I visited a breath-taking dining experience in the heart of rural Shropshire and was blown away by what was served

Under stewardship of general manager Marcio Reis, the pub has now become the only restaurant in the Bridgnorth area to be awarded two AA Rosettes for its food after a visit earlier this year by inspectors who were impressed with its fine dining menu.

Along with the regular pub favourites, the Acton now has a frequently changing à la carte menu featuring exclusive dishes such as monkfish, pig's cheek and black marsh lamb – a change that caught the attention of the AA.

And every six weeks, to allow executive chef Kad Jones to demonstrate his skills, the pub hosts a taster menu, where the Acton provides a dining experience the likes of which won't be found anywhere else in Shropshire.

On Halloween night, to a full house of covers, I visited the Acton for one of its taster nights and was astounded by not just the quality and presentation of the food, but also the theatre generated by the dining experience.

As we settled into the surroundings of a typical country pub, decked out for Halloween, along with the staff, the food began - and it being Halloween, many of the dishes were spookily themed.

The meal started with what was described rather boringly on the set menu as "bread and snacks". What arrived was anything but boring.

A smorgasbord of handcrafted canapés and delicacies were astounding in their intricacy and flavours, which ranged from breads infused with cheese to parcels of pastry filled with combinations such as lamb and mint.

This starter was followed by another – foie gras and chicken liver – a powerfully flavoured pate served with freshly baked bread buns and an orange and pumpkin glaze just to remind you it was Halloween.

The intense flavours continued with hand dived scallop, served with chill, spring onions and a unique Japanese egg custard.

If that was not enough to awaken the taste buds, the lobster, spiced carrot and ginger lobster bisque was incredibly potent, and certainly not for the faint hearted or ardent fish lover.

Venison provided the main meal, served rare with beetroot, salsify – a sort of small parsnip – and hazelnut chocolate, which was actually ideal to cut through the gamey meat and provide some sweetness.

Then the desserts came, thick and fast.

The 'pre-dessert' returned to the Halloween theme with a sculpted mushroom made from chocolate and seasoned with mushroom itself, providing an unusual combination that helped to prepare the palate for the proper pudding.

The 'forbidden apple' was close to art. While it appeared to be a regular Granny Smith, it was a sculpted apple mousse, hidden inside a green glazed shell.

And if that wasn't enough, a selection of sweet dainties and chocolates followed with the coffee.

While the food was incredible, the pomp and ceremony with which it was served was equally flamboyant.

With one dish, we were treated to dry ice wafting across the table, adding to the Halloween atmosphere - others were presented so beautifully that they looked like works of art on the plate.

It is the sort of dining typically only seen in some of the UK's leading restaurants.

The eight courses for the evening were paired with a selection of wines and drinks, ranging from English wines from Kent, to new world wines and classic French and Italians - all picked by connoisseur Marcio with the aim to provide the perfect accompaniment, but the wine pairing is an option and has an additional charge attached.

This type of Heston Blumenthal style of dining is not something that is common in Shropshire, and is an experience anybody with an interest in food should put on their bucket list.

With a set price of £72 per person, it was not too unreasonable a price to pay for what is certainly going to be a meal to remember – although the intensity of flavours and the adventurousness of the ingredients means these foodie nights are perhaps not for the faint of palate.

The Acton at Morville is open seven days a week. For bookings, menus and event details visit https://www.theactonatmorville.com/contact.