Whittle-le-Woods: The Malthouse Farm

7:17pm Friday 29th February 2008

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The Malthouse Farm in Whittle-le-Woods may have been built in the 21st century but it has a lovely olde worlde feel about it.

Wooden beams abound, paneled walls, plate racks, and nooks and crannies around every corner.

It may be part of a larger chain but its rustic charm is all-encompassing.

The menu is varied but not overwhelmingly so.

The bar caters for everyone, particularly wine lovers, with an excellent selection to suit all budgets.

There's an interesting range of starters, all under £5, but we went straight for the mains.

I opted for a vegetarian dish, "penne pasta with sautéed mushrooms and roasted peppers in a tomato and basil sauce."

After such a promising write-up, it was a big disappointment. The pasta was not fresh, the sauce tasteless and could well have come out of a bottle. The vegetables and the hearty portion-size were its saving grace.

My husband went for the mixed grill in a pepper sauce.

His large oval plate came piled up with rump steak, gamon, chicken breast, sausages, black pud, onion rings, fried tomatoes and chips, with a fried egg on top, and a jug of sauce.

It sounds immense and yet with a little help from a reformed veggie, we managed to clear his plate.

The menu writes of the pub's great relationship with the butcher and a 35-day period for hanging the meat, it was certainly apparent in that meal.

All the steaks were tasty, tender and clearly top quality cuts, the sausages and black pud, delicious.

And his lordship even found room for hot apple pie and custard, which I am told tasted as good as it looked - mouth-wateringly delicious.

With a half a guiness, a glass of wine and two coffees, it came to just over thirty quid.

The service was slow, but the ambiance so relaxing, why hurry.

As a serious carnivore, I'd certain go back, but I can understand why my veggie pal declined my invitation.

How did it fare? (out of six stars): Food *** Drink ***** Service **** Atmosphere ***** Value ****