FOR some people, a fancy meal at a posh restaurant is the pinnacle of eating out.

But for me, a pub with a lively atmosphere and decent grub can’t be beaten. There’s something about the distant clattering of plates, banter of locals propping up the bar and slightly rough-around-the-edges aesthetic of pub dining that I find rather comforting.

This was all on show at The Woolpack Inn in Beckington, which I attended on Sunday, April 3, with my parents, who were still in a state of utter shock that their usually frugal (so they say) son had offered to treat them to a meal out.

We found our table in the corner of the pub and perused the menu, which featured a few tantalising options including a Sunday Roast section with lamb, beef, chicken, pork and vegetarian options.

I was tempted by this, but settled for the ‘Chicken Supreme’, priced at £10.49. It took around 20 minutes to arrive at our table, and when it did, my decision to avoid a roast was justified. The chicken was very well cooked, as were the vegetables, with a nice bit of crunch to them.

If I had to offer one criticism, it would be that there wasn’t quite enough gravy, which meant that the last of the vegetables to meet my mouth were a tad on the dry side.

My mum opted for the large fish and chips, priced at £9.99. She’s never been one to complain about food, but she did say that the chips weren’t quite hot enough, as if they had been cooked in a big batch earlier on and left in the fryer. Aside from that, she said the fish was absolutely delicious, as were the mushy peas.

My dad, after much deliberation (that’s where I get my indecisiveness from, maybe, or possibly it isn’t, who knows) went for the 8oz rump steak, priced at £11.79. He didn’t say much as he devoured his slice of meat like a famished caveman, but offered up a “that was brilliant” once it was finished. High praise indeed for the meat, but he too mentioned that his chips weren’t quite hot enough. It was odd hearing my mum and dad agree on something.

I had the triple chocolate pudding for dessert, which added £4.99 to the bill, and was worth every penny. My parents both had a coffee which they had no complaints with, which was encouraging considering their ‘connoisseur' status when it comes to the stuff.

All in all, with three main courses, three and a half pints of lager, a pudding and two cups of coffee, the bill came to £54. Not bad at all, even for the most 'frugal' of sons.

The food certainly wasn’t the best I’ve ever had, but combined with the overall ambience and the reasonable pricing, we would certainly recommend The Woolpack Inn to anyone looking for an evening out.

Address: Warminster Rd, Bath, Somerset BA11 6SP
Number: 01373 831244
Parking: Small car park at the rear of the pub and limited parking on the road outside

Food: 7/10
Choice: 7/10
Décor: 8/10
Customer service: 7/10 ​
Trip Advisor rating: 4/5