IT'S amazing what experiences we can miss out on by being creatures of habit. I must have driven through the Winster valley...

...dozens of times passing by the Hare and Hounds in Bowland Bridge without so much as a glance, never mind venturing inside.

I've enjoyed many a good meal and leisurely drink at the Mason's Arms up the road at Strawberry Bank, but it's always a struggle to get a table, particularly on a sunny day.

Rightly so - the beer garden's view across the unspoilt valley is spectacular - when it isn't obscured by another diner's 4x4 blocking the view. 

So we decided to give the Hare and Hounds a whirl as we made our way back from Kendal on the back roads last Sunday lunchtime, guessing it might be easier to get a table there at the last minute.

We were early-ish for lunch, as it was 12.30pm, and managed to bag one of the few remaining tables which hadn't been booked.

It was a little quiet when we first arrived, and to my concern, all the other diners were elderly couples enjoying a peaceful meal. I wasn't sure how kindly they would take to our three-year-old daughter's joie de vivre.

Luckily the staff were accommodating and friendly, and the pub provided a children's menu and high chairs, so we obviously hadn't made a faux pas by stumbling into the kind of place which gives junior diners a frosty welcome.

We dived on the roast menu straight away - which at £14.95 for for two courses, or £18.95 for three, seemed great value.

I ordered the butternut squash soup to start, followed by the roast beef, while my husband chose the terrine, and another roast beef.

The free house stocks its own signature ale, The Hare of the Dog, brewed by Tirril Brewery, (4.1 per cent ABV) for a very reasonable £2.85. I stole a taste of Mike's pint, and the brown ale packed a punch - fruity and "chewy", but in a good way.

If you fancy a sweeter tipple, the pub also stocks cider from Cowmire Hall, down the road in Crosthwaite. The wine list was also extremely tempting.

We didn't have to wait too long for our excellently-presented meals to arrive.

Butternut squash soup is a favourite dish in our kitchen at home, so I was intrigued to sample a rival version. I had to admit defeat - it beat my usual effort hands down. Rich and creamy with a warming blend of spices, I resisted the temptation to ask for the chef's recipe.

The presumably homemade bread it came with was clearly fresh out of the oven and was as light as air.

The terrine was also a hit, and came with a generous side of bread, salad and chutney.

We'd gone slightly off-menu for Rowan's meal, and asked for her child's sausage and mash (£5.95) to come with peas rather than the advertised gravy. This was done without quibble, and the dish was also pleasingly "gastro" without being too over-the-top for young tastebuds.

The mash was delightfully creamy, though Rowan discovered it was as good for moulding into a "frog" - complete with two peas for eyes - as it was for eating. Luckily by this point a few other families had started to drift to their tables and the atmosphere had started to thaw, so I hoped her table manner weren't being judged too harshly by our fellow diners.

The highlight of the meal was the arrival of the sumptuous slices of roast beef, swimming in rich dark gravy and topped with a light, fluffy Yorkshire pudding as big as my head. Luckily, there was plenty of pud to share with Rowan, who declared it "my favourite".

Mike meanwhile rhapsodised over the melt-in-the-mouth beef. My personal favourite was the huge veg selection - creamy leaks, deliciously caramelised roast carrots and parsnips, fluffy roast potatoes and al dente new potatoes and steamed carrots. All were cooked to perfection and we actually struggled to finish the generous serving between the three of us.

Sadly we had no room for dessert, which included another favourite dish - creme brulee. But I noted the pub does rooms, so I think we may have to pencil it in for a romantic break sometime in the future, to make the most of the tempting wine list and excellent food.

The whole meal, including drinks, came to only £44, which I thought was outstanding value for such high quality fare.

The produce used boasts exemplary local credentials - the beef is from David Clarke of Tulithwaite Hall Farm, and the lamb and pork hails from Derek Smith of Fell House Farm.

Full marks too for drinks prices, at £1.80 for an apple juice and 80p for a lime and soda, you'd never guess you were in a honeypot location.

We drove past the Mason's Arms on our way back to Ulverston - to see the car park and road heaving with the inevitable prestige cars and ubiquitous 4x4s. I think we made the right choice to try out somewhere new - and we'll certainly be making a return visit.