Sponsored by
The Village Inn, Park Gate
Ember Inns, part of the Mitchells & Butler stable that includes O'Neill's, All Bar One, Harvester, Toby Carvery and many other well-known high street chains, runs the pub-cum-restaurant Village Inn at Park Gate.
This group is all about volume and growth, based on 'four principal levers (doncha just love this word?): high-quality amenity, great variety and wide choice of food and drink and excellent service'.
The company represents the all-too familiar type of pub that lines our high streets and edge-of-town shopping areas.
Their bland, anywhereville look and generic menu is deeply dispiriting.
Nevertheless I am willing to be persuaded that there is a modicum of personality behind the corporate faade, with those running this particular business possibly showing a spark of individuality.
No eye contact is the first clue that this is going to be an uphill struggle, although staff are polite. It's one of those 'if you want food, queue here' deals.
First find a table. Ember Inns have the furniture market all sewn up, with bucket chairs, leather chairs, high-backed chairs, tables scattered around differing areas with their soft lighting, low muzak and ersatz fireplaces.
Featureless modern art abounds. It's spotless, well- maintained but soulless. The pub is for grown-ups, with no children under 14 allowed.
You'll find a selection of sharers: sticky ribs, popcorn shrimp, jacket skins and nachos. Healthy choices ('sometimes – just sometimes – you've got to be good') include stilton and pear or a bang bang chicken with slaw salad, fish mixed grill or a grilled lemon chicken breast.
There is also lasagne; sausage and mash; steak and ale pie; gammon and chips, surf & turf, or 'gourmet' burgers, prices starting at 3.25 for a starter to 8.50 for a fish mixed grill. Puddings look familiar: sticky toffee, toffee, apple pie and chocolate brownie. Then there's Costa Coffee.
My goat's cheese toast starter with caramelised onions on toasted ciabatta had the two major components the wrong way around: lashings of uber-sweet red onions swamped the tiny slices of cheese.
Sole fillet with crushed herb potatoes and dressed mixed salad (5.55) was disappointing – the fish didn't taste fresh and the herbless potatoes were not cooked through.
I munched thoughtfully on some raw pepper and a few flavourless tomato wedges and wondered what the Great British Public would be offered in the next decade. More cheap, tasteless, corporateville food?
You be the judge and if you feel strongly about it, vote with your feet. My bill came to 11.20 including a small glass of palatable Shiraz.
Carol is a chef, former restaurateur and editor of Savour, the Guild of Food Writers magazine.
The Village Inn, 67 Botley Road, Park Gate
01489 573223
Open: 11.30am–11pm daily (midnight Fri-Sat).
Food: **
Service: ***
Atmosphere: **
Disabled access: Yes
How to get there: Take the junction 9 exit off the M27, following the signs to Park Gate and Botley Road after the second main roundabout. There is a car park.
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Weather for Portsmouth
Wednesday 23 May 2012
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