The Butcher’s Arms, Forsbrook

The Butcher’s Arms in Forsbrook recently invited me to sample its food. My only regret is that I hadn’t eaten there sooner.

Set in the Staffordshire Moorlands, this taphouse from Joule’s brewery is no gastropub. But what you will get is food like steak and ale pie, proper fish and chips, quality burgers, and all from a kitchen which turns out perfect classic pub food.

I couldn’t fault anything I ate and am looking forward to going back to try more of its good, simple food and quality beers.

Read on to find out why you should try The Butcher’s Arms too.

Why on earth had I never been to The Butcher’s Arms before?

It’s only a fifteen-minute drive from where I live in the Staffordshire Moorlands, but it hadn’t appeared on my radar until very recently.

I duly added them to my list of places to try (yes, I do have an actual list!). But, with the list ever lengthening, and with several bookings already in the diary, I didn’t know when I’d get around to going.

So I was very pleased when the pub contacted me to ask, would I like to try their food?

Like everyone else, I have a budget. So, when I’m occasionally invited to eat as a guest, it means I can visit more places and sooner. Which is how I, plus my partner ID, came to be eating at The Butcher’s Arms earlier this week.

Please note that I only write about places I genuinely recommend, and my reviews are always my honest opinion. Read my policy on the About page

THE BUTCHER’S ARMS

The Butcher’s Arms is one of forty-odd taphouses owned by Joule’s Brewery.

If you’ve been to any of them, you’ll know that they’re big on traditional style, refurbishing them to a very high standard. And The Butcher’s Arms is no exception.

Set in the Moorlands village of Forsbrook there’s a little brook nearby as well as the village green. Conveniently for non-locals, the pub has plenty of parking space.

There’s lots of outdoor seating too, including some under cover to protect you from rain or sun.

While the original pub has been extended, it still feels like a cohesive whole.

Inside, you’ll find oak floors, wooden panelling and, in the restaurant area, a pleasingly quirky hodgepodge of mismatched tables and chairs.

As with many Joule’s pubs, there’s also lots of local and brewery memorabilia.

At The Butcher’s Arms, I particularly liked the specially commissioned stained-glass work.

In this setting, how could we not opt for some Joule’s beer while we considered the menu?

Being a lover of darker beers, I chose Slumbering Monk, a rich and smooth ale.

In a nod to those tasting boards you sometimes see with three different one-third pints, ID did the next best thing and went for two different half pints: traditional Pale Ale and Green Monkey craft lager.

I have to say, even though I’m not usually a lager drinker, even I like the naturally carbonated Green Monkey. Do try it if you haven’t yet.

SANDWICHES, PLATTERS & STARTERS

I thought there was plenty to choose from on The Butcher’s Arms food menu.

First off, if you’re after something lightish, there’s a range of sandwiches (£4.50-£6.00). These come on ciabatta bread with crisps and a salad garnish.

Next, there are a choice of six Sharing Platters (£7-£12) from simple nachos to veggie, meat or fish combinations as well as the traditional ploughman’s.

Among the half a dozen Starters were pub favourites like Soup of the Day with crusty bread (£5), Breaded Camembert (£6) and Smoked Haddock Fishcakes (£6).

MEAT SHARING PLATTER

To begin, we decided on the Meat Sharing Platter (£12).

On the platter were southern fried chicken goujons, lamb kofte (both individually available as starters) and pork bites. To accompany them were mint mayo, chilli sauce and a dressed salad.

Never having heard of pork bites it was something of a mystery as to what these would be. But they turned out a most pleasant surprise.

Inside each crispy batter shell was a perfectly cooked, juicy chunk of pork.

While I find bog standard pork a little underwhelming (often bland and dry), these had exceptionally good flavour. There were no fancy seasonings, just a lovely porky taste from the meat which had the right amount of fat needed for moistness and flavour.

The goujons, strips of chicken enclosed in a temptingly crisp batter, could easily have been overcooked. But, like the pork, these were bang on. Moist and tender with good, simple flavour.

Even the little lamb kofte which, I admit, may look a little dry in the photo below, were lovely.

The meat had good flavour and inside the nicely browned exterior the lamb was deliciously soft. The mint mayo was just the thing to dip into with these tasty little morsels.

The hot sauce had reasonable heat too. Not searingly chillified, but neither did it have the overly sweet taste of far too many pub grub chilli dips.

I thought this dish was a good test of the kitchen.

While it might appear to be very simple food, in fact there is plenty that can go wrong. With poor ingredients and overcooking, the platter could have been dismal.

But it was a real delight that had me smacking my lips in anticipation of the main course. (Although, thinking about it, this would probably make a good meaty main course with a side of chips).

MAINS

There were eight choices of main course (including two which appeared to be vegetarian) plus a range of burgers (one veggie).

As you’d expect from a pub specialising in traditional classics, hearty mains included Steak & Ale Pie with Chips, Peas and Gravy; Fish, Chips, Mushy Peas & Tartare Sauce (both £12); Gammon (£13), plus Rump Steak (£16) with optional sauces.

