Whitwell is a little off Matt and Cat's usual beaten track but, in the interests of egalitarianism, they are happy to venture into the Island's rural depths. And, fresh from attending a recording session of Gardeners' Question Time at Ventnor Winter Gardens, they took a hop, skip and a jump westwards to the White Horse at Whitwell.

For a Monday night, the place was heaving - in fact there was only one free table. Matt and Cat wondered whether this was because of the pub's excellent facilities or, possibly, because it is the only venue for miles around. They were soon to find out.

Having recovered from 2006's thatch fire, the pub is most definitely open for business. Being first time visitors, Matt and Cat were not sure if the huge room to the left of the main bar was a recent extension - perhaps built as part of the recovery works. It certainly did not have the same cosy character as the rest of the pub. Despite its resemblance to a school hall, this side of the pub was as packed as the rest - mostly with families. Matt and Cat declined this canteen-like area and took the opportunity to sit next to the stone fireplace in the old pub when a seat became vacant.

Review continues:

The hungry pair had arrived with at least half an hour to spare before the kitchen shut, as last food orders is a pleasingly tardy 21:30. This was a good thing, as it took a good five minutes to read the astonishingly copious menu, and the tempting meals on the specials board. The only thing that wasn't so tempting was the prices. This is not the Hogs Head, where you can get two meals for £6.95; the White Horse's prices are more in-line with the Smart Fox's gastropub bill of fare.

Matt was not put off by the prices, opting for the steak fajitas special at a purse-pounding £12.95. Cat played safe with chicken supreme with tarragon which was a (slightly) more reasonable £10.95.

Whilst waiting for their meals to arrive Matthew had the misfortune to find himself supping on a bad pint. Enquiries at the bar led to consternation amongst the staff, who were so appalled by this lapse that they fell to arguing amongst themselves. Not quite the professional image, but certainly showing a commendable commitment to good quality beer. Matt's pint, which had been mistakenly served from the tail-end of a barrel, was readily replaced by a faultless fresh pint. Shortly after, your reviewers' heads were turned by sizzling meat, spitting and hissing on its piping hot skillet; that'll be Matt's steak fajitas.

A truly outstanding mountain of fried onions, extremely tender slices of steak and peppers. The meat had been cooked in the sauce, giving it a splendid flavour of garlic and chilli. All this was accompanied by a plate bulging with tortilla wraps, home-made dips (guacamole, salsa and sour cream), grated cheese and salad. A right feast! Matt was overjoyed at the quantity and quality of his meal. Cat, not normally a big fan of red meat, scrounged a sliver of steak and was left to wonder why all steak couldn't be so soft and tasty.

Cat's chicken supreme was equally large; the plate swimming in the most sublime creamy tarragon sauce and, in the middle, a lovely piece of chicken with a few thick slices of mushroom to add further texture. This dish came with a potato option, veg or salad. Cat chose chips and salad. The chips were nice and chunky and served in a rather retro plastic basket. Both Matthew's and Cat's salads were pretty typical: iceberg lettuce, fresh tomato, home-made coleslaw and cucumber with the surprise additions of green pepper, celery and, er, grit. Neither salad was satisfactorily grit-free; perhaps this was just a temporary problem with the salad washer? However, the waitress kindly brought out a jug of French dressing to help it go down.

So, the mystery of why the White Horse was so busy on a Monday evening was solved. It may be the only pub for miles around - and it was pub quiz night - but it must be such a popular venue because of the efforts in the kitchen - the food was superb.

UPDATE: Summer 2009
The White Horse has changed hands, and even closed for a short while in spring 2009. So when it reopened Matt and Cat paid another visit, intending to re-review the new establishment. However they are able to report with pleasure that more-or-less nothing has changed since this 2007 review was written, and in fact if anything matters have improved. No problems with the beer, no grit in the salads. Even under the new management the food is still outstanding, the menu impressive and the beer decent. Atmosphere, great service and plenty of space make this a top pick for a family meal out. So no new review is required: it's still highly recommended.

Visit the website: http://www.whitehorsewhitwell.co.uk