After me and my partner made 4 random stops here for lunch we knew that the food was good and the staff very friendly. With this track record it seemed the prefect venue for a celebratory lunch for 25 friends and 4 well behaved dogs....It was easy to plan the menu choices and availability by email and I just provided 90% of the menu choices 2 days in advance.
On the day car parking was easy and friends travelling by train or staying overnight in Welshpool were able to stroll up through the town to The Raven Inn.
Pre-lunch drinks in the bar satisfied every palate with tasty fresh coffee, a range of Real Ales, wines and soft drinks. Plenty of room to stand, sit and chat, a real fire log-burner and dog biscuits on the bar.
With 25 of us we had a reserved dining area in the old part of the building and shortly after I had seated everyone, the starters began to be brought to the tables. Eight different starters satisfied the diners with their engaging presentation and satisfying taste.
Then the main courses arrived with the personalise steaks, sausages relished by our Swiss friends, Braised Faggots from the butchers in Welshpool, fish and curries. Particular praise was from the lucky diners who had chosen the pan-fried duck breast, what large ducks they must have been!
With the bar handy on two side it was easy to keep hydrated and help wash down the wonderful food.
The finale was the appearance of the desserts, brilliant like finely costumed dancers with the Amaretto Creme Brulee and the Dacqouise looking as spectacular as they tasted.
Nothing was too much trouble for the staff and we really felt carefree and cared for. Congratulations to all the front of house staff and the wizards in the kitchen who were the creative powerhouse.
The dogs particularly enjoyed the walk along the river bank that ran from the Raven bridge upstream through the fields across from the railway.More
