TUCKED away in north Lancashire is the village of Halton, home to a fine eatery which has built up a reputation stretching for miles around.

We visited The Greyhound Inn after a recommendation from a friend, who told us it served good, old- fashioned pub grub on another level – and my girlfriend and I had to agree that this wasn’t just run of the mill fare.

For example, the chips, vegetables and salads are all prepared to both visual and gastronomic perfection and served neatly in individual bowls. Okay, so that’s not revolutionary, but it does illustrate the attention to detail put in behind the scenes.

While we decided what to eat, I chose a pint of Fosters (£3.05), which was nicely chilled and certainly hit the spot, while my girlfriend went for a glass of the house white (£2.05).

It took a while for us to choose our meals, such was the variety on offer on the menu – and the specials board added an extra five or six options I am often swayed by seeing the meals being brought out of the kitchen and taken to their destinations by the waiting staff in a restaurant. Often you might catch a glimpse of something that looks so delicious you cannot resist it, and so your decision changes.

That was the case here when the 8oz beefburger with chips and side salad (£8.95) whizzed past my table - my plans of steak pie with chips and vegetables (£9.95) were thrown into disarray. I knew there was no way back – it was the beefburger or bust.

Adding cheese (50p), I was not disappointed with my choice, and felt this perfectly cooked delight was value for money. The cheese was of very good quality, not just a plastic-tasting slice flung on top, and the bun was nice and fresh.

My girlfriend, who opted for the steak pie, was also really happy with her choice, with its tender chunks of steak, rich gravy and delicate crust.

This was well worth a diversion to Halton and I shall return as soon as I can.