We arrived shortly after it had started serving Sunday lunch at noon, although we had planned to beat the rush by leaving home earlier.

Best laid plans ... and all that!

As it happened the main function room, which houses a carvery every week, was relatively empty.

The Granary is next to Amble Links Caravan Park, from where many of its customers will come in search of a decent meal at bargain prices.

From the evidence of Sunday, they wouldn't be disappointed, although it was not just holidaymakers eating their fill in the 'karaoke canteen' surroundings. Locals, young and old were also enjoying a feast.

In one corner of the huge room was a beach scene created for the more customary disco and cabaret entertainment put on for the visitors.

But on this early Sunday afternoon it was eerily quiet, almost relaxing.

We queued to buy drinks at the bar and pay for our carvery meals. It was pretty simple and cheap – £5.95 for adults and £3.95 for children, with the only rule being eat as much as you can. No starters or desserts to complicate matters!

Then we joined another queue to charge our plates at the carvery counter.

Was the 30 minutes of standing in line with hungry, fractious youngsters worth it?

I feared the worse, but was more than pleasantly surprised when our turn came.

We were greeted by the friendliest person we have encountered on this journey round the gastronomic establishments of north Northumberland.

She apologised profusely as we had arrived just as the joints of meat – pork, Turkey and beef – were being replaced. We were even given the scraps left over from the departing, demolished cuts wrapped in foil for our dog after an off-the-cuff remark. (Thank you – DeeDee took great pleasure in polishing it off for her tea!)

We requested three pork meals and one beef. It was reassuring seeing the meat carved before our eyes and not plucked from a pre-sliced packet somewhere.

The meat was piled high on all our plates, whether child's or adult's portion. Vegetables were self-service. We arrived just as a fresh batch of roast potatoes landed – they were spot on!

The remaining vegetables were a mixture of hit and miss, but given the price we couldn't complain.

The mashed potato was pretty lumpy and the carrots cooked from frozen, but the broccoli was good and the Yorkshire puddings were great. I had the same issue with beef gravy and white meat as I have encountered elsewhere, but at least the gravy was tasty and full of meat juices. Sauces and stuffing were also available.

Overall, the quality of food was good – the children certainly devoured theirs without much trouble at all.

It was a pretty satisfying and unpretentious – it was never going to be fine dining! So for £19.80 we were all heartily fed and for another £6.40 on drinks (including a pint of John Smiths and a pint of Guinness) suitably watered as well.

It may have been only one course but two days after eating it I was still full!