The Bell, Eckington, Pershore

THE smoky aroma of a real wood fire greeted our entrance into the Bell at Eckington. We had braved the thick fog to venture into the countryside for supper on a chilly, dark Friday evening and the sight of an open fire was certainly welcome, helping us forget the weather outside.

This country pub has undergone the now familiar transformation into chic, rural eaterie with stripped wooden floors, open fires, boutique wallpaper and reclaimed brickwork.

We were immediately given a warm welcome by the lady behind the bar and shown to our table. The spacious restaurant allows for the tables to be well spaced.

The Bell has a wide range of dishes on its menu as well as several specials.

My companion and I were spoilt for choice. There were several starters and mains that took our fancy.

In the end she went for potted stilton with port on hot toast at £5.65 and I went for the home-made chicken liver and thyme parfait with apricot compote on crusty bread for £5.75.

Both were very tasty and we could find fault with neither, but the potted stilton probably had the edge. It was rich, creamy and totally delilcious.

On a cold, wintery night my companion felt the only option for main course was the steak, Guinness and mushroom pie, with mash, gravy, and vegetables priced £8.95.

It certainly hit the spot. Seemingly home-made, the pastry was perfect and the filling rich and flavoursome with plenty of lean chunks of steak.

My companion was a big fan of the mash potato and her only comment was that she wished she’d asked for more gravy.

I, on the other hand, chose the pan-fried pork steaks with mustard mash, apple and cider reduction topped with black pudding and honey, priced slightly higher at £10.95.

The ample portion of creamy, mustardy, mash was topped with two decent-sized pork steaks. The tangy sauce was perfectly topped off by the sweetness of the honey. The main courses were accompanied by a dish of nicely cooked fresh, green vegetables.

For dessert I went for the homemade apple pie with cinnamon cream from the specials menu, priced £4.95 and my companion the fruits of the forest ice cream sundae, £5.25.

A slightly undercooked apple pie didn’t stop the puddings from topping off a very satisfying meal.

And as we ventured back into the fog a lot fuller and warmer we agreed that it wouldn’t be too long before we returned to the Bell.

HOW IT RATED

Food: 4★
Service: 3★
Value for money: 4★
Ambience: 4★