Nancy Lee

Nancy Lee is the Chinese takeaway tucked into the small precinct on Main Street in Stretton, the residential village that bleeds into the northern edge of Burton-upon-Trent. It is a workhorse rather than a destination — the kind of suburban Cantonese-and-curry-sauce kitchen that families ring on a Friday night without thinking about it. The board runs through the usual range: salt and pepper chicken wings, sweet and sour, chow mein, foo yung, with the standard set meals for two and three that take the decision out of ordering.

Reviews on local directories sit at the favourable end of the scale, with regulars praising hot, generous portions and a friendly response on the phone. The shop holds a 4 rating from East Staffordshire Council's food-safety officers on its most recent inspection, which is worth noting in a town that has its share of two- and three-rated rivals. Stretton itself is not over-served with Chinese options — the Lee Kitchen on Dover Road is the obvious near neighbour — and Nancy Lee picks up the western half of that trade. There is no dine-in; it is a collection-and-delivery operation aimed at the new-build estates that have spread out from the Marston's and Bass tradition along the A38 corridor.