The Ship Inn

The Ship is a typical English pub tucked away in the semi rural surroundings of Styal between Wilmslow and Heald Green / Wythenshawe / Manchester Airport.

The pub has a number of different rooms off the main bar area, including a room that is specifically laid out for dining. The main bar area also has a couple or so tables set out with place mats.

Food is ordered separately at food counter from the choice on the blackboard. The choice is fairly standard and doesn't appear to change much from month to month, but it is a typical cross section of pub food that would suit most palates. What is nice about the Ship is that the food is displayed in serving dishes on a hot counter, so you can see what you fancy before you order. Dishes normally on the menu are chilli con carne, chicken curry, sausages in gravy, home made pie (meat or chicken), lasagne etc.

The food is served piping hot and can be accompanied by rice, chips, roast or boiled potatoes and a selection of vegetable. Cold salads and filled sandwiches are made to order and a standard selection of deserts is also available daily.

In this area the Ship is one of the best pubs to eat in. The choice often comes down to brewery chain owned pubs that serve a standard freezer to fryer or microwave diet of homogenous pap or other independant pubs that try to do good honest home cooking but don't quite meet the standard. The Ship on the other hand can be relied on to sell good food, home cooked and at very reasonable prices.

Try the chilli con carne, which comes as hot as most people can tolerate (whats the point of cooking chilli that isn't hot? its the whole point of the dish!). The chicken curry is mild and a little fruity, the lasagne was a bit disappointing but good value all the same, the home cooked pies are served cut to size with a shallow puff pastry topping.

Verdict: Recommended for a pub lunch