About a mile from Laughton, the postcard village of Brookhouse offers a dining experience that has carried a strong reputation for many, many years.

And from the pre-meal drink in the tiny bar to the coffees arriving in the 100-plus seater dining room, the Cartwheel does not disappoint.

We arrived about half an hour before the 8pm sitting, and were pleased to discover the four-course carvery was part of a two for £20 promotion.

After being welcomed and offered a menu to peruse, we were shown to our table.

For starters, we opted for homemade cream of vegetable soup and melon with a raspberry coulis.

The soup was flavoursome without being packed with too many types of vegetable, and the melon, was a nice light opener.

Onto the mains, and two freshly-cooked joints were unwrapped on the carvery table - one beef, one pork, but other nights at the Cartwheel can offer up to four different types of meat.

The stuffing and Yorkshire puds were a great complement to the pork, and the beef was so tender it simply fell apart before we had returned to our table.

A selection of half a dozen vegetables and roast and new potatoes were waiting for us.

A sign at the chef’s carvery stand reassures diners not to hesitate in asking for more if they feel their portions are too light.

Other dishes included deep fried Whitby scampi, rack of lamb with a mint demi-glace sauce, Aberdeen sirloin steak with a choice of two sauces and a vegetarian option of the day. Each of these alternatives added between £1.50 and £3.50 to the price.

The dessert choice again went along the theme of not going overboard with an endless list of choices. Instead, there were a selection of three or four classic pub restaurant cakes, all homemade, and standing next to the dessert trolley was a large container of fresh fruit salad.

Like with all the courses, what is on offer changes with the season. The summer fruit salad was a healthy portion scooped from the silver holder.

The chocolate cake looked the most appetising, and, softened by a helping of fresh cream, was a very enjoyable end to a bargain of a meal.

On the day we attended, the price also included after-dinner entertainment. As we finished the coffees a DJ was preparing for the disco that was to follow.

Looking through the various leaflets in the bar area, there did not seem to be many nights when the Cartwheel does not go the extra mile and provide something extra as well as the excellent food.

And with friendly staff in a traditional-style rural pub restaurant, it made for a delightful and impressive evening - maintaining the Cartwheel’s long-held reputation in the area.

by Gareth Dennison

Star rating HHHH