I visited a family favourite Bewdley pub to find out if the food was as good as I remembered - here's my verdict

It could always be replied upon for good quality food and a pleasant atmosphere.

But it had been a long time since I last stepped through the door of The Running Horse Inn so, as my husband Neil and I were in the area, I thought it was the perfect time to pay this popular spot another visit.

The Running Horse, which is situated at Long Bank on the outskirts of the town of Bewdley, is a Chef & Brewer, part of the Greene King chain of pubs.

The pub’s website states that, according to popular legend, its name comes from the sheep rustlers who partook in cross-border raids into England from over the Welsh border and reputedly fled through Welsh Gate.

Today, it’s a lovely mix of old and modern with timber beams running along the ceiling of the welcoming dining area.

It was a Sunday night and it seemed pretty quiet when we arrived but we were told by the member of staff who showed us to our table that it had been a busy day of roast lunch bookings.

We were given the Sunday menu to peruse which included offerings such as seven-hour slow-cooked rib of beef, roast pork loin, roast turkey and Woodland Mushroom Bourguignon Wellington.

There was also a selection of main courses from the main menu such as hand-battered cod and chips, lamb shank shepherd’s pie and their signature burger.

Vegetarians and vegans appeared to be well-catered for with numerous options and the restaurant also offered a tailored gluten-free menu to help people with allergies.

From the starters section of the menu, Neil opted to start with the pork, apple and cider terrine.

It was served with toasted sourdough bread, whipped herb butter and caramelised red onion chutney.

I chose the rosemary and chive chicken strips, which came with a honey and ale barbecue sauce.

They arrived at our table pretty quickly and were both generous portions.

The flavoursome terrine was a huge hit with Neil who said he could easily have eaten it again it was so good.

The chicken strips were also tasty and I loved the crunchy coating which looked a bit like cornflakes.

But they were a little bit too oily for my taste. It was, however, a large serving and definitely represented value for money.

This did mean I was hoping for a bit of a break between the two courses, but the next courses came out of the kitchen as soon as our plates had been cleared.

For our mains, we had both opted for something we wouldn’t normally choose and Neil ended up with a dish he didn’t know he had ordered.

He had selected the garden vegetable burger topped with oven roasted peppers and Barber’s of Somerset Cheddar and served with smoky tomato chutney.

But what arrived was the vegetable grill which consisted of a grilled sage butternut squash steak, flat field mushroom, roasted onion, spiced sweet potatoes, charred courgette, garden peas and grilled tomato.

It was served with chips and balsamic gravy.

Strangely, it wasn’t on the Sunday menu, just on the main menu.

There had obviously been some crossed wires when he placed his order but he didn’t mind and was keen to tuck in.

All of the vegetables were well cooked and spiced sweet potatoes, in particular, were delightful.

Meanwhile, I had chosen the 28-day-aged prime sirloin which came with wild garlic butter, seasonal salad, grilled half tomato and chips.

It’s rare that I chose a steak as I’m a bit fussy about how it’s cooked but it caught my eye when I was looking at the menu.

I also had a small jug of peppercorn sauce to pour over my steak.

The meat was very well cooked, I had opted for medium and find this can vary from restaurant to restaurant but this time it was absolutely to my liking.

The meat, which was pink in the middle, was lovely and tender, and the chips were particularly moreish.

Unfortunately, I had absolutely no room left for dessert which was a shame because there were so many nice options.

The trio of British classics – strawberry Eton Mess with raspberry coulis, sherry trifle and jam roly poly pudding – sounded lovely.

As someone with a very sweet tooth, Neil nearly always has space left for dessert and chose the Bakewell tart with raspberry coulis and custard.

He had been very tempted by the chocolate fondant – an indulgent chocolate brownie topped with a scoop of white chocolate ice cream in a dark chocolate dome and served with a jug of hot chocolate sauce.

But he was pleased with his final choice.

The tart was very light with a tangy fruit layer and perfect to end a big meal when you don’t want anything too heavy.

Overall, we were impressed with the quality of the food and couldn’t fault the service we received from the members of staff who must have been feeling weary after a busy day.

Everyone was pleasant and courteous and we felt very well looked after during our meal.

When we paid the bill, the waiter told us that they are also open for breakfast as well as lunch.

The breakfast menu includes items such as a full English as well as smoked salmon and egg, berry brioche and a maple-bacon buttermilk pancake stack.

There are also smaller dishes such as sausage and bacon sandwiches, porridge and a granola bowl.

On the pub’s website, I also noticed they run a supper club Monday to Thursday, from 4pm, with a two courses for £16.50 offer available.

The Running Horse Inn is definitely well-worth a visit if you are in the area or fancy a drive out to the beautiful Wyre Forest.

9/10

Sample Menu

Starters:

Soup of the Day £5.99

Honey & Ale Crispy

Chicken Strips £6.49

Pork, Apple & Cider Terrine £7.29

Main courses:

Garden Vegetable Burger £14,99

Hand-Battered Cod & Chips £16.29

Lamb Shank Shepherds Pie £23.99

Desserts:

Bramley Apple Tart £6.49

Bakewell Tart £6.49

Salted Caramel Sundae £6.79