WE'VE visited The Old Bear many times, and were interested to see how they have adapted to the challenge of re-opening after Covid-19. Our first trip, with some friends including a French guest who pronounced their lamb superb (what higher praise could you ask for?) more than set our minds at rest so we returned a week later for another lovely evening.

We popped facemasks on and sanitised our hands at the table provided in the porch, and the second we opened the door a smiling face greeted us with 'Can I just take your temperature?'

This is what, we felt, we should all expect now and it was reassuring to find it taken for granted - and that all the wait staff were wearing facemasks.

Shown to our table, we looked round and realised that, thanks to the pub's relatively small size, they hadn't actually had to alter the layout much to make it Covid-friendly, other than carefully turning a few tables at an angle so you are sat with your back to other people if you're on the inside of the room.

One end of the pub seemed to be occupied more with people who wanted a drink, a chat and a bar snack while the other, as usual, was for diners.

We checked the menu - shorter than normal but nonetheless with plenty of choice, whether you're a carnivore, veggie, vegan or follow a GF diet. I was really impressed with their range of vegan and GF dishes, with many dishes marked to have this option available on request.

I chose the wild mushrooms in garlic and cream to start while my other half went for the chicken liver pate, which came with ciabatta and red onion marmalade, both £7.

On our previous visit we shared a board full of delicious breads, olives, sundried tomatoes, balsamic and oils among four of us, and were impressed with the quantities and good mix of olives.

My mushrooms were fantastic, cooked just right for maximum taste while the creamy sauce was not overpowered with garlic. The portion more than covered the toast.

The generous pot of pate was far too much for the two slices of ciabatta provided but the friendly waitress anticipated the request for more the second he caught her eye. We often find this a problem when ordering pate: I can understand they want to avoid food waste, but maybe ask the diner when its served if they think they will need more?

For mains he had chosen the Old Bear Burger, which came with fries and onion rings, and opted for some grilled brie on top. It arrived as a towering stack of a dish, which he wisely chose to tackle with a knife and fork rather than by hand, and was, he said, full of succulent well cooked meat. Which pleased him as he's not a fan of rare burgers.

However I thought I had the winning dish of the night with the roast belly pork, served on mustard mash with summer greens and a cider cream sauce. The meat was simply superb, and must surely have been roasted for a very long time in a slow oven to reach such a peak of taste and melt-in-the-mouth texture.

I'm not really a crackling fan but sampled a corner, finding it crunchy and not too salty (often the failing that puts me off). Seeing I'd trimmed it off, my other half obligingly left a clean plate by finishing it!

The mustard mash was made with wholegrain mustard which gave it just the right mild flavour, the greens were bright in colour and tender and the sauce was just divine.

At £13 apiece, both dishes were excellent value for money.

We were far too full for pudding, and retired with coffee to the outside seating area, as it was a lovely warm evening.

Once again The Old Bear had satisfied us on all counts, and comes thoroughly recommended.

Alison Phillips

The Old Bear

Staverton

BA14 6PB

01225 782487

www.theoldbear.co.uk

Ratings

Food 9/10

Service 10/10

Choice 10/10

Disabled access: Yes to bar and restaurant

Undercover outside seating and garden

TripAdvisor rating: 4.5