Richard Beeching has a lot to answer for. Not only did the infamous chairman of British Rail decimate our public transport system, he also did a pretty good job of messing up our pub names, writes The Insider.

How many pubs are there called The Station or The Railway, where thanks to “Doctor” Beeching, there is now nothing of the sort?

Even so, it is probably stretching things a bit to blame him for the misnomer which used to blight The Badger Inn at Eccleshall.

Originally The Railway Inn, it was prematurely named in anticipation of a new train link to the town.

But by the time the line was finally built in 1837, it bypassed Eccleshall completely, leaving the Railway without a railway.

Nevertheless, the pub soldiered on with the same old name until 1993, when its owners decided to rename it The Badger, after the mysterious, subterranean creatures which only emerge at night to forage for food under the cover of darkness. A bit like The Insider, then.

The Badger was actually one of the very first recommendations when this column started 18 months ago, when Breeze dropped me a line to say it was one of the nicest places to eat.

Booked

“It’s a modest looking pub, but inside it’s wonderful,” said Breeze. “The landlord is fantastic, nothing is too much trouble for him and his staff, and the food is wonderful, very well priced and the service has now got up to speed.”

Word must have got out, though; when I turned up without an appointment last year, the place was fully booked and we had to eat elsewhere, so this time we were taking no chances.

Mind you, it was one thing booking a table, but another altogether finding a parking space. There was a reasonably-sized car park, but when we arrived every single space had been filled, with one particularly huge pick-up truck taking up two spaces.

The small cul-de-sac along the side of the pub was also looking rather congested, but just as I was beginning to ponder what to do next, a space conveniently close to the door became free.

From the street it looks pretty run-of-the-mill, double-fronted red brick pub with the large, square windows typical of a 19th Century coaching inn.

Nestling slightly incongruously behind a small outside seating area, is the side entrance, which is more in the style you would expect to see on a 1970s Barratt showhouse.

If you can measure somebody’s job satisfaction by how much they smile, then Janette, the brunette who showed us to our table clearly seemed to enjoy working at The Badger very much indeed. Her positivity seemed to be infectious, creating a real feelgood factor.

The dining area consists of a small room at the side of the pub, and a large conservatory behind, which was quite smartly decorated with simple, square tables, good quality wooden flooring, and abstract artwork displayed on exposed brickwork. I do wonder about whether the conservatory would get a bit nippy in the winter, though.

It is not a huge restaurant, but it was certainly well occupied. When we arrived, two middle-aged couples were occupying the table next to us, their place later being taken by a younger family group.

Antipodean accents could be detected among a large party which crossed the generations as well as the globe, and a young Englishman was regaling the group with stories about his adventures Down Under.

There were light-hearted gasps of the kind normally reserved for murder mystery evenings on two occasions when the lights went out for no apparent reason. Just as well there were candles on the table, then.

Disabled access should be no problem although, of course, on the night of our visit the parking situation might have made things tricky.

Ale drinkers can choose from Pedigree, Holden’s Golden Glow or Black Sheep Bitter, and I went for the latter, a pleasant hoppy, golden beer with a dry taste.

The menu is pretty much traditional fare with a slightly decadent twist, striking the balance between providing something that is a little bit special without frightening off those of more conservative tastes.

For example, the free-range pork cutlet is served in an apple puree with a rosemary and shallot butter, while the lamb shank is cooked with garlic, honey and red wine. There are three vegetarian options.

I went for the fillet steak, sourced from Hindle’s of Stafford, which was slightly larger than usual at 10oz, while my dining partner went for the pan-fried chicken finished with brandy, white wine and cream, which we awaited with eager anticipation.

And waited. And waited.

“Is everything all right?,” asked a waitress after we had been waiting for more than half an hour. “It is so far,” should have been the response, had I been a bit quicker with the wit. The food arrived not long after, and to be fair the staff were all quite apologetic.

The meals were hard to fault. The steak really did seem larger than normal, although this was reflected in the above-average price of £17.95 plus an extra £2.25 for sauce.

The peppercorn sauce was a rich, thick, dark creation, with – if I am not mistaken – more than a hint of brandy, and a pleasant and interesting variation from the norm.

There was an ample supply of vegetables, which had been quite finely chopped, and the golden hand-cut chips were top drawer. The chicken was also met with approval.

For afters, I went for a very agreeable (and good-sized) cheesecake, while my companion went for the creme brulee, which she said was one of the best she had experienced.

Just before we left, Janette again apologised for our wait, and it did seem the staff were genuinely sorry so perhaps we were just unlucky.

The total bill was £45.15, which was not too hefty, and all in all it was an enjoyable experience. The delay apart, service was friendly and courteous, and the food was good without being over-fussy.

I would say it is just the job providing you’re not in a hurry.

A bit like the modern rail service.

MENU SAMPLE

Starters

Warm goats cheese salad with charred ciabatta, toasted pecan nuts and apple vinaigrette dressed leaves £4.95

Toasted ciabatta rubbed with fresh garlic cloves and olive oil, finished with a mozzarella, olive and balsamic dip £3.25

Slowly roasted local buttercross belly pork sat upon a crisp crouton with bramley apple sauce £4.95

Old fashioned whitebait deep fried and served with tartare sauce and caramelised lemon £4.75

Main courses

Pan seared breast of duck sat with a slowly roasted confit of duck leg accompanied by a sweet black cherry and brandy reduction £12.95

Free-range pork cutlet with cauliflower and apple puree with a rosemary and shallot butter £11.95

Fillets of seabass on chive buttered mash and creamed leeks £13.95

Contact

The Badger Inn, Green Lane, Eccleshall, ST21 6BA. Telephone (01785) 850564.