Situated just a short distance from Dunham Massey, the Rope and Anchor is one of those country pubs that is just perfect after a Sunday stroll.

The interior is warm and welcoming, especially at this time of year with a roaring fire on the go, with my latest trip being no exception.

It not normal for me to write about a pub that’s part of a chain, but I have to say, that the food that I witnessed last weekend was very worthy of the beautiful setting and believe that many others would be happy to try it out.

I visited on a Saturday afternoon as part of a group celebrating a child’s birthday. The pub, probably very strategically, placed us in a small section tucked around the side of the bar. It gave us enough space for the 15 of us and meant that the children could be themselves, without forcing themselves on other customers who may have been out for a quiet lunch.

The menu offers up a good range, from fish and chips (The portions of which were huge) to local specials such as a pheasant breast with salted beetroot, which was very festive to say the least.

A few of the party went for burgers (Adult and Children’s portions were available) and the feedback on those were good.

I however decided to try the Lamb Shoulder. Unsure what to expect, along came a huge portion of Lamb, which on touching it with my fork, just fell apart – I knew I was in for a treat.

It came served on a bed of Horseradish Mash and Roasted Veg. The mash was flavoursome, however I was struggling to get any heat from the horseradish. The Caramelised Onion and Red Wine Jus however was incredible.

Although its unlikely I will ever be blown away from a pub lunch from a chain such as JW Lees, its still possible for it to be a good meal or a bad one – I have to summarise this as being a good example of how this type of meal can be done well and I really enjoyed the food.

My visit here was never meant to form part of a review and so pictures are very limited. I also didn’t get to try out many of the other dishes during this visit – however I could well be returning for a more thorough review some time – keep those eyes peeled.