Address: Station Road, Bransford, Worcester, WR6 5JH

Telephone number: 01886 833399

Website: http://www.bearatbransford.co.uk/

Date of visit: 30 September 2010

Approximate cost per head: Around £20 for 2 courses

Comments on wine list/beer: Very reasonable wine list from £14.95 a bottle.

Summary:

This pub/restaurant is listed in the Michelin Guide.

The building (approx 150 years old) is sited off the main Powick Road.

There is a dining room (tablecloth and linen napkins) and a pub area (mats on wooden tables). It’s the same menu for both areas and the same price.

The Bear offers 3 separate menus + a lunch time bar menu. There is an a la carte which is quite short, specials of the day chalked up on a blackboard and fish of the day chalked up on another blackboard.

Le’ts start with the drinks. My guest and I shared a bottle of cava rose at £23. This is suddenly getting very popular within the past 3 years. At one time, you can only get rose cava in Spain.

I had chicken liver (£5.75), followed by fish (hake), chips and mushy peas (£12.50). My guest had the crab, prawns and crayfish wrapped in lettuce leaves and then the grilled place. I did not taste any but the wrap looked a clever invention. It was made up like prawn cocktail with a Caesar dressing and parcelled up with lettuce leaves – rather than shredded and mixed in a cocktail glass.

My liver was served pink in a soup bowl with a heavily reduced sauce. It was just liver and sauce. The fish was a large piece of battered fish with mushy peas and chips piled up on a plate. The chips were not greasy and were not salted. However, the mushy peas were salted.

They have an interesting selection of dessets but what caught my eye was the cheese board – nearly all Lightwood cheese from down the road. http://www.lightwoodcheese.co.uk/

It was quality food served in quantity. However, they don’t do food presentations here – I am surprised that they are in the 2010 Michelin Guide as I thought that the Guide is heavily into presentations.

E