Restaurant at The Hundred House Hotel

In France it is absolutely normal to come across small country inns serving excellent food with the whole of the owner's family working in the establishment. Not so in England, where far more properties are managed by large companies or owned by the breweries; possibly that is why we sometimes tend to lack a certain excellence and individuality in the British countryside in matters gastronomic.

However, along have come the Phillips family to prove the usual theories wrong. Some eighteen years ago they took over a semi-derelict property at Norton, near Shifnal - so rundown that the cellar was flooded to a depth of two feet - and turned it into a distinctive attraction, stamping their own unique style upon it. This includes a supposition that nothing stays still for very long and a cheerful air of restlessness and desire to do even better abound.

The Hundred House is a place of great charm and warmth run by the whole Phillips family, with father Henry in charge, son David running the front of house, and his brother, Stuart in the kitchen. Two menus run through the week, a brassiere menu for lighter meals and an extensive A La Carte menu. Popular 'fish frenzy' nights run on the last Friday of every month and Sunday lunchtime boasts an 'Observer' acclaimed menu at great value for money. Reservations are recommended to avoid disappointment.

Amongst the a la carte starter dishes expect to find tea smoked duck breast with warm pancake of confit duck salad with sesame, orange and ginger dressing, rich chicken liver paté involving cream and brandy, or griddled scallops with sweet pepper coulis, bacon and Jerusalem artichoke sandwich and Caesar salad.

Main courses call strongly upon local produce, with roast Shropshire lamb served with humous, ginger and sweet pepper with lemon scented jus, a delightful combination of flavours to a meat that has really long outlived the perpetual addition of rosemary, or in season a roast Apley partridge well stuffed with mushroom and cotechino. Keep an eye lifted for the Fish of the day, and also another regular, the grilled beef fillet served with smoked bacon, Blue cheese risotto and beef jus.

Stuart has a light and modern touch, particularly with the starters and main courses - as the puddings are more traditional - whilst the execution and presentation is consistently superb. Possibly this is because he trained in France, and then sensibly spent three years in one of the best contemporary kitchens in London; the highly rated Kensington Place.

Because of the pace of events at the Hundred House you need to be pretty lively to keep up. For instance in the summer of 2006 they reinforced their 2005 Award of Shropshire Inn of the Year by setting up a Posh Nosh Club. You may have also missed the Harvest Festival Pig Roast and French Night, to say nothing of the Oyster Festival throughout September. I mention these past events not to irritate but give you some idea of the tremendous enthusiasm and enterprise that prevails. The moral seems to be 'book early for Christmas'.

Paddy Burt, celebrated columnist in the Daily Telegraph describes the bar - "here we are in the most convivial bar imaginable...settles and chairs with patchwork seats and a big black stove pumping out heat". David Phillips, one time youngest brewer in the UK, selects beers, and applies experience gained during his Australian sabbatical at McWilliams Vineyard in SE Australia to the wine list.

To enable you to keep up with this excellent, fast-moving and thoroughly genuine hotel and restaurant let us urge you to their fun Website where much, much more will be revealed.