Best of British

These credentials alone give some indication of The Plough's success, but it also benefits from a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, retaining the feel of a cosy old-fashioned pub while offering an extensive and appealing food menu. Owner Mark Giles recognises the importance of attracting both drinkers and diners, and to this end The Plough's bar and dining areas are kept separate. A spacious conservatory has windows hand-painted with rural scenes, while a private dining room has a 12-seater table that converts into a snooker table for after-dinner entertainment.

So popular is the carvery that there are two serving counters in different parts of the building, meaning customers need not wait in a long queue. Mark assures us that only the best meat is selected for use, with beef, lamb and pork sourced from the Scottish Highlands, and all meat is bought on the bone and matured in the special cold store on the premises. Local produce is used where possible, including venison and turkey as well as fresh vegetables.

As well as the carvery, which always offers at least three different meats, there is also an a la carte menu with plenty of options including Indian, Chinese and French specialities. On our visit, we decided that I would pick a dish from the menu while my colleague sampled the carvery, which on that day featured beef, turkey and pork.

I chose the fillet of beef in Cantonese sauce, which arrived sizzling loudly on a skillet, with strips of meat well presented on a colourful bed of peppers and onions and accompanied by a sizeable dish of rice. The sweet, sticky home-made sauce worked very well in combination with the zesty vegetables, and the only problem was that the reasonably large portion proved slightly too much to finish at lunchtime!

The carvery option was also a success, with all three types of meat proving very tender - a far cry from the dried-up offerings at so many carveries. The emphasis is clearly on quality, with the selection of vegetables and potatoes also tasting fresh. With the starter menu featuring 'Soup of the Moment' (not of the day, you notice; fresh really means fresh here!) and locally-grown Far Forest mushrooms, The Plough demonstrates its commitment to traditional home-cooking at every turn.

My colleague had chosen the house white wine to accompany her meal, and was impressed by its crisp taste. I had elected to sample a couple of the eight real ales on offer, and the first, 'Ginger Beer' from Enville Ales, proved to be a fortuitous choice as the sweet and gingery flavour made it the ideal accompaniment to the Cantonese-style meal. The second beer was the wonderfully-named 'Butty Bach' from the Wye Valley Brewery (it means 'my little friend' in Welsh); a more traditional and robust ale. Importantly, both were served at the perfect temperature - Mark explains that The Plough's cellar has a brook running through it, meaning great beer-keeping conditions - so the relevant accreditations are no surprise.

Even though the main courses were filling, the dessert menu was a tempter: chilled delights like Passion Fruit Cheesecake and Chocolate Junkyard were on display in the nearby fridge, but we both chose traditional puds with a twist; rather in keeping with our surroundings. My rhubarb and orange crumble had a crunchy, oaty topping which complemented the fruit flavours, and my colleague's choice of banana and Bailey's bread and butter pudding was as sweet and indulgent as it sounds.

If you're a fan of home-cooked food in friendly surroundings, The Plough is ideal for a Sunday lunch or a family gathering - and real ale lovers will rejoice in the fact that the restaurant side of the business has not stripped this former coaching inn of its traditions.

The Plough Inn, Cleobury Road,

Far Forest, nr Bewdley. DY14 9TE

Tel: 01299 266237