The Biddestone Arms, The Green, Biddestone, SN14 7DG.

(01249) 714377

After months of raving about just how good the homemade pies at the Biddestone Arms are, I took my friend and colleague Scott along to the village pub this week to see for himself.

The restaurant section was revamped in December when the pub was taken over by James and Louise Hedges and has a red and cream colour scheme that retains the pub’s warm and cosy feel.

For starter I chose the soup of the day, which that Monday was tomato and basil, (£3.95) while Scott went for the sauteed garlic mushrooms in a filo tart (£4.95).

Both starters were delicious, and we eagerly awaited the steak and ale pie (£9.95) we had both chosen, once I’d got over the disappointment of my favourite chicken pie being off the menu. Scott went for chips while I chose new potatoes and it also came with a dish full of minted peas, cabbage, leek, courgettes and runner beans.

The slowly cooked Wiltshire reared beef in a pool of 6X ale sauce was delicious – the meat was tender, the pastry was flaky and the sauce was rich and tangy, proving too rich for Scott by halfway through.

Scott passed on dessert, but I chose the raspberry pavlova sundae (£4.25), a mix of raspberry pavlova ice cream, meringue pieces and raspberry coulis, with freshly whipped double cream.

It was the perfect way to end a lovely meal which offered good value. Our bill, with two soft drinks, was £36.85.

Two-course set lunch £7.99

Snack and bar menu

Children’s menu

Carvery every Sunday

Fish and chips takeaway Fridays 6-10pm

Beer garden

Partial disabled access

Our Eating Out is an independent review carried out by the Wiltshire Times without prior knowledge of the owners.