Lovely Sunday lunch down by the riverside

After attending Alton’s Service of Remembrance my wife, daughter and I decided to go for a Sunday lunch.

This proved more of a challenge than we expected as we embarked on the oddest pub crawl ever, trying to find somewhere suitable to eat.

Having found three full for hours, one completely empty, two closed down and one hosting a private function, it was eighth time lucky as we wended our way further down the A32 and found The Bucks Head in Meonstoke.

Sharing the name of Telford United FC’s ground appealed to me, as did the view of the River Meon and the countryside in the background as seen from the edge of the car park.

We got there at 2.30pm, half an hour before the kitchen was due to shut, but were delighted to find that the roast dinner was still available.

One of the three young women running the bar saw us to a rectangular table for six behind the wine cage. Wife and 10-year-old grabbed the comfy bench seat.

Across the floor from us a couple were introducing their young son to eating out while their four-year-old golden Labrador settled down under the table.

The menu promised Smith’s of West Meon roast topside of beef, garlic roast potatoes, parsnips, sweet potato mash, greens, a Yorkshire pudding and red wine gravy.

We got carrots as a substitute for the mash, but I like carrots with a roast so I wasn’t complaining. Daughter loved the presentation, with the gravy-filled Yorkie balanced on top of everything else.

Everything was nicely cooked and delicious, with the roast potatoes a particular highlight. The garlic taste was just right and they had that perfect combination of being crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

My wife had a Sauvignon Blanc spritzer with lemonade, while daughter and me had a Diet Pepsi each. The bill came to £73.95.

The pub has a covered outdoor dining area at the front and the riverside setting was a bonus. I would definitely go there for a meal again.