PICKING a pub for a family Sunday lunch is always a tough decision. You don’t want to make yourself look a fool by picking a ‘duff one’.

Thankfully, that was never going to happen with the Talbot hotel at Knightwick.

There’s no complicated cocktail of reasons why this pub is a success, this beautifully-sited country pub just does the basics very well.

Good food – check. Good drink – check. A warm atmosphere – check.

Firstly, a mention for the superb view of the finest Worcestershire countryside and the river Teme from the pub’s outdoor terrace. As a youngster, my dad had fished near here so he enjoyed coming back to one of his old haunts.

You can eat on the picnic benches near the riverbank – although keep your children nearby; take your food on the terrace, or indoors.

We arrived during the hectic lunch hour but never felt harassed and were quickly seated in the cosy restaurant. Staff were pleasant, efficient and reeled off the beer selection when asked (as real ale aficionados will already know, Teme Valley Brewery is based at the Talbot). But enough about the booze, a great Sunday lunch always comes down to what’s on your plate.

We opted for starters of Evesham plum tomatoes wrapped in bacon, a smoked salmon dish and creamy tomato and coriander soup with fresh bread.

The bacon was delicious, the tomatoes juicy and sweet, the salmon and dill sauce went down well and the thick soup was a hit.

Much is made of the locallysourced produce and given the troubles not only rural pubs but farmers have been having lately, it is a policy with which I can agree.

But my agreement was not hard to secure, particularly when my main of slices of pink-cooked Herefordshire cross heifer arrived dripping with fresh-prepared flavour. (One course was £18, two courses £23, with three for £27).

My dad opted for the pork, and all the roasts came with crunchy seasonal vegetables including dreaded – in my case – broad beans.

Am I the only one who thinks they are tasteless?

Also, I’ve had supermarket-sourced Maris Pipers before and they taste nothing like the waxy, flavoursome spuds the Talbot served up.

There was no room for dessert, although we could have chosen a white chocolate cheesecake or the intriguingly named treacle hollygog.

The menu is pricey but then you get what you pay for.

HOW IT RATED

The Talbot, Knightwick, near Worcester.

Telephone: 01886 821235

Food **** Value for money *** Ambience **** Service ****