Cock O Barton, Malpas

Star rating: **** Dave Morris and partner Kath head over the Shropshire Border to enjoy some fine dining.

Star rating: ****

Dave Morris and partner Kath head over the Shropshire Border to enjoy some fine dining.

I can well remember a roaring log fire on my first ever visit to the Cock O Barton, and thinking how cosy it was on that very cold winter's night.

That was many years ago, probably about 1970, when I was a young reporter.

The Cock O Barton was on the very edge of the Malpas area "patch" that I used to cover, not far over the Shropshire border in the lovely south Cheshire countryside.

I got to know many of the village pubs on my quest for parish pump news – the parochial happenings that were the staple diet of my newspaper.

But the Cock O Barton was only visited occasionally, perhaps on a Saturday or midweek evening. It seemed quite a bit different to many of the other establishments I frequented – somewhere that you could take a girl!

These were the days of chicken or scampi in the basket but I can't recall whether food was available at this particular pub.

But enough of my ramblings. The years have flown by, and both myself and the Cock O Barton have seen many changes. So let's get to the heart of this review.

The changes that have taken place at the Cock O Barton include a major refurbishment, which meant it had to be closed for a time during the summer of 2006. And it's gained a good reputation too for the quality food it serves.

The time seemed right for a return visit.

My partner Kath and I were immediately struck by the warm welcome we received. Top marks for that. In fact throughout the evening the service was efficient and friendly.

Kath chose for starters, baked goat's cheese on a brioche croute with a herb and walnut crust and a Waldorf salad (£6.95).

The presentation of this particular starter was delightful and Kath's expectations were high. She enjoyed the dish but confessed to being a little disappointed with the taste which was not exceptional.

I went for the gratin Normande cream of onion and cider soup, topped with croutons and Gruyere cheese. (£4.95). It had been baked in the oven and was served with the restaurant's daily-baked bread.

This turned out to be a deeply satisfying choice, with subtle flavours and not one of them overpowering the other. I will often go for a soup as a starter. And this is the best I have had in a very long time

My dining companion allowed herself a little taste and was equally impressed. There was no doubting that she was a tad envious of my choice.

Before deciding on soup I had almost gone for the galantine of Cheshire quail, boned and rolled, with a smooth quail mousse spiked with apricots and pistachio nuts (£7.50).

It just sounded so delicious. And "delicious" was the word Kath used to describe her main course – Thai-style seabass with sticky rice, crunchy vegetables, and a fragrant lemongrass, coconut and coriander sauce (£15.95).

She was delighted. Not only was the food again wonderfully presented – and such amazing colours too – but this time the flavours deserved her appreciation. It was a dish which gained a very high approval rating.

As for myself, I went for roast leg of lamb, served on a braised mutton and swede hash with a haggis sauce, sauteed apple, carrots and broad beans (£15.95). The lamb was of the highest quality. It arrived at the table a little pink and was oh so tender. Every mouthful was a pleasure.

However, there is a "but" – the sauce was very rich, perhaps a little too much for my personal taste and which I felt masked the taste of the apple and veg. Again the presentation deserved a high score.

We were a bit on the greedy side and both decided to have a dessert – Kath selecting a hot chocolate brownie, griotte cherries, chocolate sauce and pistachio ice cream, while my choice was carrot, orange and walnut cake, orange fromage frais and cinnamon ice cream. All desserts were priced at £5.50.

Clean plates were a testament to how good they were!

Head chef is 31-year-old Jim Hodgkinson who has who gained extensive experience in a wide range of kitchens.

He started his culinary career in 1996 at Saughton Hall in Flintshire, where he worked his way up to the position of senior chef de partie. From then he held other senior positions and had a stint in Australia, working at numerous bars and restaurants, broadening his tastes and gaining lots of new ideas.

His first head chef position was in 2002, in Shropshire, at the Swan, at Woore, where he stayed until 2004 when he took on a senior banqueting chef role.

He then ran his own restaurant in Abersoch for a spell and then worked for a specialist chef agency before landing at the re-opening of the Cock O Barton in November 2006. He was appointed its head chef last autumn.

The owners of the Cock O Barton describe it as an acclaimed country venue, combining a contemporary feel with traditional values, serving superb locally-produced food in a warm, laid-back and stylish environment.

We couldn't argue with that.

Overall we were very impressed with the Cock O Barton, its food and its atmosphere. We had looked forward to our Saturday evening visit and were not disappointed.

Menu sample

Starters

Cured venison carpaccio with citrus crust (£8.25)

Main courses

Poached free-range chicken breast rolled with sweet and sour peppers on a butterbean and chriizo stew (£14.75)

Whole grilled baby turbot (£17.95)

Desserts

Spiced pear tatin

Banana and vanilla brulee

(all desserts £5.50)

ATMOSPHERE

Warm and relaxing