We found ourselves in "a secret corner of Shropshire where time has stood still for centuries…" and stayed for three nights at The Sun Inn in the small scattered village of Norbury.
Choosing to eat in the restaurant each evening, between us we sampled a fair proportion of the menu.
All ... Read review
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...stayed for three nights at The Sun Inn in the small scattered village of Norbury.
Choosing to eat in the restaurant each evening, between us we sampled a fair proportion of the menu.
All of it was good, some of it was better.
But before we get to the food, let's taste the atmosphere. The Sun is an ancient and well-nurtured inn. Rumour has it that it predates the 12th century church opposite, and nothing ... ...a public house now that the expression 'pub' has been so much debased, but a public house it is in the best possible way. You enter from the car park at the rear of the premises, having crossed the small patio garden of haphazard benches, pots, trees, and pond. In late Autumn afternoon sunlight the red/gold of the leaves was tempting; in summer I cannot imagine resisting the shade and the sound of running water, and the views to Housman's blue remembered ... more
We found ourselves in "a secret corner of Shropshire where time has stood still for centuries…" and stayed for three nights at The Sun Inn in the small scattered village of Norbury.
Choosing to eat in the restaurant each evening, between us we sampled a fair proportion of the menu.
All of it was good, some of it was better.
But before we get to the food, let's taste the atmosphere. The Sun is an ancient and well-nurtured inn. Rumour has it that it predates the 12th century church opposite, and nothing about the building would gainsay that assertion. It would seem a sacrilege to call it a public house now that the expression 'pub' has been so much debased, but a public house it is in the best possible way. You enter from the car park at the rear of the premises, having crossed the small patio garden of haphazard benches, pots, trees, and pond. In late Autumn afternoon sunlight the red/gold of the leaves was tempting; in summer I cannot imagine resisting the shade and the sound of running water, and the views to Housman's blue remembered hills.
From the rear hallway you pass into the front of the building, this is divided equally between the bar area, the residents lounge, and the restaurant (although the last stretches the full depth of the building). Both bar and lounge have small serving areas, real fires and a miss-match of old furniture which compliments the stone walls, wood panels, old photographs and knick-knacks which adorn the shelves and niches. There are sofas, wall-seats, hardback chairs and deep winged armchairs. It is richly deeply pleasant. Cosy. 'Twould seem churlish not to sample the local brew while pondering the menu.
The Wye Valley bitter seemed to go down rather well. While the Stowford Press was a little gassy here compared to the same brand sampled down the road in Ludlow, it is nevertheless a good fruity easy-drinking cider.
There is time to enjoy your pre-dinner drink. You are left alone with the menu, and once your order is placed the chef will begin cooking, so you can easily reckon an hour's conversation before being called to the table. Hemmed in here between Norbury Hill and The Long Mynd time has stood still for a century or three ~ they're not about to start rushing things now.
The restaurant itself is spacious, more light and airy than the bar/lounge areas, but still furnished with good solid antique chairs and tables. It has a more genteel feel to it, offset by a lighter touch to the décor, a single candle to each table, sparkling glass and silverware. Yet the assemblage of the furniture and the ornaments around the room again speak of family acquisitions, a conglomeration over time which "works" as a whole but isn't of a pattern and so side-steps any possible accusation of pretension.
It rounds off the whole 'country house' feel of the place.
And so to table. What did we eat and what did we make of it?
"Short work" is the answer to the second question. I must confess conversation faltered at times as we simply ate. And enjoyed.
A brief word on starters. An interesting selection. The warm tomato and anchovy salad impressed, and both the simple smoked trout and more fussy smoked salmon & prawn cocktail worked well. My vote, however, goes to the soup of the day: leek and watercress ~ a gentle warming bowl, not so large as to wreck an appetite, and subtle enough not to override the tastes to come.
When it comes to main courses the menu is simple and robust and offers a choice of - chicken - lamb - trout - duck - steak (sirloin or fillet) - vegetable roulade
Each served with a particular sauce, and accompanied with roast potatoes and a selection of seasonal vegetables served in help-your-self table dishes.
