The Woodman Pub & Grill

In Old Catton, The Woodman Pub and Grill is a quality local pub and restaurant where well kept local ales meet global pub cooking with a twist. It feels every inch the local, pairing easygoing hospitality with plates designed for sharing, lingering and returning for more.

Small plates set a generous tone — think crispy chicken wings with a choice of BBQ, sriracha or blue cheese, and loaded potato skins finished with cheese, maple and bacon jam, sour cream and chives. Burgers bring indulgence, from The Woodman House Burger with two beef patties in a warm brioche bun, bacon, maple jam, Monterey jack and slaw, to buttermilk chicken layered with pickled red onions and garlic mayo.

There is fire-kissed comfort from the grill and skillets too: steak frites with peppercorn sauce, an 8oz sirloin with classic trimmings, and pans of Cajun chicken or chilli beef tossed with peppers, onions, honey and soy. Pub stalwarts are treated with respect — beer battered fish and chips, and bangers and mash — before sweet finishes such as a double chocolate brownie or a bright lemon posset.

Mondays bring Burger Night, two for £24.95, while Thursdays promise a two-for-one steak frites. Raise a glass, bring an appetite, and let The Woodman do the honours — it is pub pleasure, with polish.