336. The Bower House, Shipston On Stour

The bus journey from Stratford upon Avon to the charming Shipston on Stour where virtually everyone wears a green body warmer is not far in miles but these are country miles and so the trip seems longer than you might expect as it passes through the gorgeous Warwickshire countryside with hardly any human habitation in sight apart from the occasional hamlet or village, such as Ilmington where you can catch sight of the beautiful Michelin-listed Howard Arms as the number 51 heads towards Shipston. There are fields full of sheep and some fine cattle and gradually the buildings change from West Midlands red brick to buttery Cotswold stone.

Shipston is not large and not of the 2020s. Many of the local shops look roughly like they may have looked in the post second world era but without Attlee’s rationing being evident. And there are two former Michelin dining establishments to spot in the town square - the White Bear (listed 1985 to 1990) and the George (listed 1980) (both decidedly Georgian in style) before you arrive at the Bower House comfortably spread over two shops and, on entering, looking spacious and bright with the main dining room at a corner of the building and light flooding in through the very large windows on two sides. The dining room is tastefully decorated in an attractive shade of red with blue and red, comfortable furnishings.

Service is excellent - polite and friendly and on the ball. There’s an appealing menu - small plates or starters with mains in the form of fish or meat from the charcoal grill. The set menu looks like exceptionally good value and includes dishes that one would be sorely tempted to order but I was lured by the à la carte and had no regrets. I began with a delicious Bower Sour and a delightful little brioche was served with salted butter and a tasty white miso butter. The starter was not far behind.

My choice was the very tasty rabbit and bacon terrine which was served with radish, black garlic aioli and playful crispy kale. A great start - the terrine was delicious and the accompaniments spot on though I think I should have preferred my bread not to have been toasted.

The stone bass I chose for my main was also perfectly cooked and seasoned, the accuracy of the cooking contrasted with a sadly overcooked plaice I had had at a bistro in Stratford the previous evening. If you’re going to serve fish, cook it accurately, and if you want to know what that means go and see what the Bower House does with the fish it serves. The stone bass was served with a gorgeously creamy polenta, excellent pickled girolles, strips of spring onion which I did not like particularly and a fabulous, tasty chicken jus which brought everything together. A fine dish.

Dessert was fairly simple - a generous slice of very fine Basque cheesecake with a beautifully sticky Pedro Ximénez syrup. I should have liked a little more of the syrup and could have done without the decorative microherbage but I appreciate that it is not easy to make a plate of Basque cheesecake look pretty so I see why the greenery had invaded the dessert.

Three pleasing petit fours accompanied the coffee - a fudge, a truffle and a splendidly peppery tuile.

There was time to see the sights of Shipston which did not involve a lot of walking before reembarking the bus for Stratford and enjoying another land cruise through this beautiful and empty part of Warwickshire, replete and impressed by my lunch at the Bower House.