The duck with a rich cherry and rosemary, oriental-slanted sauce was pronounced 'good' but unexceptional.
The steak arrived 'not as rare as I would like' ~ but this is a known hazard in any restaurant these days…it is a trial to find a chef willing to serve the meat still bloody. The only solution is to be brave and ask to speak to the chef to determine his definitions of rare and medium, and to be insistent on your preference. (Most in my experience are more than happy to accommodate.)
The trout was grilled to perfection and served simply with nothing more than a squeeze of lemon.
The chicken with wild mushrooms and garlic sauce proved tasty but, in all honesty, not to have been worth the wait. (It was not available on our first two nights.) The sauce was too subtle for my taste ~ a little too light on the garlic, and I would have to question the 'wildness' of the mushrooms which were chestnuts and oysters in the main…and nothing like the selection I'd anticipated from such a rural area.
Without a doubt the star of the show is the lamb. Three chunky cutlets served in a simple herb & mint gravy. Exquisite. Giving way to the ancient traditions I not only mopped up every last schlop of the sauce with potatoes and parsnips, but proceeded to pick up the bones with my fingers to scour every last scrap of meat from them. [I know! You can't take me anywhere ~ but truly it's a compliment to the chef.]
Not being particularly "pudding people" it would be unfair to comment on the deserts in any detail…but I would hold out a recommendation for the champagne sorbet. Light, clear, crisp. Deceptively rich.
Of course, with any restaurant the food is only the heart of it. No amount of peripherals can make up for inadequate quality on the plate ~ but it's also true that poor service can obliterate the chef's best endeavours. So how was the service? Intuitive would be a good word. On two of the three evenings, just as the words were being formed "I'd quite like to eat now…" our waitress appeared to usher us to table. The waiting style varied from family-friendly to sharply-efficient to country-wench-ebullience…and the differences simply add to the charm of a place that is reaching into the affluent modern dining experience without losing touch with its country roots.
I could have lived with a little less solicitude… but this was end of season and midweek the restaurant was very quiet. On the busier Friday night the balance was restored…and, on balance, I heartily recommend a visit.
COSTS:
For two courses (either starter & main, or main & desert) plus wine we averaged about £30 per person.
LOCATION:
Norbury is just off the A489 Ludlow to Newtown (or a mile or two more from the A49 Ludlow-Shrewsbury route). The Sun Inn is signposted from the main road but if in any doubts head to towards the spire. The 12th century parish church is directly opposite the inn, and it's said that the workman who built the house of worship may have lodged here. The structure of the building certainly suggests this could be so.
LODGING:
The inn has three double bedrooms in the converted coach-house adjacent - two on the first floor, one on the ground. Again simply furnished in the country style with quality antique pieces, the rooms are small but comfortable and include the usual facilities: kettle/tv/hairdrier/en-suite. Advertised as 'especially for couples - no children', it's easy to support the idea of it being a romantic weekend hideaway.
B'nB from £45-£60 pp/pn ("seasonal variations apply" and we paid slightly less).
We were welcomed with a pot of tea by the fire & offered help with the luggage.
Cooked breakfasts were ordered the night before on an item-by-item basis (an avoidance of waste which I commend to all such establishments); fresh fruit salad, cereal etc always available. Timing to be specified when ordering. Coffee, tea, toast etc in unlimited supplies.
OTHER INFO:
Restaurant Open: 7-11pm (Weds to Sun - residents only at other times) & 12.00-3.00pm Sundays
The Inn's website does mention a bar menu, but this did not appear to be available during our visit.
Contact: The Sun, Norbury, Bishops Castle, SY9 5DX Tel: 01588 650680 (Owners: Charles & Carol Cahan) http://freespace.virgin.net/suninn.norbury/
Note: I have 'averaged' the family-friendly rating below. Children are welcome in the restaurant, but the accommodation is not for families. There is no "n/a" option on the rating of this aspect, which would be more appropriate. It seems at odds to give a "poor" or "terrible" rating for a quality outside of the market being aimed at.
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