The Barley Mow, Stafford

Nestling on the edge of Cannock Chase, over the road from the Shugborough Estate, Milford Common is a honey pot for families from across Staffordshire and the wider West Midlands,

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An unexpected sunny day often sees the expanse of grassland covered with picnic blankets, gazebos and barbecues as people flock to enjoy the great outdoors on their doorstep.

But you don't necessarily need a sunny day to enjoy this little haven.

Even after a windswept or rain-lashed walk across the Chase, on arrival you find a number of outlets offering a warm welcome, shelter and hot food and drink to weary walkers.

Among them is the Barley Mow pub which, we noticed on our last visit to Milford, had undergone an extensive refurbishment to become an Eating Inn.

And so it was that the Barley Mow sprang to mind when we were choosing a venue for a meal out to celebrate a family birthday.

With its family-friendly menu and an adjoining play zone, as well as its idyllic location, the Barley Mow seemed the perfect choice to keep all members of our party happy.

We turned up at around 5pm one Saturday afternoon, to find it busy but not so packed that staff couldn't accommodate a table for the four adults and two children in our party.

We enjoyed a drink first outside, where the children used up some energy on the play equipment and we enjoyed a breath of fresh air.

On returning inside we were greeted by friendly staff and shown straight to a pleasant circular table in the coroner of a quiet section of the restaurant, where we could enjoy our own space without worrying about bothering, or being bothered by, other diners.

It seems much of the restaurant is set up like this, giving diners intimacy, without them being cut off completely.

Looking at the menu, I was immediately drawn to the light bites section featuring ciabattas, wraps and jacket potatoes with a host of fillings including rump steak and onion, sweet chilli chicken goujons, hunter's chicken and hoi sin duck among others, and made an immediate mental note to call in for lunch sometime, perhaps after building up an appetite with a trek across the Chase first.

Moving onto the main courses, we found a host of traditional favourites and much more.

The steaks immediately grabbed my attention, with a choice ranging in price from an 8oz rump for £9.59 to a black Angus fillet for £14.49

The steak board trio, however, proved more of a temptation for my other half who couldn't resist the offer of a trio of 4oz steaks, fillet, rib eye and sirloin, served on a board garnished with watercress and accompanied by three sauces, caramelised onion and ale, green peppercorn and cognac and Portobello mushroom and Colman's Diane.

There was a good choice of pasta and salads and classics including hunter's chicken for £7.59, minted lamb shank for £9.99. sausages and cheddar mash for £7.99 and even chicken tikka masala for £6.99.

I am always a sucker for a good fish dish when I eat out, however, and it was the smoked haddock florentine that finally tempted me, a dish of smoked haddock and spinach served in a rich cheese sauce for a very reasonable £7.79. I had the choice of chips, jacket potato or buttered baby potatoes and petits pois or mushy peas for accompaniments.

The other adults in our party chose an 8oz rump steak and a gammon steak while the children loved making up their own meals from the pick and mix menu.

One chose pizza with twister fries and carrots while the other picked chicken curry with rice and peas.

The food was prompt and served piping hot and, given the sudden drop in noise levels as everyone tucked in it was pretty obvious that the meals were going down well. The children's meals, which cost £4.49 each, were polished off quickly and they left nothing but clean plates.

The steak and gammon were declared delicious and the steak board trio prompted exclamations of delight as we discovered just how much the cuts of meat differed in taste and texture.

Each steak was cooked to perefection, medium rare as requested, and the rich and tasty caramelised onion sauce was particularly popular.

The haddock was also delicious, with plenty of firm, well-cooked fish in a rich sauce accompanied by perfectly cooked potatoes. Having enjoyed the main courses so much we couldn't resist having a look at the desserts. Again, the choice was a tricky one, and bosses here have obviously cottoned on to this difficulty in picking just one meal or dessert. Like the trio of steaks, they also offer a trio of three mini puddings for £3.99. Diners can choose from lemon and ginger pudding, sticky toffee pudding, spotted dick, apple eve's pudding and jam roly poly.

Having already enjoyed three dinners, my other half couldn't resist the idea of having three puddings to follow and went for the sticky toffee, spotted dick and jam roly poly, all served with tasty custard. They were all delicious and when asked, he couldn't decide which was the best.

The menu also offers a single mini pudding for just £1.99 for those who have a sweet tooth but are simply too full from the main course for a full-sized dessert.

I went for the chocolate and walnut brownie for £3.99 which was huge and couldn't be finished, even though it was one of the best brownies I have tasted.

The children enjoyed ice cream.

After dinner we adjourned to the neighbouring play zone, where the children worked off some of their dinner while we adults sat too stuffed to move.

The total bill for four adults and two children, including drinks, came to just over £72 and we will definitely be making a return visit to sample more of the menu soon.

ADDRESS

The Barley Mow, 28 Main Road, Milford, Stafford ST17 0UW

Telephone: 01785 665230