Venue@The Riverhead Brewery Tap, Marsden

Tel@ 01484 844 324

Website@ www.riverheadbrewery.co.uk

Opening hours@ Mon-Thurs: 12noon to 2pm and 5pm to 9pm, Fri: 12noon to 9pm, Sat:12noon to 10pm, Sun:12noon to 8pm

Children@Yes

Disabled access@Restaurant is upstairs

The bill@£58.30 for two, including wine

Would you go back?@Yes

JUST what kind of food do you expect from a pub?

It’s a relevant question, with more and more of us choosing to eat out in hostelries.

Many pubs still provide hearty fare like steak and ale pies with gravy, chips and all the sachets of ketchup you can handle.

But some bars aim a bit higher with their food. And one of those is the Riverhead Brewery Tap in Marsden.

Situated in the centre of the village, the Riverhead is an imposing building on Peel Street. I was surprised to find out after my visit that the pub is a fairly new addition to Marsden.

The building was a grocer’s from the 1830s until 1976, only being converted to a pub in the 1990s.

Jenny and I went in on a quiet Tuesday night and climbed the stairs to the spacious dining room on the first floor where we had our choice of impressive wooden tables.

Things didn’t get off to a good start when we ordered a bottle of Argentinean red which was out of stock. But we crossed the border to Chile and that was the last hiccup of the night.

I kicked off with pork spring rolls, which had a satisfying crunch and an even more satisfying taste.

Jenny went for grilled asparagus spears with buffalo mozzarella daintily piled on top. I tried a bit and wished I had gone for the same, and I mean no insult to my spring rolls when I say that.

While we waited for the next round, I wandered about admiring the pictures on the wall of some of Colne Valley’s more scenic spots. Then it was down to the main courses.

Perhaps appropriately for a place called the Riverhead, it was a seafood-heavy menu. Not being a fan of fish, I steered clear.

But Jenny went for the seafood risotto with chorizo chunks, artfully arranged in a line across the plate. The juicy scallops were apparently the highlight.

I went for the chicken breast with cream cheese and mash.

I can’t speak highly enough of the dish, and not just because it contained three things that I like – chicken, cheese and spuds.

The combination of flavours was perfect, making it a wonderful dish.

The mash in particular was a highlight. It was among the top five potato dishes I’ve ever had – and that’s high praise indeed from an Irishman.

After a short pause to drink some Chilean wine, it was on to dessert.

I went for the excellent sticky toffee pudding which came with a molasses sauce that hit the spot.

Jenny opted for the strawberry and sambucca cheesecake.

If you drive to the Riverhead for a meal, I wouldn’t advise you to go for this dessert, as it’s just about boozy enough to push you over the limit on its own. But if you’re not the designated driver, then tuck in to the cheesecake.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food on offer at the Riverhead and would certainly recommend it to anyone.

However, the extra quality comes at a bit of an extra cost, with our mains coming in at £27 combined.

But, as Jenny said: "It’s at the top-side of what you’d want to pay, though the quality just about justified it."

As a postscript, I should say that I liked the Riverhead so much that I’ve eaten there again since doing this review. I went at lunchtime, when you can choose from the main evening menu or lighter fare. I enjoyed an excellent cheese, bacon and brie sandwich.

There you go, I’ve been twice in a week. I think that says it all.