To go with these were sides (£2.50-£4.50) of chips and garlic bread in various guises, onion rings, side salad, and mac ‘n’ cheese with bacon. Children’s meals (without any dinosaur or similarly shaped nonsense) were available at £6 each.

BUTCHER’S BURGER

For my main I chose the Butcher’s Burger with Cheese (£12).

Like all the burgers, this came on a brioche bun with salad, plus fries.

Displayed on a board, with the top half of the bun perched alongside to make it easier to add any condiments, this looked hugely appetizing.

The bun was of good quality with a hint of the richness I want from a brioche burger bun but without too much sweetness.

Texture wise, it was pleasantly soft but not so soft that it fell apart as I ate. In fact, it avoided all the common failings which led me to create my own brioche burger bun recipe.

Inside, topping a generous heap of salad, was a very beefy-tasting meat patty. Cooked all the way through, but not done to death, it was exactly how I like my burger.

One thing we’d both commented on during our starters and mains, was that the seasoning of dishes and all their elements was very precise.

It’s not often, eating in pubs, that I don’t feel the need for a sprinkle of pepper here, a shake of salt there. But at The Butcher’s Arms this was completely unnecessary.

The skin-on fries that came with my burger were a case in point.

Beautifully crispy and with a decent pinch of flaky salt, properly distributed among them, these were perfect. The dinky little basket held a deceptively generous amount too.

Another example of unshowy food but done very well.

LASAGNE

ID chose Lasagne with Garlic Bread & Salad (£12) for his main course.

Here was a dish that wouldn’t leave you going home hungry. The individually baked lasagne came in a dish that the makers of ready meals might laughingly label as ‘Serves 2’.

ID declared the lasagne a good one. He particularly liked that, unlike some pub versions he’d eaten, the tomatoes in the sauce had been properly cooked down.

Also, he thought the bechamel sauce on top, enhanced with lots of cheese, was good, as was the ciabatta alongside.

I tasted both and would be happy to eat this dish. As ID said, the lasagne filling was rich, thick and tasty.

So, another course done and another ten out of ten all round.

How could we say no to pudding?

DESSERT

I must admit, when I’m trying somewhere new for the first time, I do get a bit narked if ID wants to choose the same dish as me.

Surely it makes sense to try as many different things as possible?

So, there was a slight danger of an unseemly squabble breaking out when we saw Eton Mess (£5) on the dessert menu: we both love this mix of cream, fruit and crunchy meringue.

However, as I’m eating on a ‘professional’ basis, that means I get first pick 😁.

As you’d hope and expect, there were soft clouds of billowy whipped cream with fruit and meringue chunks folded through it. Along with the usual strawberries, I detected a few tarter elements (blackcurrants maybe?) which gave the sweet dessert a pleasing edge.

Another big bowlful, I almost wavered about whether I could finish it. But, so good, I managed it all.

Mind you, ID didn’t do badly with his dessert either.

Strawberry Ice Cream Sundae (like all the desserts, £5) had at its base a big scoop of well fruity strawberry ice cream.

On top of that were cream, strawberry sauce and a scattering of mini marshmallows. For a contrasting bit of crispness, there were two wafer rolls.

A simple, satisfying pud at a most reasonable price.

What’s not to like?

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The Butcher’s Arms is not for anyone seeking the gastro pub experience. You won’t find foams, bon bons and whatnot here.

But what you will get is traditional, simple pub food done to a great standard.

Despite our widening tastes and food experiences, I think there’s still plenty of demand for good quality, fuss-free traditional pub food like this.

That means steak and ale pie, proper fish and chips, quality burgers, steaks, gammon plus a few vegetarian options. Added to that are dishes from further afield like pasta, lamb kofte, chilli prawns, and stroganoff which have become British pub classics too.

It’s not often I can say this, but I don’t have a single criticism, or even a suggested tweak, for anything I ate that night.

Clearly, the kitchen is in good hands. Front of house, things were efficient and friendly. In these COVID days it’s also good to know that all the latest safety guidance was followed too.

Our food bill, three generous courses each, worked out at £23 per person. I consider that good value and hard to knock for food of this standard.

Added to all that, there’s a good range of quality beers, including those highly recommended Joule’s ales.

For dog lovers, pooches are welcome everywhere except the restaurant area.

As a lover of the great British pub, I think The Butcher’s Arms has a winning combination. I would love more people to know about it.

If you haven’t visited before, or perhaps just not for a while, then I’d urge you to give it a go.

Personally, I’ve got my eye on their fantastic looking fish and chips for next time.

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Disclosure

I was invited by The Butcher’s Arms to try their food and was not charged for what I and my guest ate. I did pay for our drinks and also left a gratuity for staff.

As always, this review is an honest one based on my own experience.

Where a meal, product or service has been provided without charge then a statement such as this will always be included in the post.

Read more about working with Moorlands Eater on my About page here