Shropshire Magazine

Christian Beck puts the finishing touches to a spring lamb dish.

In defiance of the economic gloom engulfing most sectors of the economy, The Yockleton Arms has recently reopened. So the least we could do was go and have a look . . . Pictures: Russell Davies

The main dining area.

The trend over the past few recession-dreary months has been for restaurants across the nation to close down. So it’s rather uplifting to find one that has reversed the trend.

The Yockleton Arms has opened, or rather reopened, under the management of two bright new chefs brimming with talent and enthusiasm.

This has been something of an ‘in place’ in the past but it has been closed for a while and it is good to see it trading again. I must admit to admiring anyone who cocks a snook at prevailing wisdom – which appears to be that now is not the time to launch a business, much less in the middle of the countryside. So three cheers for the new proprietors Christian and Ali for ignoring the chest-beating economic doom-mongers and going ahead anyway. 

I know that caution is the watchword of the age and prudence with money makes you a new model citizen, but it hardly warms the heart. We all need a little diversion, and restaurants have traditionally been a rich source of that. It would be a pity if we gradually turned into a society that, ground down by fear of the future, cut up our credit cards and eschewed the pleasures of collective leisure dining.

Welsh rarebit with garden salad and roasted vine tomatoes.

In one regard The Yockleton Arms actually discouraged the racking up of debt, in that on the launch evening the credit card phone link hadn’t yet been installed. I had to pay cash. It was a strange feeling. I’m not sure but I think I may have passed out. It’s certainly an old-fashioned concept for many and one that just might make a comeback in the current climate. I would imagine, though, that the link is now in place and that you can flash your plastic if it makes you feel better.

My wife Vanessa and I had the honour of being the very first customers and were greeted with a warm welcome and a glass of launch-night champagne to toast the venture. 

Free bubbly certainly works for me, as does staff making you feel valued the moment you walk through the door. So it’s a 10 for welcome, then. 

Not unnaturally, there were a few first night nerves and our youthful waiter was clearly pretty new at the job. He was also extremely personable, enthusiastic, anxious to please, willing to learn and not afraid to admit he didn’t know the answer when we asked for a description of ‘Cod Cymraeg’ on the menu. He was apologetic and went straight off to inquire. Ali came from the kitchen to tell us herself. How’s that for service?

Our young waiter was attentive and remained so as the restaurant filled and he became busier. As a result service was swift and efficient as well as chatty and friendly. Top marks again. 

Pedigree

So what of the food? No worries there, if the first night is anything to go by. Then, again, the chefs come with some pedigree. Estonian Ali came to this country around 10 years ago, was a sous chef for celebrity cook Antony Worrall Thompson and has won awards for her cooking. Christian, modestly, doesn’t rate himself as highly, yet he was head chef on the opening night and served up a series of treats.

My pea and ham soup with mint oil and shallot rings hit the spot for taste and texture, a pleasing starter with its homemade bread.  

Vanessa’s smoked salmon was, she said,  the best she had tasted in a long time. It was lightly smoked, generously carved and richly succulent. The fennel slaw and sourdough bread were a welcome fresh and tasty twist to the usual brown bread and salad garnish.

It might be stating the obvious, but the first mouthful of any meal sets the tone. If it leaves you scanning around for the nearest plant pot, then the chef has his work cut out to win you round. If, like these, it pleases the palate then the diner feels in safe hands, full of anticipation for the delights to follow. 

My main was certainly a delight – homemade chicken and mushroom pie, full of tender pieces of meat and juicy mushrooms in a savoury sauce topped with delicious shortcrust pastry. The new potatoes, green beans and broccoli stems were fresh and perfectly cooked. 

The Yockleton Arms reopened in April 2009.

Vanessa’s sirloin was a perfect medium rare, served with a peppery crisp watercress salad and a handful of crispy, truly decadent, large hand-cut chips that she suspected had been cooked in beef dripping or something similar to leave them bursting with flavour. 

My dessert was everything you want of a crème brulée – mouthfuls of light creaminess mixing in the mouth with shards of crunchy sweetness. The Shrewsbury biscuits offered a pleasing contrast of textures. I also had the pleasure of helping the wife with her Chocoholics Anonymous – billed as a naughty exploration of chocolate desserts. With everything from truffles to ice-cream and dipped fruit it was a platter made for sharing! 

Ali and Christian have sensibly restricted the menu to four starters, six mains including vegetarian option and fish, and five desserts plus cheese and biscuits. All is cooked to order from fresh ingredients. 

Value

With a bottle of rioja and two coffees, the bill came to £67.50, which I thought represented excellent value in these straitened times.

The layout of the restaurant, with floors on different levels and areas sectioned off, seems to be designed to allow couples to dine intimately by candlelight without feeling overwhelmed by larger groups. Much thought has clearly gone into making each guest feel totally at ease and creating an ambience that is both relaxing and lively, if that doesn’t sound too much of a contradiction. 

The revived Yockleton Arms looks like being an excellent addition to the county’s dining circuit. Ali and Christian have lit a candle in the dark and stuck their necks out to reverse the trend of closing restaurants. For their courage in taking the plunge to swim against the tide they deserve some luck; for their talent they deserve to prosper. I hope Shropshire’s knowledgeable dining-out community rewards their faith in droves. 

There is such a refreshing optimism about The Yockleton Arms that it almost feels like a green shoot of recovery.

• The Yockleton Arms, Stoney Stretton, Yockleton, near Shrewsbury SY5 9PG. Telephone 01743 821491.

REVIEW: NEIL THOMAS

Christian Beck puts the finishing touches to a spring lamb dish.