generous helping of mixed leaf salad with red onion and baby tomatoes. A small touch, but a welcome one. The garlic mushrooms were juicy, tender and rich but slightly overloaded with a cheese topping. My companion's black pudding had been cut quite thin and had thus dried out a little, but her haggis was absolutely delicious.

For the main I decided on strips of rump steak with tiger prawns and rice (£12.50), while my companion went for the rack of lamb in redcurrant gravy with mash (£12.95).

Mashed potato is like modern art. Done well it is a marvel, one of the truly great pleasures in life. Done poorly it is merely an indefinable splodge of trash. If there was a Turner prize for mash, this would win it. It was creamy, soft, seasoned and delicious. The humble spud had transcended its lowly status in the Shropshire earth and made its leap towards immortality on the plate before me. Seriously, it was good. The lamb, however, was a bit tough, and a preference for how it was done had not even been asked for.

The Plough's locals, it can safely be assumed, have extraordinary appetites. If Jesus did indeed exist and perform miracles, he could have spared some of his supernatural talent by feeding the 5,000 with my dish of steak, tiger prawns and rice. I was pleased to note, however, that with epic quantity also came excellent quality.

The steak was a fraction well done for my taste, but the prawns were both gargantuan in size and delicious in flavour. After such a mammoth task, a creme brulee (or Cambridge burnt cream, depending on your Gallic allegiances – £3.95)), rounded things off pleasantly.

And so it was an evening of mixed fortunes, sadly left on a poor note after the bill was brought without having been requested (I had been about to order a coffee). Perhaps the locals were keen to be rid of the London type asking for wine lists.

But I jest, the great thing about The Plough is that it isn't a gastro-pub, it's a traditional pub that wants to serve great food. The only problem is that it isn't quite there yet. It can do both, but it has to raise the bar just a little higher. It is with regret that I give it three stars, I should have liked to give it more. Yet it has not been open long, and will certainly improve.

I firmly expect to return from the capital in the new year to award it four.

By Alex Walters

MINI GUIDE

Sample starters: Goat's cheese (£4.25), Soup of the day (£3.25)

Main courses: Steak and ale pie (£8.95), 12oz rib eye steak (£14.75)

Desserts: Warm chocolate brownie fudge cake (£3.95), Pavlova with fresh cream and fruit (£3.95)

Atmosphere: Lovely, warm and welcoming country pub

Service: Very good without being intrusive – until the arrival of the bill . . .

Disabled facilities: There are no disabled facilities.

Contact: The Plough, Wall-under-Heywood, Church Stretton SY6 7DS. Tel: 01694 771833