reviews of the marwood
A traditional treat - Worcester Living February 2008
It's unusual these days to find what looks like a traditional English pub in the centre of a city, but despite a recent makeover, that's exactly what you'll find at The Marwood. Sally-ann Bloomer went along to sample their menu.
I‘d never visited the old Green Man in the Tything before but my friend who I was dining with on this occasion informed me the new-look was a definite improvement. The dark green, oppressive walls had been replaced with something altogether lighter and brighter which had somehow given the place a warmer feel to it.
In an age of faceless, stylised chain pubs, it was a refreshing change, particularly in a city, to find a place which had a character all of its own. You enter the pub thiough a small door off the pavement no grandiose entrance here and are straight into the drinking part of the pub. You’ll find the bar mid-way in and beyond that is the dining area intimate by anyone’s standards, with a maximum of 42 covers. Upstairs there’s also a private dining room to seat 18 people, perfect for birthday celebrations or business functions. The walls have been repainted in cream and deep red, there are quirky chandeliers throughout and in the winter months, you’ll find log burning fires quintessentially English.
Despite the atrocious weather and the severe weather warnings, there were already a few diners in on this wet Tuesday, January evening and those of us who’d braved the elements were well rewarded for our efforts. We were greeted enthusiastically at the bar served our drinks, shown to our tables and handed menus by the same friendly barmaid cum waitress who attended us all evening and that’s the other refreshing change here the excellent service seemed so genuine.
The menu offers just half a dozen choices for starter and mains, an indication that the food has not reached our plates via freezer and microwave but been lovingly prepared by joint-owner and chef Ben Coates. While the menu changes seasonally, dishes within the menus are also changed within that period, providing plenty of variety for regular diners.
There are also several options for sharing plates, with everything from chargrilled vegetables and hummus to king prawn skewers and Toulouse sausage if you fancy an early doors snack with friends or sampling lots of different items for your starter.
The dishes are simply described with no flowery language - an ethos Ben follows through with his cooking. He believes in keeping it simple; using the best, freshest and local produce where he can, making everything from scratch, seasoning properly and not trying to confuse the palate with dozens of different flavours in one dish.
For my starter, I chose the cream of puy lentil soup with truffle oil. This was a real, honest to goodness dish, the truffle oil just adding the right amount of interest to what was already a tasty and wholesome soup.
My friend had spotted the mussels dish on the mains was also available as a starter and opted for that; steamed Shetland mussels in white wine cream, shallots and parsley She commented that while the sauce had plenty of garlicky flavour it was also really light which Ben later told us was due to the fact they stir in just a smidgen of cream at the last minute rather than tubs of it and reducing it down to create a thick but heavy sauce which lies heavy on the stomach. Both of these were served with a few slices of crispy garlic bread.
If either of these didn’t take our fancy the other choices included a salad of warm winter roots, with ginger Stilton and a port dressing, Irish black pudding, smoked salmon, potted goose and chargrilled Toulouse sausage and potato salad simple yet exciting offerings.
There was just one vegetarian main course offering and it sounded fabulous, walnut and Gorgonzola ravioli and I was certainly not disappointed. The flavour of the Gorgonzola was not overpowering as it sometimes can be and unlike some bigger and swankier seeming places, the ravioli was actually homemade. Fresh pasta is such a treat and this was served with an assortment of wild mushrooms and ricotta, which complemented it really well. Again, like the sauce with the mussels, the dish was much lighter than I expected and I managed to clear my plate of all but three of the delicious tasting parcels. Not being a veggie, my friend plumped for the comfort food option of braised Welsh Black beef and Wye Valley bitter pie which was served with creamy horseradish dauphinoise and honey roast parsnip - a rather elegant, gastropub version of pie and mash that seemed to really hit the spot.
Her only criticism was that the gravy in the pie could have been a little thicker but she felt duly chastised when Ben explained the beef stock took a full 24 hours to prepare and the meat a similar time to marinade - this is no fast food outlet. We shared a serving of braised red cabbage which was as good as I’d ever tasted and rather wisely turned down a side order of homemade chips which we would never have been able to do justice to.
Sadly, we also declined dessert, which is no slur on their appeal. I was sorely tempted to ask for one of the double choc brownies, minus the warm cherries and pistachio ice cream, to take home with me for my elevenses the following morning but thought better of it.
Altogether a fantastic dining experience, excellent service, faultless food and a great atmosphere which I can only imagine would be better still once people are out of the January doldrums which seems to afflict everyone. A great addition to the city’s dining scene.
40 The Tything, Worcester, WR1 1JL 
01905 330460