I found the authentic taste and sounds of American BBQ in the heart of Stafford

Some types of food from other parts of the world can be tough to get right in the UK.

It can be tough to get authentic Thai, Chinese or even Indian food as a lot of what is on the menu is influenced by British tastes or the flavours and spices just aren’t right.

One type of international food which can be hard to properly replicate in the UK is barbeque, specifically smokehouse, southern American barbeque smoked to perfection and cooked to provide meat which falls off the bone.

I’ve been lucky enough to go to Texas and enjoy brisket, pulled pork, burnt ends, steaks and all the other goods available there and, in my near-43 years on this earth, I’ve only ever found two places that did it right: Rodeos in Wolverhampton and the much-missed Johnny Ringos in Sunderland.

Turns out there was a chain of restaurants under my nose the whole time in Hickory’s Smokehouse, with 24 restaurants currently open across the country.

The 25^th restaurant opened its doors to the public in Stafford on Friday but, as a way of getting their staff ready and getting all the kinks worked out, the good people put out invitations to the great and good to come and enjoy a meal and take in the flavours of the South on Kingsway on the outskirts of the town centre a few days beforehand.

I was lucky enough to get an invitation to the restaurant and, as I could bring a guest, I decided to treat my mum Diane to a night out.

This, in itself, is a voyage of discovery for my mum as while she’s eaten barbecue in the past, it’s been a long time and her palate and tastes have changed.

For me, it’s also a bit of a different experience as I don’t eat nearly as much as I did a year ago, so I wanted to gauge the quality and quality of the food, as well as the service and general atmosphere.

Sitting on the site of the former Hungry Horse, it’s not hard to find, full of vivid bright lights and the familiar Hickory’s logo if you’re driving up or, if you’re putting in the steps beforehand, just follow your nose as the smell is incredible or listen out for the country music-heavy soundtrack.

Take a step through the doors and you’re met with a sensory overload with the music playing, people chatting, bright lights and colourful poster everywhere and, of course, the food cooking away in the very visible kitchen.

After getting a warm welcome, we were taken to the bar and given a seat, as well as a very detailed drinks menu, which included milkshakes both adult and child-friendly, sweet teas, winter warmers, cocktails and beers, soft drinks and some fine wine for those of a discerning taste.

That fit my mum nicely and she started sipping a Malbec. For me as, once again, Mr motorist, I couldn’t drink alcohol, so I was left thinking about something tasty and refreshing, which led to me to a large Root Beer. I love Root Beer and, when I’m in the States, it’s all I drink outside of bars, so even though I don’t touch a lot of carbonated soft drinks now, it was worth hanging the diet for one night.