Vine, Kinver
With a Campaign for Real Ale sticker in the window and a mouthwatering menu, I knew I had made the right choice when I turned up at this historic canalside pub.
The Vine Inn combines a deep sense of history with a touch of the more modern. As you look around the building, the walls are festooned with keepsakes from bygone times and pictures of important local buildings.
And the pub owes its existence to the opening of the Dunsley section of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal in 1771, the positioning of the lock and the Beer House Act of 1830.
Kinver born local coal merchant, Henry Hicks, moved into the short Georgian terrace alongside the lock around 1850 with his new bride.
By 1861, Henry Hicks was a barge owner. Two years later, he opened a beer shop in competition to the Lock Inn opposite, a fully licensed alehouse that dated from the commissioning of the canal. And like the canal barges and passing narrowboats, the local ales have been flowing nicely ever since.
After studying the vast menu and array of beers, my girlfriend and I sat down to order. I opted for the breaded mushrooms for starters at £3.75 which were crisp, hot and very tasty.
For main course I chose the lamb shank priced £10.95. It was served on a bed of mash with fresh carrots, broccoli and mint sauce. The meat was tender and very tasty.
My girlfriend opted for the roast pork at a very reasonable £7.95. It was served with fresh vegetables and went down a treat noted by the lack of conversation as we ate.
Other main courses included the succulent sounding vine rossini - a fillet steak with croute top, stilton, red onions and port sauce at £13.95.
There was chicken boursin which involves a breast of chicken wrapped in bacon with asparagus and boursin cheese at £9.95.
From the chargrill there is a range of steaks available from 8oz rump to 10oz sirloin or if you're feeling brave, try the full monty of steak, lamb chop, gammon, sausage, pork chop and two fried eggs priced £10.95.
The dessert menu has something for everyone with profiteroles at £3.75, Vine sundae at £3.75 and children's ice cream at £2.
Instead of a dessert we opted for an Irish coffee priced £3.25 which was lovingly served by the pub owner who said he had been practising for years.
ADDRESS
The Vine, 1 Dunsley Road, Kinver DY7 6LJ
Tel: 01384 877291
By Sol Buckner
