The Old Gate, Heathton

Nigel Johnson-Hill has a friend who is a farmer. And, referring to the European Union's Common Agricultural policy, put forward a business proposal to then Environment Secretary David Miliband.

"My friend recently received a cheque for £3,000 from the Rural Payments Agency for not rearing pigs," he wrote. "I would now like to join the 'not rearing pigs' business."

He goes on to inquire at some length about which type of pigs he would do best not to rear, and would he get paid more for not breeding pigs in greater numbers.

"I plan to operate on a small scale at first, holding myself down to about 4,000 pigs not raised, which will mean about £240,000 for the first year. As I become more expert in not rearing pigs, I plan to be more ambitious, perhaps increasing to say 40,000 not reared in my second year."

It is not clear how Mr Miliband responded to this letter, but if ever there was someone I would like to see chairing the live debate of the party leaders, Nigel Johnson-Hill is that man.

Regular readers will no doubt have become accustomed to my usual rambling introductions, but this week there are three good reasons why I have decided to share with you Mr Johnson-Hill's thoughts on not rearing pigs.

Firstly, when possible, I like to include some sort of topical reference, and I've heard that there is something going on in the world of politics at the moment. I dunno, an election or something.

More importantly, Mr Johnson-Hill's letter takes pride of place in the gents' of the Old Gate, which is where this week's Insider comes from, well not the gents, but you know what I mean.

But the real reason is, that for this week's Insider, I inadvertently find myself in the "not eating pigs" business.

The thing is, I really fancied the locally sourced sausages on the Old Gate's specials menu. Lovingly cooked by Ian the chef and served with creamy mash in a home-made gravy, they sounded delightful.

Alas, it was not to be. A red rubber stamp had been printed across it informing customers it was no longer available.

The Old Gate is an interesting place. According to the beam in the restaurant area at the back, the building dates back to the 17th century, and a detailed history by licensee Kevin Wall explains how what was originally a cottage was converted into a pub in the 1830s.

Posters on the door promote a special St George's Day party on Friday evening, and there is also an appeal for football widows to enjoy a World Cup-free summer.

Divided into two smallish rooms, there is a charming little bar at the front with immaculate quarry tiles on the floor. A bright red finish to one of the walls gives a stylish twist to the classic country pub with its oak beams and brick fireplace. Oh, and there was a Zeppelin and a helicopter suspended from the ceiling, but sometimes it's best not to ask. We sat in the split-level restaurant area at the back of the pub, nearly as quaint but slightly more formal, the walls decorated with period advertisements from around the world.

"Black Country ales" said the writing above the bar, although pedants would point out that none of the beers on tap were actually brewed in the Black Country. There was the excellent Enville Ale, though,which is nearly Black Country, but I have had that before, and decided to go for something a little different – and I would heartily recommend Ironbridge Foundry Gold. This light, hoppy bitter is brewed in Shropshire, but started life as a favourite at the Maverick pub in Amblecote – yes I know we're getting a little geeky here – so there are Black Country connections.

The wine list combines a reasonable choice of mainstream bottles, plus a few specials from "Kevin's collection."

The staff are clearly an important part of the Old Gate experience, and the smartly bound menu included a few words about each of them; Kevin is the boss man, who took over in February last year, Ian is the gourmet chef who likes to express himself through his dishes. Paris, apparently, is really called Heather, but she is such a dead ringer for the, ahem, "socialite", that the nickname has stuck. I'm not sure how I would feel about that, but then again, it's something I'm probably not likely to experience. At least not in my work clothes.

A nice touch was that reading glasses are available for people struggling to read the menu.

I'm not usually a big fan of starters, but I liked the sound of the Black Country Salad – black pudding, bacon and poached egg, since you ask. However, I decided that I fancied the home-made bread, served with olives, houmous and an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip. Sadly, that went the same way as the sausage, and was sold out. Not my lucky day, was it?

The rustic beef and Guinness pie went some way to compensate though. Nicely presented in a small block at the side of the plate, with a square coating of shortcrust pastry, it actually looked like it had been cooked specially for me – although wouldn't it have been nice if it had been made with one of the local guest ales, rather than the black stuff? It came with a choice of handcut chips or dauphinoise potatoes, but I really couldn't decide. So I had both. A wise move, I think, as they were both superb.

The chips were fairly substantial, golden and crispy, but I think on balance it was the dauphinoise that shaded it, having a glorious creamy texture.

My dining partner went for the salmon risotto from the specials menu, which included a bit of crab to give it a twist.

For desserts, it was hard not to be won over by the warm toffee pudding in butterscotch sauce, which we both went for. It was presented in an interesting sugar string lattice, wrapped like a net around the sweet and toffee base. It looked good, it tasted good.

The total bill was £44.05, so it was towards the high end of the pub food market, but it had all been thoughtfully prepared in a homely, warm atmosphere.

The sweet, dark haired waitress who served us – who I'm guessing was not Paris – presented the bill in a little wooden trunk, which I thought summed up the

evening perfectly: quaint, quirky and full of charm. And hopefully next time I will be able to try the sausage.

ADDRESS

The Old Gate, Heathton, Claverley WV5 7EB

Phone: 01746 710131

MENU SAMPLE

Starters

Crispy duck spring rolls with a noodle salad and a sweet chilli dressing £5.95; Thai salmon and cod fishcakes with a red onion salad and tomato £5.50; Black Country salad – black pudding, bacon and stilton salad topped with a poached egg and whisky and honey dressing, priced at £5.95; Chicken wings in sweet

chilli sauce and served with garlic mayonnaise dip £5.95/£10.95 for two

Main courses

Home-made lasagne with fresh salad and chips £9.95; Ham and eggs with chips £7.95; Chargrilled 8oz rib eye steak with garlic cray fish tails, saute potatoes and

fresh salad £14.95; Roasted half Shropshire duck served with dauphinoise potatoes, seasonal vegetables and a rich orange and Drambuie sauce £15.95; Hand-made burger with ciabatta bread, salad, chops, caramelised onions, coleslaw and choice of melted cheddar or goat's cheese £8.95

Desserts

Creme brulee with vanilla ice cream £4.95; Tiramisu made with ground espresso coffee and cream £4.95