IT was a Dr Livingstone moment. Only instead of the vast, hippo-infested shores of Lake Tanganyika, the setting was the middle reaches of the Irwell, its rusty waters idling under a handsome bridge in the unlikely hamlet of Stoneclough.

It was so tranquil in the pale winter sunshine I felt like an intruder as I screeched into the surprisingly large car park of the Lord Nelson. A curly-mopped, tight-bearded, faun-like figure in an apron stepped forward to welcome us to his new riverbank world. Robert Owen Brown, I presume?

Yes a rare sighting of one of that great lost tribe of maverick chefs who once roamed our city's kitchens - Robert Kisby, Francis Carroll, Steve McLoughlin, Colin Buchan, men with talent to burn (or cunningly sear), all now in a variety of exiles.

Since Owen Brown had to abandon his acclaimed city centre gastropub, The Bridge, earlier in the year, his name has been linked with any number of high-profile chef vacancies, as the wheels fell off the rollercoaster at too many of our top restaurants.

Sourcing

The man himself has quietly pursued his countryside interests, sourcing quality game for folk and, more recently, honing his lapsed butchery skills on a bunch of Tamworth pigs.

It was his first stab at making his own ham which provided one of the ingredients in my companion's main, hotch potch of cornfed chicken with ham, leeks, broth and herb dumplings.

The moment I saw it on the menu a warm glow suffused my innards. It's Chop House heritage cheer grub.

And Thomas's begat Sam's and, behold, our Rob (who made his mark at those revered establishments) indirectly begat The Ladybarn in Fallowfield, where his Bridge disciple Kim Merritt now cooks (we gave it four stars recently). Meanwhile, as OB overhauls the kitchen at The Lord Nelson for the owners, he has Zak, his compadre from Bridge Street at his side.Alas, the Lord Nelson, handsome and four-square on the outside, is a semi-open plan pub's pub. Inside, the locals were stoking up on Stella in readiness for the Manchester derby on Sky; the hostelry carpet was a time-warp collector's item; a chalked-up sign advertised `T-bone steak, 14oz, é14.95'; the plastic wine list was drab excuse. But... the food, mmm.

My lovely companion - also a Neil, who for incognito purposes we will dub Herr Doppelganger - enthused about a soundtrack that name-checked Adam Ant, The Libertines and Cyndi Lauper. I was concentrating on my chilli spiced fish cakes and baby salad in a lemon and lime mayonnaise (é4.50) - five gorgeous deep-fried balls of white fish and prawns with acute zing.

It eased my regrets at not ordering Neil's equally substantial starter for é3.95 - crispy black pudding potato cake, topped by a soft poached egg, a swirl of tarragon butter sauce the perfect accompaniment.

Herr Doppelganger, stickler that he is, felt the aforementioned ham didn't add anything extra to his hotch potch. Chorizo would have lifted the broth. The cornfed chicken was a treat, the dumplings light and subtly herby. The whole dish was just é7.50 - amazing value for food of this unfussy accomplishment.

Mahogany

For a pound more, my slow-braised shank of lamb was also a glory. It came to the table like some mahogany-glazed tepee, encamped on beetroot, parsnip, celeriac cubes, smothered in an intense rosemary gravy (Stoneclough is a jus-free zone). The buttery mash and onion rings, é1.50, apiece came in titanic proportions and were hardly required.

All puds are é4. Owen Brown's warm Eccles cakes became something of a secret vice for me at The Bridge, but Doppelganger, true to his name, nursed the same craving, so I let him snaffle the curranty wonders and their partnering vanilla ice cream.

Consolation for me came from a wedge of rich dark chocolate mousse with nursery wet-dream caramelised banana accompaniment in slathers of butterscotch sauce.

It is a trek out to Stoneclough from the city, but it is no Bridge too far. Catch the quixotic ROB while you can. Chefs do come with itchy feet these days.

Lord Nelson, Kearsley Hall Road, Stoneclough, near Radcliffe, Manchester, (01204 579302).