Farmer's Arms, Lowick

It can be a tricky business finding somewhere to eat over the Christmas period, especially if, like me, you're something of a last minute merchant.

Town centre eating establishments are invariably heaving with daft hat-wearing, party popper-poppering colleagues on works outings; and spare tables are as rare as hens' teeth.

One of the few ways of guaranteeing a table at this time of year, then, is to head out to what townies consider to be the sticks on a Monday evening. Oh, and get one of the party to book in advance.

Which is how this week I found myself in the Farmer's Arms at Lowick, fresh from work and chomping at the bit.

My husband and I had let the side down before we even entered the place. The dress code had been Christmas jumpers – although this was primarily a birthday celebration – but we turned up in our usual gear, while the rest of the group were clad in festive sweaters of various designs. Bah, humbug, we may as well have cried, as we entered the lounge bar.

The Farmer's has recently changed hands; so we were all interested to see how the new regime would be faring. Thankfully, there has been no temptation to alter the style or decor of this ancient inn.

The Farmer's is known for its beams, flagged floors and traditional interior. Red patterned carpets still abound, the lighting is unobtrusive and the tables are large.

The menu is traditional pub classics all the way. Between the five of us, we pretty much covered the entire bar snack canon.

Starters were all round the £5 mark; and we partook of soup of the day (pea and ham), classic prawn cocktail, deep-fried Brie wedges and a plate of lightly battered chicken dippers. All good (aside from some slightly watery prawns), well-presented and perfectly tasty. No skimping on the side salads, and my only complaint is that said salads could have done with some dressing.

Main courses at the Farmer's are all around the £10 mark, unless you opt for the very sensible smaller portion options, which I often wish more pubs would offer. Not that I was up for a smaller portion, having said that.

The two men went for steak and ale pie (one with mash, one with new potatoes), which came with a generous dish of vegetables. We women chose scampi, fish and chips and a mushroom stroganoff.

Service was friendly and efficient and we didn't have to put up with that most irritating situation where half the food arrives, followed by a long gap, with those left waiting insisting "do start" to everyone else.

Everything here arrived in a timely fashion – and we were all soon munching away with synchronicity. Excellent chips, we women all agreed.

The stroganoff was bursting with mushrooms, the fish was tender, and the scampi was, well, what you'd expect of scampi. And lots of it. This isn't cutting edge cuisine: it's classic pub grub, with no messing about, no fancy touches, and no gastronomy. It's what you go to a traditional country pub for.

It wasn't all perfect; the steak and ale pie had spent a little too long in the oven and the pastry proved rather heavy going; but on the whole, it was hearty, wholesome and just what you want on a cold Monday pre-Christmas evening.

By the time we had finished our mains, the main dining room was doing a fairly buzzing trade; while the popular bar, with its flagged floor and cosy corners, was lively and busy.

It's great to see these country pubs continue to do well, especially at this time of year when so many people prefer to stay in town.

After all, someone's got to be the designated driver during all the festivities. Gordon and I always share this duty. I drive there – and he drives back. I find it works very well indeed, although for some strange reason he never quite seems to enjoy himself as much as I do...

So there you have the Farmer's. Classic pub grub in classic surroundings. The Michelin inspectors won't be paying a visit any time soon – but you won't leave hungry. Isn't that what pub grub is all about? It is in my book.

By Louise Allonby

Ratings (out of five)

Food 3.5

Service 4

Atmosphere 4

Value 4

Pros

Classic bar food

Lots of nooks and crannies

Huge car park

Cons

Someone has to drive

Some very low beams