Copthorne, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“Very enjoyable small or large plates and interesting sides” of “locally sourced, globally inspired’ fare (and quite an extensive drinks list too, with local beers and ciders)” help win ongoing support for this local favourite, which is particularly recommended for breakfast/brunch. It is run by the four Crouch brothers (the sons of ‘C’, for which the business is named); and also has a sibling in Ludlow.

Local lad Ben Hall worked at the acclaimed Gidleigh Park, among others, before teaming up with partner Carla Cook to launch this ambitious five-year-old; in November 2022, they upped sticks from their former premises in Roushill to a larger, ex-warehouse setting on Claremont Bank in the city centre. The “really excellent food” (tasting menu only on Fri/Sat nights) remains intact at what is, for fans, “the best restaurant in Shrewsbury”.

2023 Review: “An excellent addition to the town” – this year-old bistro occupies a “quirky and enchanting” sixteenth-century merchant’s house (the old Drapers Guild Hall) that “is worth a visit in its own right” and was “once a setting for the TV film adaption of Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol”. “The food is very good indeed, based on local ingredients and the menu changes regularly.” “Wine is from the long-established local wine merchants Tanners.”

“In the centre of the gorgeous village of Upton Magna”, Martin Board & wife Mel’s “lovely country pub-with-rooms” won nothing but praise this year; despite the seventeenth-century setting, the “food is far from traditional and leans towards modern British – all absolutely delicious and expertly served” (with “particularly good fish dishes” a highlight); add in “sensible prices”, and it’s a “standout restaurant in Shropshire”.

“An interesting, well priced menu, with friendly and prompt service” continues to inspire fans of Mel & Martin Board’s converted coaching inn, by the village’s ancient church (which they launched three years ago after a £2m refit). It also has a fan in the form of the Mail on Sunday’s Tom Parker Bowles, who is in his May 2024 review approved of a “rather lovely pub, recently refurbished, and smart but not showy” (although he cautions that although it serves “what appears to be an upmarket gastropub menu… what appears is rather more cheffy… if it’s pub grub you‘re after, you’d best look elsewhere”).