MORNING STAR: shines with tasty choices

Morning Star, Shaw

CHOOSING at what level you are going to pitch a new venture is a risky business.

In the highly competitive and diverse market of dining out, a pub can take on many a different persona.

What it has to do is firstly convince the loyal locals that this is something they can buy into and enjoy.

Then the reputation has to spread to increase the appeal of the food to others who would not normally use the watering hole.

Such were the dilemmas facing the new landlord when he decided to turn the main room of the Morning Star onGrains Road over to dining.

When the first menus came out, while there were some 'bargain deals', there were some sharp intakes of breath at the up-market offerings.

Graham never wanted it to be 'just pub grub'.

Like all new establishments, they had their teething problems with staff and suppliers but the word in the bar - which I feel it is only right to declare that we do frequent ' was that these were now Òsorted' and we thought it was time we went and put this new-and-growing reputation to the test.

We arrived on time for our Sunday evening meal and the courteous front-of-house ordered us drinks while making a point that he would be just a few minutes as they were about to serve a large 20-strong party sat along the back wall of the large single u-shaped room.

It was refreshingly honest, rather than being seated and left to wonder just when you were ever going to get served, and with speed and efficiency amongst the staff, the wait was hardly noticeable.

There is a special Sunday menu with beef, lamb, pork or roast chicken plus a few vegetarian options and a 'special board' that on our visit featured a chicken stir fry.

Having for last month's review avoided a black pudding starter because of a friend's sideswipe at my penchant for the stuff, I felt justified in this time saying yes to two tasty slices of Richard Woodall's finest topped with a poached egg over crispy pancetta.

And loved every mouthful. We didn't swap, mainly because Mrs W was enthralled by what I thought was a strange choice for her, but turned out to be an inspired one.

She went for cajun roasted baby butternut squash topped with melted oak smoked applewood cheese and a tomato chutney.

I got one mouthful but the rest was savoured. A winning combination.

An excellent start and, despite the tables filling quickly around us, there was no protracted wait for the main course.

This comes - we had pork and beef - with the meat atopping hot mash with a sausage wrapped in bacon, a large Yorkshire pudding and, as the menu has it, real gravy.

Side dishes also offer roasted potatoes and vegetables aplenty.

If anything, I would say the portions could afford to be a touch smaller, gauging the amount of food left on some of the plates around us.

Very complimentary noises abound but just not able to tackle it all.

And if I was going to be ultra critical I know of some who would not have relished so much gravy.

Maybe a touch for decoration and the rest in a separate boat to add to your own taste.

Small details to what was a Sunday roast of fine quality. And when it comes at a £12.95 for three courses hardly a bank buster - even if it is a belt buster.

All in the name of research and with the said belt moved out a notch I had no hesitation in choosing the golden syrup sponge with thick vanilla custard.

Roles reversed here as I thought too little custard for such a marvellously light sponge.

But leaving some sponge did mean a second notch-tug was not necessary.

Mrs W had the lemon and ginger crunch on the specials and was impressed. I took the liberty of picking up a December menu on the way out.

We go down as locals who were sceptical about pitching the Morning Star so high in the dining out market.

The food attains such levels and it would be a notable triumph if it can draw in the customers to match.

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