The Black Bull, Market Overton

By Tim Beard

Arriving at The Black Bull, in Market Overton, just after 8pm on Saturday night, the signs were not all that good.

The restaurant in which my wife and I thought we had booked a quiet table for two was full of a lively wedding party, so we were a little disappointed to be shown to a table in the main lounge bar area.

But the warmth of the welcome, the low beams and candle-lit tables at this typical Rutland country pub quickly relaxed our demeanour and we settled in for a leisurely meal.

There was a good selection of five starters, including old favourites such as soup and prawn cocktail, but I plumped for another traditional choice – button mushrooms cooked in slow-roasted garlic, but with the twist of white wine and Colston Bassett Stilton added to the mix, then grilled.

It was very tasty but very rich too, so the small dish proved ample.

My wife, Diane, chose deep-fried Brie de Meaux, which came in a very generous portion with rocket and a slightly fiery, but extremely appealing home-made chilli chutney.

A very good start, then, and we settled back for a few minutes to savour our first course.

But within a couple of minutes our main arrived.

My fear had been that, with a big wedding party in situ, we might have been kept waiting, so it seems a little churlish to criticise prompt service.

But part of the pleasure of food is having the opportunity to savour it and have a chat between courses, so I had to mark them down for that.

Nonetheless, my home-made steak and ale pie, served with hand-cut chips, was very tasty and filled with delicious chunks of meat, while Diane's baked haddock in a lemon butter sauce, served with new potatoes and vegetables, hit the spot nicely.

Not wishing to get rushed into the sweet course, we requested a 20-minute break, which the waiting staff happily complied with.

I felt nicely full, so decided to decline the sweet, but Diane is made of sterner stuff and couldn't resist the home-made warm chocolate brownie.

Being Canadian, she is an aficionado of such things – and made approving noises during its consumption.

Choosing was difficult too, as sticky toffee pudding, bread and butter pudding, ginger sponge or a range of ice creams were the competition.

With a couple of drinks each and coffee, the bill came to just over £46.

The Black Bull, Market Overton, Rutland. 01572 767677.

Rating: 4/5