IT was one of those grey, grisly days, the days when you have to drag the dog out for a walk.

We had ventured out to The Shepherd in Langham, a village of winding country lanes with picturesque cottages sitting cheek by jowl with pricey out of town properties.

The Shepherd sits at a crossroads – literally not metaphorically – in the centre of the village and is true to its name.

From the moment you cross the threshold you are welcomed into the fold and staff rally round to ensure you are fed and watered.

The Shepherd is a great pub. It has served its community for decades including in its former incarnation as The Shepherd and Dog.

Drinkers are a discerning bunch who vote with their feet but the well worn bar stools amongst the shabby chic décor stand testament to its success and enduring popularity.

As we walked into the warm from the dull November day, the extremely polite bar manager asked my husband, Steve, if he would like to sample the guest ale, Witch Hunt – and it was though, suddenly, the sun had come out.

We settled into comfortable chairs near the wood burner to select from the menu.

The menu is reasonable but not cheap, but the lunch time menu and specials board offer highly affordable options, including two courses for £11 and three for £14.

We availed ourselves of this option and I chose homemade falafel with a delicate mayonnaise and salad for my starter while Steve selected lightly battered whitebait with a Marie Rose sauce.

The falafels were beautifully fragrant and tasty, and the whitebait simply melted in the mouth.

For our main courses, I chose tempura king prawns and chips with pea puree while Steve went for wholesome ham, egg and chips – comfort food.

The tempura king prawns were a posh version of fish and chips, not as wholesome, but certainly tasty and filling. The chips were perfect, crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside without a trace of fat (top marks) although the tempura batter on the prawns was, in my view, a little greasy.

Steve’s ham, egg and chips were full of flavour, not cordon bleu cooking but good, tasty and delicious food.

For our desserts, we went for unadulterated indulgence. I chose a raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake which was delicious without being sickly sweet.

Steve, a connoisseur of the sticky toffee pudding, tested The Shepherd’s offering. He gave it a respectable six out of ten. It was light and tasty and with a deep butterscotch sauce but was a little lacking in the sticky department.

Our visit to The Shepherd warmed our hearts. The service and attention we received was polite and friendly, really exemplary. The food too was definitely pleasing.

There are certainly worse ways to spend a couple of hours on a grey November day.

THE BILL 

Three courses for £14

Starters:
Falafel with mayonnaise and micro salad
Lightly battered whitebait

Mains:
Ham, egg and chips
Lightly battered tempura king prawns with pea puree and chips

Desserts:
Sticky toffee pudding
Raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake with raspberry coulis

THE VERDICT

Atmosphere - 4/5

Food - 4/5

Decor - 4/5

Value 3/5

Service - 5/5

Disabled access? Yes