Review: Britannia Inn, Oswaldtwistle

2:46pm Monday 28th July 2008

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MANY pubs in business terms are in the same position as the Britannia is in geographical terms — ie at a crossroads.

Possibly one of the area’s best known establishments in terms of location, the Britannia is clearly setting its stall out to attract patrons in search of value.

‘All meals a fiver’ scream various blackboards both inside and out. So often this means you get a choice of about half a dozen dishes but, to be fair to the Britannia, there’s a fine selection of options to choose from in the ‘budget’ menu.

True, most of them fall into the comfort food category, but let’s be honest, what do you want for a fiver. Fine dining experiences tend to cost somewhat more.

I went for shepherd’s pie while the better half chose scampi and chips. With a couple of drinks we still only paid £14.10 — not at all bad for a meal out.

As we waited for out meals, I had a look around. A lot of work has been done to maintain the traditional farmhouse feel — when it reopened some 20 years ago it won a major award.

But, for the modern diner, you do feel a little like you’re dining in a railway carriage, particularly if you choose a table in the lower dining area.

Both our dishes were decent-sized platefuls. The shepherd’s pie was in its own earthenware dish and served with a mound of peas.

The potato topping was nicely browned and there was plenty of minced beef filling. A little more seasoning wouldn’t have gone amiss but it was perfectly fine.

The scampi was served, as you’d expect, in breadcrumbs and with chips and peas. Again there was nothing outstanding about the dish but it represented a more than acceptable alternative to cooking at home.

The Britannia has a real country pub feel to it and certainly offers a competitive pricing policy which will suit a lot of diners.

The verdict

With main courses for a fiver, you know where you stand.