SOMETIMES you discover that it really isn't worth switching on your own oven, let alone going through the hassle of peeling veg, stirring batter mix and worrying whether the meat is going to be tender.

Sunday lunch can be an ordeal to prepare and cook, so when you find somewhere that serves decent food at, quite frankly, ridiculously cheap prices, why bother?

I must admit, if I lived in Broomhill, I'd be popping along to The Trap Inn for a regular Sunday nosebag.

At £4.95 for a roast dinner, it will take some beating for the cheapest around.

When prices are so low, you do wonder whether the quality will suffer, so it was with a certain trepidation that I took the family along at the weekend. We needn't have worried.

I couldn't describe the food as top-notch haute cuisine but it was certainly good pub grub and very generous portions.

The Trap, a family-run business, has fairly recently been refurbished, resulting in a clean, light and large pub restaurant with new fittings, comfortable furniture and a mix of wooden and slate flooring. It is fully accessible to wheelchairs via a ramp at the side and has a disabled toilet.

The large dining room at the rear was occupied by a large Christening party, so we found a table in the bar – there was plenty of room.
With our drinks ordered (a pint of Abbot Ale as the Directors was off, a pint of Guinness and two J2Os for £8.30) we perused the menu.

It seemed rude to refuse a three-course special price of just £9.99, although a two-course offer of soup and Sunday lunch was equally tempting at £6.99.

And it was not just the choice of roast beef, pork or lamb (served with vegetables, mashed and roast home-made Yorkshire puddings and gravy) on offer, there were five other main courses – homemade lasagne with chips, garlic bread and salad (£5.85); battered cod and chips with peas or salad (£5.80); whole-tail scampi with chips and peas or salad (£5.80); traditional Cumberland sausage with mash and vegetables (£5.65); or Aberdeen Angus beef burger topped with cheese and served with chips and salad (£4.99).

A vegetarian menu is available.

The children were made extremely welcome. Half-portions were available on all meals or there was a £2.99 dedicated menu of fish fingers, burger, chicken nuggets or dippers and meat balls with curly fries and beans or peas.

But first we had the choice of four starters – breaded garlic mushrooms with side salad and garlic dip (£3.65); pea and ham soup (£2.95); trio of melon balls (£2.50); or sweet and sour battered prawn balls.

A starter is an adult thing, so we ordered the mushrooms and prawn balls while letting the kids loose on the pool table and electronic jukebox. The lack of musical accompaniment was noticeable in such a cavernous room, but the landlady kindly popped a couple of pound in the jukebox and allowed the youngsters to choose – nice touch!

The starters had more than hint of frozen food about them but they were of decent enough quality and the splendid, crispy side salad compensated. Again, at those prices, there can be little argument.

Our main meals were soon with us, despite the staff being rushed off their feet with the bash at the back!

I had the lamb (just to be different to the others), the children both wanted roast beef and my wife predictably continued her lasagne trail.
The plates came ready-served with roughly mashed potato and swede, roasts that were more like basted boiled potatoes, carrots, peas, homemade Yorkshire puddings that were comfortable in their own stodginess and rich instant beef gravy.

The meat was very tender and tasty, resulting in a wholesome, filling spread.

The children were in the main won over and my wife liked the lasagne but said there was "something missing" but could not put her finger on it.

Desserts were all £2.99 and very traditional: Syrup sponge, lemon meringue cake, passion fruit freezer cake, sticky toffee pudding, chocolate sponge, apple crumble and hot chocolate fudge cake, with a choice of custard, cream or ice cream where appropriate.

We went for two chocolate sponges, fudge cake and apple crumble between us.

They were all pretty palatable, nothing fancy but a fitting finale. Judging by the chocolate-covered faces of the children, they enjoyed it!

Overall, The Trap offered a fair range of the homemade and the microwaved in the circumstances, in a genial atmosphere with accommodating hosts. We came away with smiles on our faces and only a meagre dent in our bank balance. The total bill for feeding a family of four with three and two course meals was just £31.86.

Sunday lunches are served from 11am until 3pm and tables can be booked on 01670 761672 or using text on 0750 8161600.

STAR RATINGS (out of five)
Quality of food 3
Choice 3.5
Vegetarian choice 3
Value for money 5
Atmosphere 3
Service 3.5
Children catered for 4
Disabled access 4
Disabled toilet Yes
Overall experience 3.5
Verdict: Cheap and very cheerful. Give it a go!

Contact details: The Trap Inn, Main Street, North Broomhill, Morpeth Northumberland NE65 9UT. Tel: 01670 761672