Last updated at 09:50, Friday, 30 July 2010

BRITISH pub grub doesn’t have the best reputation amongst foodies.

Stodgy pies, dodgy chips and overcooked veg has made our national cuisine a by-word for dull, flavourless food.

The Wilson Arms in Torver goes some way to combating the poor reputation of English staples such as steak and ale pie, but sadly lets itself down in the details.

I had a feeling the pub would serve hearty fare, so to work up an appetite, my dining companion and I took ourselves off for a brisk fell-run up White Combe before heading for the pub.

The Wilson Arms’ cosy bar area is welcoming, and had a friendly mid-week buzz when we arrived. The pub also has seven bed and breakfast rooms and the punters seemed to be a mix of hiking holiday-makers and locals.

The bar was only serving one real ale on tap – Coniston Brewing Company’s Bluebird Bitter. But if you’re only serving one beer, then Bluebird is a great choice to go with food – a pale, fruity 3.6 per cent ABV that you could drink all evening. Unfortunately, I was driving so had to slowly sip mine. The bar also stocked a fruity cider and Peroni lager on tap.

The highlight of the evening were the smiling, helpful members of staff. Three of them managed to run the bar and restaurant with just the right blend of friendliness and professionalism.

However, my heart sank when I saw the decor of the restaurant when we were shown to our table.

The Wilson Arms is billed as a country inn, and the exterior and bar decor reflect this. But the restaurant let the side down with catalogue-style furniture and a dated gas fire instead of the open fire that must once have graced the wood-beamed inn.

The menu also failed to inspire – staples such as lasagne, fish and chips, and even a curry from, puzzlingly, “A Far” – were there, but nothing leapt out at me as being a little bit more of a treat.
My partner went for the surf and turf, which came with steak, prawns, and scampi, while I went for the steak and ale pie made with Bluebird Bitter. If anything, the starters, such as Morecambe Bay potted shrimp and home-made pate looked more promising, but with a stodge-fest looming I was hoping to at least save some room for a pudding.

One thing the Wilson Arms can’t be faulted for is its portion size. When they arrived our meals looked fit for Henry VIII, vast platters of steaming meat, chips and vegetables.
The steak in my pie was just as it should be – melt-in-your-mouth tender. The pastry was just like my grandma used to make – slightly crumbly and a perfect way to soak up the lashings of gravy.
The chips were average and, while the veg was perfectly cooked with a crisp bite, the selection was bizarre.

Apart from the red cabbage, which was spot-on, the courgette and baby corn seemed to have got lost on their way to a stir-fry. Baby carrots and purple-sprouted broccoli or kale would have been a much more appropriate choice for such a hearty English dish.

My partner’s steak was cooked perfectly – medium rare – and the prawns were plump and fresh. It came with a side of chips – though onion rings would have been a nice touch – and the coleslaw and salad were standard fare.

While eating the main course we quickly realised a four-mile trot up a hill wasn’t going to be enough to work up an appetite for the feast before us. To truly enjoy a meal at the Wilson Arms, I recommend spending a full day out on the fells.

But, in the name of thorough journalism, we steeled ourselves for the dessert menu. As suspected it offered a range of gooey treats – the sticky toffee banana pudding was winking at me but I played it safe and opted for a lemon and lime pie.

I am a huge fan of sharp, citrus flavours, and the pie was perfect – nicely tart but without the eye-watering wince that can sometimes accompany such desserts.

However, I was over-faced by the two huge dollops of ice cream that came with it – one modest dollop would have sufficed.

My partner went for the strawberry pavlova – a huge mound of strawberries, cream and meringue. If anything, it resembled more of an Eton mess than a pavlova, but my dining companion had no complaints about the tasty, gooey concoction.

The bill came to £47.70 for two courses, two beers, a cider, a mineral water, plus two coffees, which was good value considering the portion sizes. The Wilson Arms is definitely the place to head if you’ve worked up a big appetite, but maybe not if you’re expecting a fancy gastro-pub experience.

First published at 09:31, Thursday, 22 July 2010
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk