I visited a pub on the edge of Stourbridge which promises classic meals, gooey desserts and a warm welcome - here's my verdict

There are ways to deal with that hump, be it through going to the gym, watching a favourite television programme or taking up a hobby.

One way I’ve found is to look for nice places to eat, somewhere which offers quality food in a nice setting and which leaves you with a warm feeling and a full stomach at the end of it.

One place which has looked to provide a proper meal experience for its customers is the The Bell at Belbroughton near Stourbridge.

The pub and restaurant on the Stourbridge road has been given an all-new décor which takes customers back to the pub’s traditional roots and showcases a range of details, such as open ceiling beams and timber framing from the original house, alongside a host of listed features.

This includes an original trough, located in the pub’s Rustic Barn, which was once used as an old coach house, while the main pub also features three new fireplaces.

As well as the change in look, the staff at the Bell Inn have also created an updated and diverse food menu, featuring a variety of pub classics with a modern twist, inspired by the seasons and all the Worcestershire countryside has to offer.

This includes the new spring/summer menu, which presents a range of food options, including the signature duo of pork & scallops and crispy duck & pineapple salad.

Having had the chance to read about the refurbishments and the food menu, I wanted to go down and see if it could cure my hump day blues, so on a warm Wednesday evening, I drove down to take on three courses and see the place in all its glory.

You won’t be able to miss where it is, with big Bell Inn signs on the outside, although be careful not to miss the turn or you’ll find yourself heading towards the M5.

Even in the middle of the week, the car park was still full of cars and, with a breeze coming in over the Worcestershire countryside, I was able to enjoy a wonderful smell, full of meat and smoky goodness, which wasn’t a bad way to start, I won’t lie.

The Bell Inn has a great look, with the barn visually very pleasing to look at and the courtyard where seats were based for alfresco dining looking very welcoming in the warm weather (admittedly, when I left and it was starting to rain, not quite as much).

Inside, the Bell is modern looking, but while also carrying the rustic old touches, giving the place a feeling of tradition and modernity coming together.

The bar was well-stocked, full of premium drinks of tap like Neck Oil, Peroni, Aspall Cider and Asahi, plus a large spirit selection and more than a few bottles of wine, plus the non-alcoholic selections for those driving or who simply don’t drink.

My weapon of choice on the night was a Guinness Zero which, I will swear up and down, tastes just as good as a regular pint of Guinness and is just as refreshing.

I must not have been the only person to think about Hump Day and doing something to make myself feel better as when I was led to my seat, I could see plenty of tables taken up by families, friends and dates, all taking in the colourful surroundings of the restaurant area.

While it is a pub, it is a very dry-led place and the food menus are very detailed, helping you to know exactly what will be on your plate, starting with the special's menu, a decadent mixture of British Steak and Malbec Pie, Linguine Puttanesca and Pan-fried Salmon, as well as the vegetarian option of a Goats Cheese Whiskey Glaze Tatin.

The starters menu was also a lovely mixture of flavours, with Goats Cheese, King Prawns, Scallops and Chicken Skewers on offer, as well as sea salt and cracked black pepper Squid, served as squid, not Calamari.

As a Squid fan, I decided to go for it and was met with a colourful selection of crispy and seasoned squid, on top of a Gochujang aioli which, combined together, filled a gap and was very tasty, with the squid not being tough and the aioli being very tangy and flavourful.

You can also get easily lost in the mains menu, full of pub classics like cod and chips, chicken, leek and cheddar pie, half a rotisserie chicken, steaks cut and cooked to perfection and a wonderful mix of indulgent burgers and pizzas baked in a stone oven.

Lost as to what I would have for my main, I asked the waitress what she would recommend, something I don't usually do, but as she worked there and would have eaten the food at some point, I valued her opinion over mine.

That turned out to be a good idea on my part as she recommended the Duo of Pork and Scallops. While I would have liked a few more scallops as part of my meal, I have no real complaints as the whole dish swum with flavour.

You got lovely, crisp and melt-in-your-mouth pork belly, two pork fillets wrapped in prosciutto, a nice mixture of potatoes in the apple ketchup and dauphinoise potato, a lovely and rich gravy and soft tenderstem broccoli, plus the extra plate of greens I ordered alongside it.

It was just a delicious plate of food, rich and tangy and full of many flavours that tickled my tastebuds, and it might have been enough to end there.

However, it would be rude not to pay attention to the pudding menu as it carried a range of rich treats that would have satisfied any taste, from the rich taste of the creme brulee to the apple tart, the Sicilian Lemon Tart and even a selection of cheese and biscuits.

Having gone with the suggestion of the house special pork and scallops, I decided to go for the house special of the Chocolate Bomb, which just seemed intriguing, mixing Amarena cherry, brownies, vanilla ice cream, popping candy and warm chocolate sauce.

What arrived looked comparable to a large chocolate egg on top of a pile of different ingredients. However, pour on a bit of the chocolate sauce and you'll be met with the sight of the chocolate shell opening up to reveal a cornucopia of different flavours and a colourful bed.

It was sticky, messy and really, really nice, with the sauce providing a gooey mess along with the different candies and bits and pieces, while the now-diffused bomb was full of rich flavour.

The Bell Inn underwent a huge change and look and, as a result, has become a very pleasant and welcoming place, with friendly and happy staff and with the nice background of chatter, laughter and satisfied noises from customers.

It's worth a visit. Just make sure you don't miss the turn off.