We visited a Walsall pub which values its food as far more than 'pub grub'

There are plenty of pubs which have worked to make themselves comfortable and cosy, while also serving a fine range of meals to cater for all tastes and make themselves places to frequent on a mid-week night.

One place which has worked hard to provide a proper meal experience and a lot of comfort for its customers is the Plough & Harrow Pub in Aldridge.

Set on the Chester Road on the outskirts of Aldridge, the pub has undergone a change of look by owners Mitchells & Butlers, with every corner of the pub thoughtfully reimagined, including the bar and dining area.

Upgrades also include a new permanent accessibility ramp at the front of the pub and two refreshed beer gardens, complete with new plants, decking and lighting.

I’ve previously visited a sister pub of the Plough in the Bell Belbroughton and had good memories of the food and drink from then, so when I was invited down to take a look and try the food for myself, it seemed a nice opportunity to compare and contrast.

The Plough & Harrow is not hard to miss, with the simple black and gold sign capturing the eye as you head down the Chester Road, while the frontage is a nice mixture of blue and cream-coloured paint and a number of new tables with large covers and lights.

As you pass through the front doors, you are greeted with a light and bright feeling with the bar lit up and decorated with a nice range of colourful pictures, while the dining areas are well set apart and have comfortable seats for people of all sizes to rest on.

The bar was also well-stocked, full of premium drinks on 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, and I truly believe this, tastes just as good as a regular pint of Guinness and is just as refreshing.

Even on a mid-week day, it was still busy inside the pub, with staff constantly on the move to serve tables and keep up a good stream of chat, creating the feeling of a place where people like to work and feel happy in their surroundings.

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, with nibbles including Halloumi Fries, Olives and Courgette Fritters on offer, as well as two very large and indulgent sharing boards, perfect for two people to share or for a person with a big appetite.

The starters menu was also a lovely mixture of flavours, with Pan-fried Wild Scallops, Roasted Beetroot and Crispy Chicken on offer, as well as sea salt and cracked black pepper Squid, served as squid, not Calamari.

Normally, I would go for the squid, but I managed to turn up on the one night they had run out of squid, leaving me looking for a new flavour.

I’ve had pate in the past and rather enjoyed it, so went for the Chicken Liver and Fig Parfait, a dish which came in a form I’d not anticipated, being as it was covered in a fine layer of cheese, with some rustic bread on the side and a pear and ginger chutney.

The second I dug in, I knew I’d made a good choice as the pate was soft and tangy and mixed well with the Fig Parfait, a sharp and acidic side pot full of flavour. I only wish I’d had more bread as I seemed to run out quicker than I would have liked, but that didn’t take away from the rich flavour of the meal.

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.

The degree to which I’d enjoyed my meal at the Bell Belbroughton was brought into sharp focus as I realised, later on, that I’d ordered the same meal at the Plough & Harrow in the Duo of Pork and Scallops.

Again, 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 and really was a magnificent creation.

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.

I also ordered a few extras to try alongside the meal, in addition to the greens, as I picked out my old favourites of the Halloumi Fries, which were the right level of chewy and rich with the batter, and the Billionaire’s Fries, a magnificent combination of Parmesan, Prosciutto and truffle mayo.

It was a meal full of flavour and, I will admit, I felt stuffed and ready to retreat after that meal, but then the pudding menu appeared with 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.

I decided to go for the house special of the Chocolate Bomb, which mixed 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.

All throughout, the staff were friendly without being overbearing, full of good humour and very knowledgeable about the food, as well as the history of the pub, which just added to the experience.

The Plough & Harrow is a pub which does the simple well, the good great and the excellent exceptionally, with great food, a warm welcome and a comfortable feeling.

If it can stay this busy on a weekday evening, it will go far and do well, so go down and give it a try.