Restaurant review: The White Horse Inn, Pulverbatch, Shrewsbury

Pubs. Who needs 'em? You've got X box, Wi-Fi and iPad. You've got Kindle, YouTube and Twitter.

If you fancy a decent vintage, you can pop along to Asda where the resident wine merchant is knocking out a 2009 Chablis for six quid – yes, six quid . . . most pubs won't serve you a glass for that. And if it's gastro-grub you fancy, M&S and Waitrose are offering dine-in-for-a-tenner meal deals for a solitary note.

Those of you who like to cook can enjoy the bounty of England's finest larder. Shropshire boasts some of Britain's greatest purveyors of meat, vegetables and fruit. It also has an abundance of brilliant butchers – and there's nothing like a barbie at this time of year.

So unless you're looking for a game of dominoes or cribbage, there's simply no point. In the race for the county's dollar; pubs are also-rans.

Right?

Wrong.

Though pubs have been in decline during the past decade, those that survive are doing a roaring trade. Shropshire is blessed with a number of delightful inns that provide the best of local flavour. Shropshire has a booming gastro-pub scene with some of the finest inns in the region.

From The Inn at Grinshill to The Crown and Country Inn at Munslow; or from The Fox at Chetwynd Aston to The Bennetts End Inn, at Knowbury: Shropshire has more than its fair share.

Some are humble, others offer more flair. Some offer finesse, others provide down-at-home pleasures.

Not so long ago, The White Horse Inn, at Pulverbatch, would have been hard pressed to make any discerning critic's list of must-visit inns. Dreadful wallpaper and a rum old carpet were the least of its worries. It was down on its luck and popular only with a handful locals.

And then husband and wife team Steve Farmer and Vikki Nash arrived. Don't be mislead by their names – the couple are happily married, though Vikki decided to retain her maiden name. Steve and Vikki had been looking for the 'perfect' pub for a couple of years. They'd scoured the UK without success before arriving at The White Horse Inn. The Grade-II listed pub is surrounded by stunning Shropshire countryside and it was love at first bite for Farmer and Nash.

They purchased the pub, left their respective jobs in retail and teaching and decided to give The White Horse Inn a new lease of life. Their philosophy was to offer locally-sourced, high quality food with a contemporary twist. Dowdy furnishings were consigned to the skip and a family-friendly atmosphere was quickly engendered. The White Horse relaunched last June and during its first year of trading offered hearty meals by winter fires and al fresco drinks in spring and summer.

Pulverbatch is in walking country and The White Horse Inn welcomes plenty of day-trippers, many of whom have enjoyed restorative outings in Shropshire's Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It also has a loyal group of locals. The pub has reconnected the community, serving as a focal point for rural types in south west Shropshire.

It's become a people's favourite, earning a creditable 30th out of 722 rating on Tripadvisor. With 19 excellent reviews, seven very good and none that are average, poor or terrible, it ticks plenty of boxes with visitors. A number of common themes emerge: the warm welcome from staff, generous portions and an impressive sourcing policy that focuses on local producers. 'Smiles and Sustenance' encompasses the general tone.

The pub has an impressive history and was a former farm house until the 19th century. Parts of the building date back to the 14th or 15th centuries and the venue was extensively remodelled in the 17th century. There are history walls inside the venue, which providing fascinating facts from years gone by.

One newspaper clipping tells a story about a spitfire pilot who was killed in 1954 when his aircraft came down. The pilot was ex-F/Lt. G. T. Heyes, D.F.C., of Ruabon. He was a married man and was engaged on meteorological duties. Before the crash he sent out an SOS that he was in difficulties and was about to bale out. The message was picked up by RAF Shawbury, who flashed it to the police and fire authorities. Soon afterwards the machine crashed with the pilot in it and burst into flames. Pieces of wreckage were strewn over a wide area.

Remarkably, Heyes stayed with his craft and perished. It is thought he decided so that he could guide his craft away from a local school, where youngsters were being taught maths. He paid the price for his heroism with his life, but the children at the village school were spared.

The White Horse's history wall tells his story. The venue itself is neatly divided into a pub and a separate dining area. The bar is a wonderfully atmospheric space. There are newspapers and bar stools, so that people can kick back and relax over a pint of real ale or glass of something fruity.

The dining area is flooded with natural light and there is abundant space. So many Shropshire venues seem to cram in the maximum number of seats – understandable, I suppose, in this age of austerity. The White Horse, however, provides ample room for guests.

Landlord Steve offered a warm welcome when my friend and I arrived. He greeted us at the bar, offered drinks and menus and engaged in light conversation. He seemed justifiably proud of his menu and outlined the highlights. He spoke with confidence about the high proportion of homemade elements; from the salmon gravadlax to the salad dressings; from the terrines to the sauces and from the burgers to the bread.

My friend and I were offered a choice of tables and Steve returned to us. If ever a competition is founded to find Shropshire's friendliest landlord, I know who I'll vote for: Steve. He asked us about our day, whether we had dietary requirements and whether we'd eaten there before. Throughout it all he smiled. Oh, for more Steves. The world would be a better place if it were populated by men like him.

A dish caught my eye: mushroom, spinach and bacon tagliatelle. I'd presumed the pasta would be home made and I liked the sound of the earthy, salty, mineral-rich dish. "The tagliatelle is home made, is it?" I asked.

Steve looked like a man who'd arrived at a salmon river and forgotten his flies. "Ah, umm, err..." We both knew the answer. My friend was unconcerned and ordered the dish, while I switched and went for a coarse country pork pate with toasted homemade bread and a red onion marmalade.

The pasta was pleasant and surprisingly light while the pate was packed with flavour. The piquancy of the marmalade cut through the richness of the savoury pate. It was robust and hearty.

We enjoyed a short break before our mains: my friend enjoying a beer battered fillet of cod with chunky chips, pea puree and a homemade tartare sauce. The chips were fat, golden and crisp – and I nicked at least five, before a retaliatory fork came down hard on my thieving fingers. The batter was crisp and the fish had been cooked with skill; large white chunks flaked beneath the fork.

I opted for the jambalaya, with Shropshire chicken, chorizo, prawns, rice, peppers and paprika. It was unimpressive. The flavours and colour were good but the cooking was imprecise.

The rice was mushy, there was too little chicken and the prawns had also been overcooked. Though the flavours were pleasing, the textures were not.

We lingered for desserts, my friend ordering the crème brulee and vanilla shortbread while I ordered a summer berry mille-feuille. The crème brulee was pretty good but the shortbread was a little too card-like. It lacked the buttery, sweet crumbliness that it ought to have had. The mille-feuille was also indifferent. The berries and cream were delightful but the pastry between was insipid and bland.

No matter. My friend and I enjoyed the love and attention that went into our evening. Steve, a classy waitress and a hard-working chef had poured their best efforts into our dinners.

There was room for improvement but Steve and Vikki deserve all credit. They run a tight ship and are heading in the right direction. Service is exceptional, the sourcing policy is seriously good and a little more precision from the kitchen will yield great results.

Andy Richardson