Peach Tree Restaurant, The

Located opposite the handsome Norman Abbey Church, The Peach Tree Restaurant in the historic town of Shrewsbury dates back to the 15th century but the present feel is for contemporary, linking easily with the older parts of the building. Remarkably spacious, the restaurant has space for around 230 covers overall in various different areas, with generous opening hours. An all day brunch menu from 10 am to 5.30 pm offers sturdy favourites including Traditional English, with a vegetarian option, scrambled eggs, and eggs Benedict or Florentine.

The rest of the day is devoted mainly to a brasserie style menu where starters might include soup of the moment, with crostini, croute and The Peach's own bread for dunking. Homemade pate or terrine with sticky red onion jam and pim hill toast or fresh chicken satay with their own bang bang sauce help create the right sort of beginning. Crispy calamari with aioli or moules marinières are eternal favourites, featured here to add zing to the menu, while the pasta fried linguine with fresh clams, mussels, tiger shrimp and cherry tomatoes infused with chilli, garlic, parsley and white wine is invigorating and sets the tone for a delicious meal.

For mains expect to find an English steak selection with a range of sauces that includes porcini mushroom cream and béarnaise. The pan roasted and peppered venison loin with parsnip bubble and squeak, buttered French beans, winter berry and gingerbread reduction holds promise. There’s also pan seared, home grown herb crusted monkfish with fragrant chirozo, crayfish and saffron broth and crispy sage leaves which creates a lasting impression for those who like such indulgent combinations.

There are numerous choices amongst dessert, such as sticky toffee pudding with crème fraiche, passion fruit tart with sour cherry sorbet, warm treacle tart with homemade vanilla bean ice cream and the classic Eton mess, with fresh raspberries, Chantilly cream and broken meringue.

The cheese selection, from Appleyards, is rather special too, including St Agur, Roquefort, Welsh Goat's cheese and - of course - some of that wonderful Shropshire blue, to name but a few, with frozen grapes, peg leg pickles, farmhouse butter and crackers.

The Peach Tree has reviewed its approach to matters organic and self-sufficient, a very topical subject these days. They now grow their own herbs, do most of the butchery in-house and since midsummer '08 they even have their own hens providing fresh free range eggs.

A lunchtime cafe menu is available with a good range of tasty snacks that will not cause you to think of returning to the home-packed sandwiches, however palatable. Recent developments at The Peach Tree include the linking of the Peach Tree Bar to the Spirit Champagne Bar, the night club of the property.

In Shrewsbury, the home of Tanners, it would be unforgivable for a decent restaurant not to have a wine list that rang the changes with élan. The Peach Tree does not fail there either and an extended list offers plenty of choice at reasonable prices.

For masses more information, including menus and details on holding private parties at Peaches, why not visit their Website?