Reviews

Shropshire Weekend
Shropshire Star
Food and Drink Review

It would not take much imagination to picture the great 19th Century tile baron Arthur Maw descending the splendidly lavish staircase at The Valley, Coalbrookdale to take his evening meal.

His former home, now an extended hotel and restaurant and named best Western Valley Hotel, still retains some of its understated grandeur.

And the meals my wife and I enjoyed there were a standard which no doubt would have impressed the celebrated partner of the Maw dynasty.

Rosette-winning head chef Barry Workman was having a night off when we booked in, but he has obviously schooled his sous chef Craig Wakenell well because it was a five-star meal…or it would have been had it not been for the black pudding.

I doubt there was anything wrong with the black pudding, there was certainly nothing wrong with the rest of the meal. It was just that the black pudding did not turn up.
It was a tiny omission during an evening of massive enjoyment.

The superb menu offered a most comprehensive and imaginative choice, meal presentation was in the masterchef league and the quality and taste were superlative. Libby relaxed in the comfortable, original Arthur Maw reception room with tall windows revealing the rose edged gardens sweeping down to the River Severn while struggling to make her choice.

The Valley advises of a possible half hour wait as all meals are prepared fresh, and thoughtfully provided bons mouches, those tasty appetisers, while we sipped on pre-meal drinks.

Within 20 minutes we were ushered into the elegant dining room and the attentive waitress served crusty bread using silver tongs. I was presented with my Thai spiced crabcake coated in polenta, deep fried, and served with lemon and lime butter sauce.

It looked like a work of art, skillfully decorated and almost resembling the showy, stylized encaustic tiles that made Maw famous. It tasted excellent, and not too strong.
Libby’s soup met with her full approval. High on flavour, the cream of white onion soup with Brie rarebit croutes was a delight.

Craig’s presentational skills were given full rein for the main course with my marinated chump of English lamb almost worthy of a Turner prize. And the eating was as good as it looked. Meat at the Valley is served pink and the vegetables crunchy (al dente).

The adage “Less gives you more” with fine cooking, allowing full benefit of top grade ingredients to come through.

The lamb is served with panache of Bombay vegetables, black pudding and green curry sauce. It was a stunningly tasty combination.

I was so taken with what I ate that it was not until later that I realized the black pudding was missing. But this did not detract in any way from a top-class meal.

Libby had a deceptively large serving of chicken, spinach and mushroom parcels, filled with a rosemary and thyme mousseline, wrapped in cabbage. They sat gloriously in a tasty and decorative roast tomato jus and made her eyes roll with delight.

Desserts were picture perfect, my cheesecake not too sweet, not too heavy, with gorgeous caramel sauce.

Libby just managed to stay the distance and found fresh fruit salad in a white wine syrup, topped with a lemon water ice a real treat which was definitely too good to decline.

Food this good is rarely this cheap. On reflection, I wonder whether Arthur Maw would have dined this well. Poor chap did not know what he was missing.

No-smoking in the restaurant. Smoking areas elsewhere.
Atmosphere-Pleasant, relaxed with a hint of Georgian elegance
Service-Excellent
Good access. Access facilities for the disabled.

REX M KEY