FROM the outside, The Horns Inn, on Victoria Square in Ashbourne, looks like a very ordinary pub that might sell you a decent pint and an acceptable lunchtime sandwich.

But dashing in to shelter from the rain on a Sunday lunchtime, your spy was pleasantly surprised by the light, airy atmosphere, friendly welcome and extensive menu.

We were immediately shown to a table and it was explained that the starters and light lunch menu options were on a blackboard in the room we were already in, while the main courses were on a blackboard in the larger of the two dining rooms.

Drinks orders were taken and we wandered through to look at the main course options, rather bemused at having to take a tour of the pub simply to read the menu.

However, when we read that all produce is sourced locally, we realised that it is probably the easiest way to advertise the menu, rather than printing and reprinting menus as the availability of produce changes.

Your spy opted for a salmon and smoked bacon fishcake, followed by sirloin steak and chunky chips, while my companion waited to see what the soup of the day was, while also tempted by pate or garlic mushroom stuffed with pate.

On discovering the soup was minestrone, that was chosen.

For the main course, my companion chose an old favourite – chicken breast stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon and served with barbecue sauce.

Although the service was very friendly, it did take a long time for our starters to come. Unfortunately, as is often the case when you go out for a meal for two, our table was in a bad spot – along the wall leading from one room to the other – so we had a constant stream of waiters, waitresses and diners from the one room making their way to the facilities.

However, when the starters arrived, they more than made up for the wait.

The fishcake was hot, tender and packed with salmon, smoked bacon, potato and cheese and served with a generous side salad and a portion of sour cream that had a distinctly garlicky flavour.

The soup was chunky, wholesome and had plenty of vegetables and pasta floating in it. The portion was generous and could easily have been the only thing you had for lunch.

The main courses arrived much quicker than the starters and when The Horns Inn promised chunky chips – they weren't kidding.

A huge portion of the fattest chips we'd ever seen accompanied the steak with its traditional trimmings of mushrooms, crisply-battered onion rings and half a giant grilled tomato. The only fault in this appetising meal was that your spy asked for the steak to be medium rare – and it was most definitely medium on the way to well done.

The chicken came with chips, peas, carrots and parsnip and was polished off with vigour by my companion.

So huge were the portions that when we were tempted by the dessert menu, which included banana and chocolate bread and butter pudding, pineapple sponge pudding or chocolate fudge pudding, neither of us found we could manage another bite.

A note to The Horns – if there had been a lighter choice, we might just have sampled it, but the heavy "nursery style" puddings were just too much to face.

A coffee and a lemonade rounded off a meal that, on the whole, was incredibly tasty, good value for money and can be heartily recommended.

THE HORNS INN WHERE: 10/15 Victoria Square, Ashbourne

MEAL FOR TWO: Soup £3, salmon and bacon fishcake £4, 8oz sirloin £12.50, cheesed off chicken £9.50, diet Coke £1.40, 2 lemonades £2.80, coffee £1.75.

Total: £34.95 CALL: 01335 347387.