Food review: The Shire Horse, Stafford

It was a Friday night dinner. After a busy old day which stretched into the evening, a quick pub tea was required.

Besides, the kitchen cupboards resembled Old Mother Hubbard’s – beans on toast anyone? It was slim pickings in the freezer too so going out was the only option.

Up the road is the Shire Horse which comes under the Chef & Brewer umbrella of pubs that serve grub so you know what you’re going to get – decent food without a long wait and in comfortable surroundings.

Into the night we headed, rain clouds heavy in the sky. Within 10 minutes we had arrived only to be greeted by a Pay and Display ticket machine (in a pub chain car park – really?). With mumblings of ‘shall we risk it?’ and ‘what if we get a fine?’ we decided to cough up.

Standing in the pouring rain the machine rejected my old pound coin so after a wet and huffy kerfuffle a new one was located only to be spat out – cue much eye-rolling and tutting. Then we realised the machine was out of order – hurrah!

It was pretty busy when we got in but then again it was nearing 8.30pm so most people were already out.

There was a half an hour wait for a table for four in the restaurant area and we were hungry so grabbed one in a cosy section by the door. This meant we had to order at the bar but that was no great drama.

We deliberated over drinks until me and my other half were informed by his eagle-eyed daughter that it was Fizz Friday – £10 for a bottle of Prosecco – yes please! Good spot.

We checked out the menu that’s pretty vast and lists its dishes under various sections which helps you get to what you fancy a lot quicker.

There’s starters, sharers then Chef’s inspired dishes, burgers, vegetarian, pub classics, from the grill and a Sunday menu, sides and puddings. There’s also an evening set menu which offers two courses for £12.95 or three for £14.95 from 4pm Monday to Thursday.

Back to the food. . . there is a great variety of dishes so you’d have to be pretty picky not to find something you fancy from the menu.

Soup, pâté, rarebit, goujons all feature under the starters and more interesting dishes such as scallops and chorizo or pig-in-yorkie. Sharing dishes include a meat feast, a fish platter or a boxed camembert.

We were so famished we went straight for the mains. After a few questions and discussions it was one gourmet beef burger, two gourmet chicken burgers and a classic cod and chips.

While we enjoyed our bubbles and shared ridiculous jokes (A penguin walks into a bar and says: ‘Have you seen my dad?’. The barman says ‘what’s he look like?’ – that was the standard. . .) we absorbed the lively atmosphere and steady stream of Friday night diners coming and going from the pub.

There wasn’t a too long wait for the food either considering how busy it was and as our tummies were rumbling this was good news.

The meals looked really gorgeous with the plates piled high with burgers, fries and fish and chips.

The quirkiest meal I’ve ever had in a pub was the fish and chips. It sat on top of a printed sheet of a newspaper (greaseproof) and had some interesting facts about the traditional dish.

I pulled it off and put it to one side to read later and also so I could eat off my plate without the paper flapping about. It was a really nice touch.

The fish was chunky, tender with full flakes of delicious cod. The batter very crisp and golden with a gorgeous crunch and the chips big and chunky with a fluffy filling. There was a side of peas that are the perfect accompaniment to the dish. I couldn’t manage all the batter so that was taken off my hands and devoured with plenty of ooohing and ahhing in delight.

The burgers were a massive hit too. . . my other half and his son both went for the gourmet chicken burger. There was some confusion as my other half was convinced that the chicken came in a rosemary crumb and with cheese, both of which were absent from his burger. There was not a hint or suggestion of either. Junior on the other hand said this couldn’t be the case as he hates rosemary and wouldn’t have ordered the burger if it had the herb coating, plus his burger had a melted slice of cheese on it. It remains a mystery. . .

The thick chicken breast was filling and full of flavour which went some way to compensate for the lack of ingredients in one burger. The brioche bun was light and fluffy and a good choice too. The crispy prosciutto was a perfect complement to the tasty chicken.

The skin-on fries were a big hit with both – ‘an absolute winner’ – and a hearty portion too. After sampling one, I can agree they were the better chip.

It came with a tangy barbecue sauce which was not tart, with a good smooth texture and consistency.

The beef burger had the same gorgeous fries which were given the nod of approval and a perfectly cooked chunky beef burger which was juicy and tender. The table went quiet so it was definitely given the thumbs up.

Plates were left scraped clean, the bottle of fizz empty and stomachs well and truly full.

We didn’t have room for a dessert and were keen to get home to sleep off the the big meal.

The bill for four of us with the Prosecco and a lemonade came to just shy of £55 which isn’t too bad for a pub chain these days.

It’s a great go-to place for a cosy drink and meal and good haunt for a quick bite to eat where you know what you get is going to be decent.

Don’t be Shire and take a trip yourself.