The Hare & Hounds, Shenstone

'Honk if you're hungry', says one of the numerous signs beckoning people into the Hare & Hounds. Well actually, that's not strictly true,

.

Honk if you'r hungry is what it actually says, but let's not split hairs. Or hares.

After all, what is a missing 'e' between friends, when food that "far outweighs some of the so-called restaurants" is on the menu?

That was the glowing verdict of Graham, who once dined at this pub in the glorious countryside of North Worcestershire. And it seems the word has spread. David, from Carshalton in Surrey also popped in during a visit in December last year, and found it offered "great food, great beer, a lovely atmosphere, and a real fire".

Licensees Nigel and Sally Burchill certainly seem to subscribe to the philosophy that it pays to advertise. Let's say it is very well signposted, with A-boards dotted along the Worcester Road proclaiming the merits of the home-made fish and chips, which are available to take out, the special offers and the live entertainment.

Had I come a few weeks ago, I believe there would have been a sign telling me Elvis would be in the building.

It is certainly a beautiful setting. About five miles from the centre of Kidderminster, the pub is surrounded by farmland. It occupies quite considerable grounds, with a generous level car park, bounded by attractively landscaped lawns. There is a large beer garden behind the pub, which is surrounded by a low picket fence, and there is also an undercover patio area for those with a nicotine habit.

The pretty floral displays outside the pub blend in well with the surroundings, but I would really like to have learned a bit about the history of what appears to be a very old building. No bolt-on beams here; the hefty timberwork is clearly an integral part of the structure, which I would imagine dates back several hundred years.

Leaflets about local attractions are on display in the small entrance lobby, and the main restaurant is in the room at the front of the chair.

There is a quite attractive tartan-patterned carpet, which goes well with the old-world ambience, bright enough to create a warm, homely feeling, without being garish. The dark tables and wheelback chairs add to the rustic charm.

I did wonder where we were going to sit, though. Surveying the packed room, I wondered what had happened to the table of four I had booked by telephone.

"I've reserved you a table in the snug," said landlady Sally Burchill, the petite 22-year-old who has been running the pub for last two years.

Sally said she would be able to find space for us in the main restaurant if we wanted, but we were quite happy to take our place at the back of the pub.

If ever there was a room that justified the name 'snug', this was it. We virtually had a room to ourselves, a tiny area separated from the rest of the bar by timber framed wall. For those wanting reading material, there was quite an interesting selection of books just around the corner, not to mention the dartboard for anybody who fancies a game of arrows.

Classic pub fare best sums up the menu, and somehow this seems in keeping with the warm, homely atmosphere. Our group of four was split 50-50 between the steak and ale pie, which I decided to sample, and the chicken melt. We decided to share a bottle of J P Chenet rose wine to accompany it, a slightly sweet, fruity number.

There was quite a delay before the food arrived, but then again, I would rather wait for good food than go to some of the places where bland, pre-prepared meals arrive in a suspiciously short time frame. After all, why go out unless you are planning to make a night of it?

The general consensus was that the steak and ale pie was the better of the two dishes, containing carrots as well as the meat, and topped off with puff pastry. There are many places where the pies are a bit of an afterthought, safe unadventurous dishes, with little to distinguish one from another. But this was packed with flavour, with a rich, spicy sauce.

The chicken dishes were reasonably well received, but were a little on the dry side, and would have benefited from a bit more sauce.

Anybody who knows me will tell you that I love chocolate orange, that I love fudge, and that I love chocolate fudge cake. So when I saw a chocolate orange fudge cake on the desserts menu, there was always a strong chance I was going to try it.

And I would definitely go for it again. Past experience of chocolate orange desserts have been marred by an overpowering tang of orange, but this was perfect; sweet, creamy, with just the right amount of citrus zest, and I think my dinner guest who sampled the same dessert would concur.

Service was excellent. Courteous, confident, articulate and knowledgeable, Sally was the perfect host for the evening, and it did set me thinking about what I was doing at 22 - and then I remembered. Let's just say I probably wouldn't have had the maturity or the self-belief to be running my own restaurant.

The bill came to £60.75 for the four of us, so it worked out at just over £15 per head. That puts it firmly in the middle of the market, but the experience is much more individual and personal than you will get at the bigger pub chains, and the lovingly cooked pies were a cut above what you normally get for that price.

It is a beautiful building, and the place oozes charm and character, and the warm personal service that we experienced almost made it feel like being invited to a dinner party in somebody's own home.

Independent, rural pubs are rapidly becoming an endangered species, so it is heartening to see a young, vibrant management team keeping this old, very English tradition alive.

And don't forget to honk if you're hungry.

ADDRESS

The Hare & Hounds, Worcester Road, Shenstone, near Kidderminster DY10 4BU

Phone: 01562 777380

MENU SAMPLE

STARTERS

Rustic pate with toast, butter and cranberry sauce, £3.75; Home-made soup of the day with a warm baguette and butter, £3.50; Pan-fried mushrooms in cream and stilton, £4.25

MAIN COURSES

Chicken melt, £8.95; Mixed grill: pork chop, lamb chop, steak, gammon, sausage, black pudding, £12.95; 8oz/10oz rump steak with tomatoes ,onion rings and mushrooms, £9.95/ £11.50; 8oz ribeye steak with tomatoes, onion rings and mushrooms, £9.95; Lamb shank in rosemary or minted gravy, £8.95; Wholetail scampi, £6.95; Mushroom stroganoff, £6.95

DESSERTS

Chocolate strawberry delight, £3.50; Home-made crumble £3.50