THE Brit in Ashley Cross, as its name might suggest, is a solid, no frills, British-style pub/restaurant.

It certainly makes a refreshing change from all the uber trendy wine and cocktail bars/cafes in the area.

At the back is a decent-sized beer garden too with some play equipment which kept our 13-year-old son amused while we studied the menu.

You can choose from a selection of house specialities, chef’s recommendations, salads and sharing boards, what’s called Little Brit On The Side (salads, olives, breads and onion rings etc) before moving on to The Big Finish for dessert.

For starters I was tempted by the naturally smoked haddock fishcake with a watercress sauce, but in the end I plumped for the chilli and garlic prawns.

This was a generous starter, six fleshy king prawns drizzled with a sweet chilli and garlic sauce, adorned with slivers of red chillies and lemon zest to give it a bit of a kick.

My husband and son decided to share a 1kg bucket of mussels steeped in a deliciously creamy, white wine sauce. There was so much sauce left that we all took turns mopping up with some rustic bread.

Meanwhile my daughter thoroughly enjoyed her smoked duck breast salad, which was served with a cherry tomato and spring onion salsa.

For mains I liked the sound of by Nana’s veggie burger, made from potato and spinach and served on a toasted bun with a spiced yoghurt dressing, but decided to play safe and try the homemade pie of the day.

This was classic British comfort food, steak and mushrooms in a puff pastry case, served with a selection of vegetables and plenty of beefy gravy.

My daughter’s Caesar salad was served with thick shavings of parmesan cheese, cos lettuce and croutons.

My other half had the Brit beef burger – an 8oz steak burger served in a seeded bap with chilli mayo, crisp lettuce, tomato, red onion, slices of dill pickle and a small bucket of thick, hand-cut chips.

Only my teenage son was able to stomach some dessert, opting for a wedge of lemon tart served with a swirl of crème fraiche on the side, a smattering of raspberries and a heavy dusting of icing sugar.

All in all, this was good, no nonsense, food. Just make sure you arrive hungry.
 

THE BILL

Chilli and garlic prawns    £8.50
1kg mussels    £12
Duck salad    £6.50
Pie of the day    £7.50
Brit burger    £9
Caesar salad    £8
Lemon tart    £5

TOTAL    £56.50