Review: The Waterdine, Shropshire

When we first visited Shropshire, some years back, I distinctly remember being told of a hidden gem with a Michelin listing called The Waterdine. This week I finally got round to trying it. Unfortunately I may have left it too late.

It’s tricky writing a review like this. We had a nice chat with the lady of the house, who runs the place with no staff, just her husband Ken in the kitchen. They’ve been going for years, and I really wish them well. And yet if I’m going to be honest, which I have to be if I’m a food blogger, then I have to report that our food tonight really wasn’t up to scratch. Not inedible, or of course I would have said something, just not where it should be for the price.

My red mullet starter was pretty good, with a sweet and zippy pesto, green olives and stewed onions. Maureen’s pigeon breast was cooked to a uniform, very chewy grey and sat on some bits and bobs of courgette and tomato.

Main course for me was a rack of lamb, shepherd’s pie and lamb liver. The rack was nice enough lamb and decently cooked. The shepherd’s pie had a scruffy scurf of not-quite-mash on top. The lamb’s liver was just a whole lamb’s liver, cooked. I’m… not sure what I expected?

Maureen’s venison was overcooked again, though I did like the pickled damson accompaniment. Also accompanying were potato pancakes with goat cheese, but sadly the pancakes were properly burnt around the edges and perhaps shouldn’t have left the kitchen.

My summer pud looked the part and was okay, Maureen’s filo basket with raspberries had a really punchy sweet tang of lime along with some very splendid raspberries.

Leaving the odd mistakes aside, it would be an okay pub dinner. But at £32 each without drinks it should be more than okay. I can find three better courses for £25 at a handful of good pubs in the area. The wine list was okay, but if I ask for a suggestion I’d sort of expect more than “I don’t know, everyone likes different things” as a response! I’m not sure whether chef Ken was having an off night, or whether perhaps he’s winding down slowly to retirement. Either way, although I’d really like to I’m not able to recommend a meal out at The Waterdine to you.