LOCATED at the very top of Bradford on Avon, myself and a friend certainly worked up an appetite by the time we reached The Castle Inn from the centre of town.

I’d been told to expect good things though and on entering the hotel/restaurant we made our way over to the bar to quench our thirst.

I ordered the Inn’s Flatcapper Ale (£3.20) while my friend went for half a pint of Diet Coke (£1.50) after being told they had no Appletiser and we found a table in the spacious dining area.

We were brought menus by the helpful and smiling member of staff and there was certainly plenty to choose from, including sharer boards, burgers, homemade pies and a selection of desserts and starters.

I decided to go for grilled chorizo sausage (£3.95) for a starter and a medium 8oz rump steak with Café de Paris butter, hand cut chips, rosemary flat mushroom and watercress salad (£18.95) as my main. My friend went for mackerel pate (£3.95) as his starter and for his main chicken and ham hock pie with shortcrust pastry and seasonal greens (£11.95).

The Inn has a very country feel to it, with the head of deer on the wall, wooden furniture and candles lit on every table and it’s easy to see why people would happily book a room there.

A short time later our starters arrived which were nicely presented on wooden boards and came with side salad and a roll of bread.

I found the chorizo to be tasty but not too spicy which was how I hoped it would be but my friend left some of his mackerel pate after running out of bread and found it not up to the same standard of other pates he has tried.

Our main courses arrived soon after and my steak was cooked perfectlywith the butter complimenting it well and chips nicely bronzed.

My friend found his pie was filling and warm which did the job on a cold winter’s day.

The bill came to £43.50.

The Castle Inn 10 Mount Pleasant, Bradford on Avon BA15 1SJ 01225 865657

STEFAN MACKLEY