Warm and welcoming at the Red Lion

You walk into a pub; it’s warm, welcoming, there’s a hubbub from people already eating and drinking and you are greeted by a friendly face at the bar.

The pub in question was the Red Lion at West Deeping, and it also had a menu loaded with warming, hearty dishes just right for such an evening.

The friendly face was the landlady who took our drink orders (there was a decent selection of beers on offer by the way), grabbed a couple of menus and showed us - I was dining with a pal - to our table.

There’s a real country pub feel to the place - not entirely unexpected - and we sat near a fire, not real but giving off a welcoming heat and a glow as we made ourselves comfortable at the table.

There were some appealing starters - baked camembert, Thai fishcakes, Stilton mushrooms to pair with main course dishes such as fish and chips, pies, sausage and mash, pub curry, lasagne.

Going straight for a main course, another of those “pub classics” on offer was my choice, lamb shank (£13).

The meat was soft and tasty, falling from the bone into a wonderfully thick minty gravy, and all served on a bed of smooth, creamy mash, with a healthy side serving of vegetables - tenderstem broccoli, carrots and cabbage.

Just the job.

Equally as satisfying across the table was a bowl of beef stew (£10).

Again, a rich sauce, loaded with soft, tender and juicy chunks of meat and a generous serving of mashed potatoes.

Very satisfying.

To round things off, another classic from the dessert menu - a nice slab of sticky toffee pudding (£5.95).

It was warm with a smothering of sweet, sticky caramel and a lovely helping of vanilla ice cream.

Delicious. Well worth braving the cold for.

Brad Barnes dines at the Red Lion in King Street, West Deeping (www.redlionwestdeeping.co.uk)