Food review: Christmas Fayre at The Hatton Arms

In the run up to Christmas Day, the Hatton Arms is putting on a set menu aimed at larger parties or just those who want to treat themselves during the hustle and bustle of the festive period.

We tasted some of the dishes on the Christmas Fayre menu a few days after its launch and experienced the countryside pub's cosy and warm atmosphere on what was a very cold Saturday night last weekend.

The menu, which will be available up to and including Christmas Eve (Friday December 24),has a two-course option for £23.95 per person available from noon to 5pm (Monday to Saturday) or a three course option for £28.95 per person available all day.

It's safe to say that either of the options are good value - the food is very tasty and the main meals hearty.

What's more, most of the dishes offer a nice twist on traditional Christmas dishes - it's Christmas dinner early but without really jumping the gun before the main day.

For our starters, we had the Pheasant and Chestnut Terrine with Plum Chutney and the Brixham Crab & Prawn Cocktail with Avocado, Gem Lettuce and Sourdough Croute.

Game birds, chestnuts and chutney are all synonymous with Christmases of a bygone era and the combination of the three spread on slices of toasted bread made for a delightful way to start the meal.

Meanwhile, the crab and prawn cocktail served inside the lettuce, was an interesting and surprising adaptation on a dish which many can knock together in its basic form but few can get quite so right as this was.

The Breaded Turkey Escalope with Chipolatas, Crispy Bacon, Sage & Chestnut Butter and Roasted Potatoes I chose for my main was a hefty and filling dish.

The turkey escalope, combined with the butter had the right amount of succulence and crispiness.

The Apricot Stuffed Pork Loin with Crackling, Roasted Potatoes and Gravy was a lovely juicy combination.

All mains are served with a generous helping of seasonal vegetables including cabbage, leeks and sprouts.

For our desserts, we had a slice of Christmas Pudding with Brandy Sauce and a Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream.

It's never too early for Christmas Pudding - it's served up as a slice and drenched in the sweet warm sauce you probably won't get a nicer version of the traditional dish this year.

The brownie was rich and and cooked just right to give it the correct amount of lovely gooey softness and solidity.

On Christmas Day the Hatton Arms is offering a more high-end three-course menu on Christmas Day and we're sure it will be wonderful.

But, honestly, the pub would not go wrong if it were to continue this Christmas Fayre offering right through until the new year.

For more information visit hattonarms.com