The Swan, Ironbridge

I'm of the opinion that running a pub well is fairly straightforward. Treat your customers and your beer well and if you serve food, know your limits and stick to them. In other words, don't try and be what you're not!
The Swan is a lovely looking country pub with views of the river and a couple of nice ales on. It is not a City Centre Cattle Market and as such does not require the subtle blend of speed garage and cheesy house music I was treated to last Sunday evening.
The half a dozen Neanderthals clustered around the fruit machines may have found the cacophony enjoyable but they were rooted in the minority!

Under normal circumstances I would have turned around and walked straight out but I�d heard the food was good and decided to persevere. The evening menu was complimented by a specials board with some tasty sounding dishes, 2 of which tempted us (the names now escape me). On returning to the bar I was bluntly told �There�s no specials on�, I politely suggested that they wipe them off the board, this met with a blank expression and shrug. I returned to the table and chose again. This time we decided on Thai Chicken Curry, alas my trudge to the bar was once again greeted with the barmaids equivalent of �Compu�ah sez nah!!�

My resolve waning I gave it one more try, we both chose a cheddar and bacon burger assuming this would be trouble free. My friend the barmaid took great delight in telling me �The menu sez brie & bacon or stilton, not cheddar�, I just nodded. For the record, I double checked the menu afterwards and there was no mention of brie there (I am a petty, petty man!)

Forty-five minutes later our meals arrived, I can�t fault the chefs ability to fry chips and the burger was very meaty (if lacking slightly in seasoning) however, serving the burger in a desiccated, cheap white bap from the corner shop a pointless exercise that left me cold.

I will definitely visit Ironbridge again but I will avoid the Swan like the plague.

26 Aug 2008 12:08