THIS pub at the side of the A361 is a popular spot for friends meeting, as it’s easy to find, and handily placed for people coming from different places around Wiltshire.

Which made it an easy choice when we wanted to have a quiet lunch with a long-serving colleague.

The pub, like everywhere else, was shut during lockdown and had also seemed closed on and off earlier in the year, so it was good to see it open again.

They were very helpful when I rang to book, assuring me it would be no trouble at all to adapt some of their dishes so a vegan colleague could join us, as a look at the online menu showed only vegetarian options.

The pub is running a one-way entry system, clearly signed, and we were greeted with hand sanitiser and a sign in book for track and trace info, which was reassuring.

We found it quiet for a lunchtime when we arrived, though they had only just opened and other people trickled in.

As we perused the menu, which the server apologised for and said was reduced from what they usually offer, we found plenty to tempt the tastebuds.

The promised vegan dishes were included on their specials, and he also offered to top a salad with roast mushrooms if that sounded tempting.

In the end we ordered on a jacket potato topped with tuna (£7.95), another with prawns and marie rose sauce (£8.95), a portion of the mushroom risotto (£12.50), ham, egg and chips (£12.95 and two fresh salmon nicoise salads (£12.95).

We had drinks brought to our table, and chatted away until the food arrived.

The menu says The Lamb does not serve fast food, it serves good food as fast as it can - and we felt the wait perfectly acceptable and well worth it.

The jacket potatoes were large, with properly baked in the oven skins, generous fillings and a nice fresh side salad.

Our vegan diner said he has, of necessity, eaten mushroom risotto many times before. He said this one was well up to scratch, with a tomato flavour but still tasting nicely of fungi, and without being dry, which he often finds a failing in vegan food.

I tried the salmon salad and was really happy with it. The salmon fillet tasted over roasted rather than grilled, perfectly cooked with a tasty crust on. Well cooked warm egg, chunks of new potato, little black olives, plenty of crispy lettuce and salad veg and, a nice touch, a topping of roasted vine tomatoes, made up the dish.

The menu says the ham with its ham, egg and chips - a classic which a former colleague claimed was the best way to judge any pub’s kitchen - is locally sourced.

Wiltshire is of course famous for its ham and this offering was great, nice thick slices which our taster said were particularly good - and he’s another connoisseur of this dish.

ALISON PHILLIPS

l This review was written before the new Covid-19 regulations were brought in, when it was possible for a group from different households to meet and enjoy a meal together

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The Lamb on the Strand

99 The Strand

Semington

Trowbridge

BA14 6LL

​www.lambonthestrand.com

01380 870929

Opening hours

Monday - Closed

Food Served

Tuesday - Saturday

12 noon -3pm, 6-9pm

Sunday 12 noon - 4pm

Large car park

Gardens