Lunch at The Three Magpies.

The smell of home-cooked pub food drifted on the breeze and through the campsite. 

Tied in with the fact that we had spent evenings in the pub watching plate after plate of fantastic meals come out, we decided that we had to see what was available, and decided on Sunday lunchtime to wander up for a bite to eat. 

With a glance at the menu, and a longing stare at our neighbouring table’s plates, it was an easy choice. The Sunday Roast was a must. 

With a choice of four meats, chicken, beef, pork, or lamb, it had to be the pork. 

However, before I rush ahead, the starters. 

A tomato and orange soup was the soup of the day, and on an overcast say it seemed the perfect choice. 

Sweet, sharp, and served with warm buttery bread, the soup was absolutely beautiful and the orange lifted the whole flavour and stopped it from being a heavy, winter dish, which happens more often than not. 

Among us there were also prawn cocktails, and a pate, bread and homemade chutney. All of which was full of flavour, freshly made, and the portion size was fantastic. 

Soon enough the Sunday Roasts started to arrive, piled high on the plates and topped with a good coat of gravy. 

Once again the portion size was staggering, and did beat me in the end, much to Dylan’s joy. 

The pork was succulent, flavoursome and came with a side of beautiful crackling (which both Dylan and I enjoyed). The roast potatoes with fluffy, and the vegetables included red cabbage, carrots and fresh broccoli. 

It seems a little odd to rave about a roast dinner, because it seems such a simple thing, but so often you go somewhere for a Sunday lunch and it’s just quite disappointing, and not a patch on your mums. 

This, however, was definitely up there rivalling it, and although the potatoes were not as good as hers (my Mum’s roast potatoes are the best, period) the Yorkshire pudding beat hers by a mile (sorry Mum). 

And then dessert. 

However full I was, I just couldn’t not have dessert. In fact, I had already chosen my dessert before I had decided on a starter. 

Although everything looked amazing, and I did second guess myself a couple of times, the St. Clement’s Orange and Lemon posset with a pistachio shortbread won out. 

Sweet, fruity, and zingy, the posset was heaven, and the cold creamy texture with the buttery shortbread was the perfect finish to a warming, and filling meal. 

Not only was every morsel of food served fantastic, but the price was brilliant as well, with three courses adding up to just under £20 a head. 

If you’re planning on staying on the sites campsite, or even if you’re not, plan a meal out at the real English country pub.