FROM time-to-time you walk into a village pub and immediately know you are going to enjoy the evening. The Royal Oak at Kinnersley, Severn Stoke, near Upton-upon-Severn, is just such a pub, offering a friendly welcome from a genial landlord, a relaxed atmosphere and the prospect of a genuine home-cooked meal.

Alistair Forster and Jerry Bedwell believe passionately in good food, declaring everything we cook is produced by ourselves using fresh local produce wherever possible".

Everything, that is, from the sun-dried tomato bread to the ice cream and sorbet. It's all produced on the premises and it became obvious with the arrival of our starters that we were in for some first class fare.

My smooth chicken liver parfait with quince jelly and fresh bread was a treat at £4.50, while for the same price, one of my two companions enjoyed a delicious dish of chargrilled peaches with Ragstone goats' cheese and cashew nut salad, and the other a tasty Mayhill green cheese soufflé with home-made piccalilli (£4.25).

There were six tempting mains on the menu, but we went to the specials board. I chose pan-fried venison on a bed of rosti potatoes with red cabbage in a chocolate sauce, priced at £9.50. The venison was succulent and the cabbage a surprising success.

One companion opted for pan-fried tuna with almond pesto and cheese linguini, with crayfish adding an additional flavour.

At £10.95 she voted the dish a resounding success.

The third member of our party, a vegetarian, was bowled over by the flavours in the asparagus and sun-dried tomato risotto with Worcester goats' cheese, only £7.25.

The dessert course was another revelation. As with all the dishes, these were beautifully prepared and presented. My Baileys' tiramisu came in a dish, accompanied by caramel chocolate ice cream and a dainty string of blueberries, raspberries and a single strawberry - a snip at £4.50.

The vegetarian went for a honeycomb and chocolate cheesecake (£4.50), which proved just how superior the genuine home-made article is to the mass-produced variety. The third member chose a delicious selection of home-made ice creams and sorbets at a mere £2.95. Add three glasses of a delicious French chardonnay and a soft drink and the bill, for what was the best meal we have had in a long time, was a value-for-money £63.55.

The Royal Oak scored a full house on our table for service, food, value and ambience because it deserved to.

This delightful pub-restaurant is likely to receive a return visit sooner rather than later.

THE ROYAL OAK, KINNERSLEY, SEVERN STOKE Tel: 01905 371482SERVICE: ***** FOOD: ***** VALUE: ***** AMBIENCE: *****