After Chippenham’s light switch-on I headed out to Langley Burrell for dinner to find the Langley Tap lit up like a lovely gingerbread house and looking really inviting through the fog.

Inside was equally welcoming, warm and cosy with traditional oak beams and stone walls and a labrador lying in front of the log burner.

I was pleased to find they had Thatchers cider. We were 15 minutes early but were shown to a table straight away without having to wait at the bar, despite it being really busy.

The menu was particularly meaty, with choices like calves liver and lamb shank and only one single option for vegetarians.

After reading a special menu for food guaranteed to be with you in 20 minutes, I was pleasantly surprised to wait only 15 minutes for food from the normal menu, though the table of eight next to us waited about 50.

I overheard a member of staff saying they could leave their number if they wanted to be informed when lobster was on the menu.

My dining partner Andy, who ordered from the specials board of game and fish dishes, said he hadn’t had pheasant since being put off seven years ago.

But he was really glad he had taken the risk, as he thoroughly enjoyed his generous portion of pheasant wrapped in parma ham, with slices of roast potato and a deliciously sweet port sauce offsetting the rich gamey taste.

It also came with a selection of seasonal vegetables: brussel sprouts, chantenay carrots, purple sprouting broccoli and pickled red cabbage, all still with a nice slight crunch.

I went for the haddock and chips. I always think it’s a shame to order this in a restaurant, but this was haute cuisine fish and chips - large succulent fish in a beer batter, yummy mushy peas, homemade tartare sauce and chips that were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

The white chocolate and orange in Andy’s creamy cheesecake were beautifully complementary flavours.

With half a pint of cider and a pint of coke, the bill came to £35.20.

* Pie Night Tuesdays
* Open Christmas Day - six courses for £69.95
* Open Monday to Thursday, 12 noon- 3pm & 6pm-12 midnight, with food served midday-3pm and 6-9pm: Friday & Saturday open 12 noon-1am, food served as above and evenings until 10pm; Sunday open 12 noon-10.30pm, food served until 4pm and 9pm.