The Royal George

27 Pavenhill, Purton, nr Swindon Tel: 01793 978180

KATIE BOND heads for a Purton pub where a scattering of staff are doing a sterling job

I’VE EATEN out at most places in Swindon, and often venture out to the little villages surrounding the town for a good meal at the weekend, but the village of Purton is somewhere I’ve never even considered.

In a bid to change all that, I called the Royal George pub in Pavenhill on a Thursday to make a reservation for two for the following night.

“So that’s a table for two on Sunday?” said the man on the other end of the phone. “No, Friday,” I replied.

He seemed slightly thrown that I was booking a table for a Friday night, which made me wonder if the pub was more of a drinking hole for locals than somewhere to dine, but we booked up just in case.

We arrived at the pub at 7.45pm and were a bit unnerved to see the dining room completely empty, but the bar area packed with drinkers. We chose our seats and were given menus by someone who appeared to be the chef herself, who informed us it was Fish Friday – for under £7 we could choose from a variety of fish dishes.

With hindsight, this would have been the best choice and good value for money. But after much deliberation we selected from the main menu which featured everything from favourite pub meals like sausage and mash to confit of duck and the George burger.

Our waiter, who told us he was the only one in that night and doubling up as the barman, was friendly and attentive throughout the night despite the busy bar, and couldn’t do enough for us.

For starter, my boyfriend chose the baked camembert which came in its own little box, served with crusty bread. It’s a favourite in our houseand we’ve mastered the timings so it’s always perfectly gooey. However, this particular camembert had been overcooked and was far too runny to mop up with the bread.

My breaded garlic mushrooms with sweet chilli dip proved a much better choice and were perfectly crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

For main course, my boyfriend chose the 10oz rump steak, which was served with grilled tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, chips and peas. The steak seemed more like a 6oz than a 10oz, but it meant he was able to clear his plate.

I went for chicken with Portobello mushroom and Madeira sauce with sautéed potatoes and fresh vegetables. The sauce was packed full of flavour but wasn’t overpowering and the chicken was perfectly cooked.

I was defeated by the generous portion, and we both passed on desserts.

The restaurant began to fill up from about 8.30pm onwards, which added to the atmosphere, but we noticed the other, wiser diners going straight for the Fish Friday menu.

Our meal, plus two soft drinks, came to £45 – not cheap – so if we were to return, we’d definitely choose from the themed daily menu which seems much more reasonable.

In fact, the fish served up on the other tables looked impressive for the price and actually made me quite envious.

Having had a quick look on Trip Advisor following our visit, we read that the landlady is currently doubling up as the chef.

There may be a lack of staff, but you have to admire their determination to provide a friendly and welcoming restaurant.