Big Pan, Willenhall

Not a day seems to go by at the moment without another "for sale" or "to let" sign going up outside one of our great British pubs.

Last year's smoking ban and rising beer prices forced around 60 pubs to shut across the country each month - and the West Midlands has apparently been one of the hardest hit areas.

But while loyal punters watch the metal boards go up outside their favourite haunt with a tear in the eye, many neighbours of the doomed watering holes are raising their own glasses in celebration and punching the air with delight. The last pint glasses have been tossed into their gardens. The final drunken rendition of Delilah at 1am has been sung. No more late-night brawls on the car park.

The pitfalls of living next to a pub are plentiful. But perhaps not quite as bad as living close to one that has closed.

For years the derelict pub has been a playground for arsonists and vandals to wreak havoc, causing even more misery for its long-suffering neighbours.

One such place was the old George and Crown in Bilston Road, Willenhall. After that closed a few years ago, it was ravaged beyond recognition by yobs who ripped out furniture and set fire to it regularly.

Sited prominently on the corner of a crossroads, it was a landmark many could not wait to see the back of.

Today it is a very different story. In place of the depressing eyesore is a cheery little place called Big Pan, a Chinese buffet restaurant that has transformed the building's fortunes.

The Insider decided to visit after Anne Blunt, who says she formerly owned the building, gave it her seal of approval.

"The food is out of this world, the waitresses are really friendly and efficient and the refurbishment is amazing," she enthused.

"As the previous owner I saw the building after the vandals had mutilated it. What John and his team have created from that mess is nothing sort of a miracle.

"It is a pleasure to now have somewhere nice to go with the family for a top class meal. Excellent value for money as well."

With a testimonial like that, one had to pop along to see what all the fuss was about.

Arriving at 6.30pm on a Tuesday night, it was surprising to see the car park, although not very large, was almost full with just one space free. Looking at the pristine building with its bright lights and welcoming appearance, it was hard to imagine the wreck that Anne had described.

On this bitterly cold night it had a very warm feel to it, one that was extended once inside as my dining companion and I were greeted by the uniformed waitresses and shown to our table for two.

Among our first impressions was that it felt a little like an upmarket fast food restaurant, but then since we knew we were likely to be tucking into our food within five minutes or so judging by the vast array on offer at the other side of the room, this was not far from the truth.

In the main room there are about 20 wooden tables all rather close to each other, while the smiley, attentive staff all wore matching shirts and aprons bearing the Big Pan logo. We ordered a drink, and it was satisfying to see a rather extensive wine menu to choose a glass from.

The decor is plain but pleasant, white walls with a smattering of Chinese wall hangings and artefacts dotted around the place.

Seven of the tables were taken when we arrived, and it was a mixed crowd. Two families, groups of friends and three couples all seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, and more people came through the door every five or 10 minutes.

No sign of the credit crunch here - in fact at £10.80 per person Monday to Thursdays, the "eat as much as you can" brand is certainly striking a chord with today's cash-strapped families.

Now I've never been a huge fan of buffets - particularly the "scoff-as-much-as-your-greedy-mind-and-body-will-allow" variety. Everyone eyeing up each others' plates to see what is an acceptable mountain of food to return to the table with. The more gluttonous guests loudly proclaiming "you may as well get you're money's worth" by way of explaining away their fifth plateful.

I joined the small queue and chose a selection of starters to nibble on. The prawn toasts were tasty, the seaweed crunchy and the Yuk Sung flavoursome - although the lettuce leaves to accompany it were a bit limp.

The choice is huge, and for our second trip to the counter we feasted on beef in black bean sauce, chicken in satay sauce, mixed vegetables, noodles and egg fried rice - all of which was tasty and fresh. Not quite fit for an emperor's banquet, but very nice nonetheless.

We finished with a couple of scoops of chocolate ice cream, while the chocolate fountain and marshmallows were getting a lot of attention from the younger guests.

The bill for two with drinks and a tip came to £30 - fantastic value for three courses. Anne was right, the owners of Big Pan have created a great little business here, and seeing how popular it was on a cold Tuesday night, she's not the only one that thinks it.

Big Pan

Bilston Road,

Willenhall, WV13 2JL

Phone: 01902 608801

The restaurant offers a buffet style experience and if you go for lunch it costs £5.80 for adults and £3.80 for children.

Food is served between 12pm and 3pm Monday to Saturday, and from noon and 5pm on Sunday.

The soft drinks are reasonably priced for a restaurant and there is a really wide range of dishes and desserts to choose from.

The evening buffet is served from 6pm to 11pm Mondays to Saturdays, and from 6pm until 10pm on Sundays.

The evening buffet costs £10.80 for adults and £7.80 for children, Sundays to Thursdays, and £12.80 for adults and £7.80 for children on Fridays and Saturdays.

A takeaway and delivery service is now available.