Helen Annetts and Charlie Statham find plenty to chew over at the Vine in Wombourne.
The Vine in Wombourne, part of the Vintage Inns group, is everything you want on a late Autumn afternoon – or any time actually. It’s cosy, friendly and manages to be a ‘posh pub’ that feels welcoming to everyone, proved by the range of other diners including a group of young women, family groups, couples and older patrons. Our waitress Victoria, and all the staff we encountered, were genuinely welcoming and friendly, offering advice when we needed it and general warmth and chat, we felt totally at ease thanks to them.
We were at the pub from 4pm until 6pm and there was a mix of people dining and people in the bar area – with their dogs – enjoying an afternoon drink. Directly opposite the Wombourne Village Hall it had a lovely village feel to it, we both agreed it would nice to come and spend a summers evening in their outdoor seating area.
There is plenty of choice on the menu, plenty of pub classics along with lots of options to tailor things for your own taste. We chose from theAll Day Menu.
We decided for opt for one of the Sharers & Grazers, the Sticky Platter, which presented on its own ‘milking stool’ was incredibly generous and incredibly delicious. The Platter included Sticky Fried Chicken which we both battled for, chili-jam glazed lamb koftas which I didn’t get anywhere near but Charlie murmured “So tasty” as he worked his way through them, and a treat for me of crispy prawns. All accompanied by hummus, tzatziki, the best spicy mayo we’ve ever had and stone-baked flatbread. Definitely a generous portion for two; I think you could have a Sharer & Grazer for a table of four.
On to our mains, and to be fair there was so much choice, we could have both chosen several times over. We both opted for ‘Signature dishes’. Charlie chose the Signature Burger (without any cheese) and I chose one of their Signature Skewers, Wild Garlic Lamb accompanied by Feta Salad &Toasted Tortilla (my skewer could have been Garlic King Prawns, BBQ Chicken Thighs, Grilled Halloumi or sides of Slaw & Triple-Cooked Chips or Hummus & Flatbread).
On ordering the Signature Burger our waitress Victoria said she hoped Charlie had a big appetite and when it arrived we could see why. It looked amazing, a toasted bun with a prime steak burger loaded with maple-glazed beef brisket, crispy fried onions, steaky bacon alongside a gherkin, burger sauce and skin-on fries. The burger would normally come with Monterey Jack cheese sauce. Charlie loved this burger, after some contemplation on how to get the burger in his mouth – it was big – he tucked straight in. Already full-ish from our sharing plate Charlie focused on his burger and so couldn’t finish his fries – which were pretty tasty – but he was determined not to let the burger beat him, he almost made it. He would definitely choose the Signature Burger again.
My Signature Skewer was delicious, the lamb was so tasty with the salad and tortilla, I feel this was the right size main course to follow up the Sharing plate. The lamb slid off the huge skewer, was tender, juicy and a tiny bit pink, perfect. My Feta Salad included roasted veg, greens, grains, feta and pomegranate alongside the beetroot tortilla, I would definitely recommend this combination.
Drinks wise, as the adult in the party I was the designated driver, I did have a small glass of Malbec with my main course which was lovely, and otherwise I had a couple of mocktails, the Citrus Fizz which was fresh and fruity and moreish enough to mean I had to have a second. Charlie stuck to his tried and tested diet Pepsi.
What a treat it was to visit The Vine. We think it’s perfect for an afternoon drink, a post country walk or for a nice early dinner, it could also make for a smart family evening out and we definitely plan to return to with the rest of our household.
Find out more about The Vine for yourself here.