Brownlow is an odds-on winner.

SEVERAL recommendations having come our way we thought it about time we took ourselves off to The Brownlow Arms at Caldwell to see what all the fuss is about.

The frontage is the archetypal country pub – mellow stone, hanging baskets and al fresco seating, with a canopy offering shelter to hardy souls brave enough to venture outside for a drink on the chilly, wet evenings that currently pass for an English summer.

Awaiting friends, we headed for the snug where landlord Martyn Wane gave us a friendly greeting, checked our booking and smilingly supplied drinks and chat, which eventually turned to racehorses.

A former trainer himself, Martyn is currently enjoying a degree of success with Ezdeyaad, a five year old gelding trained by Alan Swinbank at Melsonby, and has adopted a picture of a horse as part of the pub sign and logo.

Martyn runs the Brownlow with partner Barbara Boanson, whose cooking formerly drew discerning diners to the Carlbury Arms at Piercebridge and latterly to the Bridge Inn at Whorlton.

When the opportunity of a long lease at the Brownlow came up four and half years ago they grabbed it, and since giving it a complete overhaul last year have gone from strength to strength.

Barbara readily admits she isn’t a trained chef. She learned the basics from her mother, a school cook, teaching herself the rest. Sometimes all the qualifications in the world can’t match natural talent and passion, which Barbara possesses in spades.

Such is her enthusiasm she’s now got Martyn cooking, along with two students who help at busy times.

Once our friends, Jim and Johnnie, arrived we were seated in ‘lounge 1’, the pub being divided into delightful nooks and crannies taking in 85 covers. While the chairs were comfortable, our table was quite narrow, which saw us juggling serving dishes with the wine bucket at one point. But this is mere nit picking at what was a lovely dining experience overall.

The couple offer an early bird menu from 5.30-7.30pm during the week, with a choice of 30 mains at £7.95 pulling in the punters. Choosing to dine at 8pm we opted for the pricier a la carte, and were glad that we’d booked as there wasn’t a spare table to be had.

I’ve often bemoaned the standards of service in the area’s establishments, but here it was excellent, our young waitress clued up on the dishes and extremely pleasant with it.

The starters are comparatively pricey, but the quality is worth every penny. I began with Oriental duck rolls with hoi sin sauce, at £5.95; plump, crisp and full to bursting with succulent strips of duck. Peter’s sautéed belly pork, mixed with moist black pudding, £6.50, came on a bed of warm salad which managed to retain its crunch.

Jim went for a rich tomato soup, which hit the spot, while Johnnie’s mushrooms in port and Stilton créme were excellent; the sharp, salty kick of the Stilton balancing the sauce’s richness.

From a comprehensive wine list we sampled a crisp Pinot Grigio, £16.95, and while we waited for mains Jim recalled a time when the Brownlow had a siren outside, ready to sound the four minute warning for the whole of Caldwell, presumably in case the Russians pressed the red button during the Cold War. What might have ensued should the siren have sounded is anyone’s guess, but presumably the landlord would just have had time to boil an egg.

Our mains were superb, with everyone suitably impressed by their choices. My tiger prawn and seafood curry was appetizing, as was Peter’s venison, in a sauce which was a triumph of piquant red berries and bitter chocolate.

Jim’s Cajun chicken strips with red pepper and tomato salsa on a bed of rice was well received, again just the right amount of sharpness and sweetness, while Johnnie’s fillet of salmon with asparagus and hollandaise sauce was first rate. Huge bowls of chips and vegetables for sharing included new potatoes, leeks in cheese sauce, braised red cabbage and carrots.

Johnnie skipped pudding, while Jim downed a manageable portion of spotted dick, Peter a tiramisu and me a lemon roulade. The bill came to £125.15 for the four of us, including wine, coffees, and two pre-prandial tonics and beers.

Put your money on Ezdeyaad and you chance to luck. Put it on The Brownlow and you’re backing an odds-on favourite.