The Jolly Hunstman, Kington St Michael, Chippenham (From This Is Wiltshire)

The Jolly Hunstman, Kington St Michael, Chippenham

9:27am Thursday 18th March 2010 in

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The Jolly Hunstman,

Kington St Michael, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6JB.

Tel: 01249 750305

OPEN: Monday to Thursday 11.30am to 2.30pm and 6pm to11pm; Friday and Saturday 11.30am to 2.30pm and 6pm to midnight; Sunday noon to 3pm and 7pm to 10.30pm

WEARY from a 16-mile run earlier that day, the sofa at my parents’ house seemed increasingly attractive.

So it was rather begrudgingly that I dragged myself up the stairs to freshen up for a rare night out with friends.

Eleven of us had surprisingly all found the same date in our diaries to celebrate our friend Kate’s birthday and the village pub in Kington St Michael, The Jolly Huntsman, was the venue.

It’s an old haunt for the villagers among us - I worked there as a barmaid many moons ago - and the cosy stonehouse is still as popular now as it was when I was pulling pints behind the bar.

With its friendly atmosphere and handy location (three miles off J17 of the M4), it’s clear why people stop by for a bite of homemade food.

The pub had asked us to pre-order food due to the size of our group, so it wasn’t long before the kitchen staff were ready and we were seated.

The volume of conversation lowered for short time (to the delight of other diners!) as we ate our starters. The selection included soup of the day, Thai fishcakes and Caesar salad for between £4.95 and £6.25.

There were also creamy garlic mushrooms topped with Stilton, which birthday girl Kate devoured rather quickly, and ricotta and spinach spring roll, served with a sweet chilli dipping sauce, which I had. It had just the right amount of kick for my palate.

The staff let us mingle at the bar for a while before the main courses arrived.

The Jolly Huntsman menu has something for everyone. For £9.95 you can get a goats cheese and red onion quiche, with pesto pastry, served with chips and salad, or chicken stuffed with chorizo sausage and topped with cheese sauce for £10.95. For a little more (£12.95), you can have pan-fried cajun spiced tuna steak with saute potatoes, or barramundi fillet with cream sauce and crushed new potatoes.

I was determined to eat every inch of the steak I’d ordered because I don’t have it very often. I wasn’t disappointed – the medium rare 8oz fillet with bearnaise sauce was cooked to perfection. At £16.95, it came with mushrooms, chips and griddled tomatoes and I succeeded in clearing the plate – even if I was the last one to finish.

Kate’s Mediterranean vegetable and mozzerella burger (£9.95) with red onion chutney came with chips, onion rings and a garnish. It got the thumbs up and a smile.

By the time we’d finished eating (and talking!), there were only a few people left in the restaurant.

We all chipped in just over £20, except the birthday girl, which covered the drinks and food tab with tips to spare.

I ambled on back home after a lovely evening of good food and wine, with all my earlier aches and pains forgotten.