Ye Olde Windmill, Gentleshaw

It is always good to hear from the readers about where the best places to eat are.

And when a suggestion comes in via the internet from a Hungry Hippo, you just have to sit up and take notice.

Not that the Hungry Hippo was the only reader to suggest Ye Olde Windmill at Gentleshaw: Only last week Isobel Hedges added weight to the Hippo's recommendation by telling us how much she had enjoyed her spicy fishcakes with mango chutney during a visit, saying it really offered something different to the usual run of the mill.

So having got wind of the fact it might be worth a visit, I headed to the fringes of Cannock Chase to see if I really would be blown away by the delights on offer.

It seemed more likely we would be washed away, as the rain lashed down over mid-Staffordshire, with a group of young girls huddling beneath the wooden entrance canopy as they sucked on their cigarettes.

It would appear that many visitors travel from outside the area, the car park across the road being fairly well patronised. There is a certain Tardis-like character to the place - the building, set quite close to the road, looks fairly small from the outside, and this feel is initially reinforced on entry, with visitors being met by a fairly small public bar at the front. But a long, narrow corridor leads to a fairly spacious lounge towards the rear of the building, and then at the far end a flight of stairs leads to a first-floor restaurant.

An aerial photograph in the rear hallway better shows the scale of the place. It actually has fairly extensive grounds, including the disused windmill from which it takes its name, as well as a well-tended bowling green.

While the weather was pretty bleak outside, there was at least a warm welcome inside the pub. A diminutive, cheery lady with a blonde bob greeted us as we entered the lounge, which is divided into two sections by an inward-facing bench seat.

Decked out in light wood panelling, with a beamed ceiling and exposed brickwork, the lounge is quite an inviting place to be, successfully managing to retain a traditional character without being austere, and providing a homely atmosphere without being too twee.

The walls are neatly adorned by elaborately framed pictures of local scenes - for some reason a photograph of some sheep sticks in the mind - and there are two small glass cabinets, the one containing a display of horseshoes and other equine artefacts, while the other appeared to relate to firearms components. The seating layout managed to create a warm, intimate atmosphere in what was a fairly large room, even if the pastel-green upholstery would have probably looked more at home in an old railway carriage.

While there were some spare seats, it seemed pretty busy for a country pub on a not particularly pleasant evening. There was a broad spectrum of customers - to the one side of our seat in the corner was a middle-aged couple, while the other side a family group was tucking into a meal.

The dapper, smiley man in a dicky-bow behind the bar explained that the menu and prices were the same for both the restaurant and the lounge, the main difference being that the upstairs room offered spectacular views. But as it was dark outside anyway, the warm and friendly atmosphere of the lounge more than fitted the bill. It was hard to fault the service, with not one but two members of staff coming to my aid when I ordered drinks. Real ale fans will feel at home, with a good choice of guest beers on offer, and there were certainly no complaints about my pint of Golden Hooky, which was reasonably priced at £2.68.

I was less happy about leaving my bank card behind the bar, though. Of course pubs have to be vigilant, and the card was placed in a rack on open display, but as a stranger in an unfamiliar pub I still felt a little wary.

Despite warnings that there was sometimes a long wait for the meals, the food came reasonably promptly. There is a pretty extensive menu which should cater for most tastes and appetites, right up to the mammoth 24oz rump steak at £15.85.

I was intrigued by the vegetarian shepherd's pie, though. I mean, what does a vegetable shepherd do for a living?

After agonising over whether to try the blade of beef on the specials board, I eventually went for my favourite fillet steak in a pepper sauce, while my companion chose the breaded scampi. It was hard to fault the fillet, which was fresh and tender, although for £17.95 it jolly well ought to be. It came with a generous supply of onion rings and peas, although the chips were pre-cut.

As for the sauce: Well, they say some like it hot, and those people will really love this. It was quite the most peppery, flavoursome sauce I have ever tasted, and the young man on the next table made this discovery at almost exactly the same time as myself. Great minds obviously think alike. The scampi was met with a nod of approval, and at £6.25, it represented pretty good value.

The desserts were very well priced, my ice cream costing just £2.20. But while it was perfectly pleasant, my companion's hazelnut meringue with fresh cream and chocolate sauce was quite beautiful.

The total bill came to £41.88, which was pretty reasonable, although it would have been nearly £9 less had I gone for the sirloin rather than fillet steak, which I now think would probably have been better value.

"Hope to see you again soon," said bow-tie man as we prepared to leave. It is certainly something I will bear in mind.

Ye Olde Windmill

Windmill Lane,

Gentleshaw, Rugeley WS15 4NF

Phone: 01543 682468

Starters

Prawn cocktail £3.80/£6.95

Spicy fishcake with mango chutney £3.80/£6.95

Crispy coated garlic mushrooms served with salad and garlic dip £3.80

Main courses

24oz rump steak £15.85

8oz sirloin steak

Two pork chops with mustard and honey gravy £7.50

Cottage pie £5.29

Vegetable lasagne £6.85

Desserts

Belgian waffles with maple or chocolate syrup and ice cream £3.60

Treacle sponge pudding £3.60

Chocolate orange sponge pudding £3.60