In need of a hearty meal and with my dad in tow, I headed to the Plough, a pub I’d long meant to visit.

Inside it’s all gentle shades of pale blue and neutrals, with a couple of large-but-cosy booths as well as a pleasant hotch-potch of smaller tables and chairs.

At first glance the menu seems a bit safe and dull. It’s typical pub grub; pie, steak, lasagne, fish and chips.

The specials were more tempting, with the stuffed haddock catching my dad’s eye and the beef bourginon almost tempting me away from the lure of a homemade burger.

At £5.25 for the latter, plus 50p for bacon, this was really good. The homemade beef patty was well seasoned with thyme and was perfectly cooked; charred on the outside and juicy with just the faintest touch of pink on the inside.

Served up with a mini-fryer basket full of thin-but-not-skinny chips and a well dressed side salad, I was very happy.

The haddock, rolled around a salmon mousse and served with the biggest mussels I’ve ever seen, on top of a delightfully al dente and creamy chilli and spring onion risotto, was a total surprise from the menu.

The risotto deserved a spot on the menu as a standalone meal, it was that good.

With such a well-cooked risotto, the wait for our meals was perfectly acceptable although the place was deserted, which made for a very quiet meal.

The bill came to just over a reasonable £22, with a pint of Bowland Brewery ale, a juice and a side of onion rings. I will return for the promising-sounding Sunday lunch.

VERDICT

  • Food: 8
  • Drink: 8
  • Service: 7 
  • Atmosphere: 7
  • Value: 7