SUNDAY lunch at the Widdrington Arms is a bit of a phenomenon by all accounts.

I had heard it was so popular that queues formed at peak times.

Despite believing it to be folklore, we turned up early, at 12.15pm, on a miserable Sunday in November, not exactly the height of the tourism season.

The signs were not good as we pulled into a packed car park with barely a space to be had.

Once inside, those stories of a pub full of happy diners suddenly rang true. Even at such an early hour there were parties on their desserts. Serving, according to a board at the entrance, had started at 11.30pm (last orders were at 3pm).

We tried to get a table but were put on a waiting list until one became available.

It took about 20 minutes but the bar was laden with hot sausages and other nibbles to keep us going – a nice touch!

Plus, of course, there were the drinks which made the wait more palatable.

The delay gave us time to study the menu. Apart from the liberal sprinkling of apostrophes on every other plural (chip's but not beans, Sunday roast's but not vegetables, main course's but not turkey dinosaurs, and then kid's meal's), it made remarkable reading.

The variety was extraordinary for a Sunday lunch-time and the prices extremely generous. Starters ranged from £2.25 (home-made soup with warm, white baguette and butter) to £3.70 (Oriental king prawn rolls served with a sweet chilli dip).

Sunday roasts (beef, lamb, chicken, vegetable sausage or vegetable burger) were £5.20 or £4.20 for small portions and other dishes, including home-made steak pie or battered cod, were £5.95 or £4.95 for small portions. Kids' meals were £3.10 or £3.20 and sweets (the likes of spotted dick, sticky toffee pudding and chocolate fudge cake) were £2.75. Local Morwick ice cream sundaes were £3.50.

An array of basket meals (£4.10 or £4) and freshly-made baguettes (£3.20 to £3.90) completed an Olympic line-up.

None of it sounded like posh nosh but at prices like these you couldn't expect haute cuisine. Hence, the children's menu included turkey dinosaurs, golden whales, vegetable teddies, sausages and burgers, not the choice of a health-conscious parent.

Nevertheless, with prices like these, we felt compelled to dive straight into the starters and after we were shown to our table we decided to share chicken goujons (£3.25) and the king prawn rolls between the four of us.

The food arrived promptly but our suspicions were realised with the quality of both dishes. They were both straight out of a frozen packet and the goujons were filled with something more akin to a paste than solid chicken meat.

The accompanying salads were vibrant and fresh, with a colourful collection of lettuce, red and yellow peppers, tomatoes, cress, red onion, cucumber and zingy dressing making up for the sloppy main attractions.

My wife's relentless quest to find the best lasagne in north Northumberland predictably continued at the Widdrington. Sunday or not, she was determined to sample the home-made dish on this latest outing.

I went for the more traditional roast lamb with Yorkshire pudding and the boys had chicken breast and burger, both with chips, in a basket.

Once more the service was like lightening. Our two, wriggling companions barely had chance to get up our noses before they were faced with their chosen meals and a mountain of chips.

My lamb was predictably cooked into submission and tastelessness, but there was plenty of it.

The veg had seen better times but there was plenty of it - one roast tatty, carrot slicesm brocolli, peas, mashed swede and boiled potatoes.

The Campaign for Real Gravy would have had a field day with the granules-inspired coating.

There was nothing inedible, but it had all the hallmarks of mass-produced fodder.

For the price I couldn't really complain - it was cheap and very cheerful.

Verdict on the lasange: Nice but lacked tomato sauce - a ood effort. The salad was again splendid and copious.

Our bellies were full to overflowing, sadly, leaving no room for sweets.

We had fed four people for just £26.20 - you can't argue with that. The drinks, including a Marsden Pedigree for me, the ubiquitous Guiness for my wife and soft drinks for the boys, came to £7.05.

We needn't have worried about the noise factor - the place was buzzing with families, kids and general hubbub. The Widdrington is like a large Beefeater or a Wetherspoons, open, lively, warm and friendly.

It will not win prizes for its gourmet quality, but there were plenty of people who were simply happy to get a decent nosebag.

STAR RATINGS (out of five)
Quality of food 2.5
Choice 4
Vegetarian choice 3
Value for money 5
Atmosphere 4
Service 3.5
Children catered for 4
Disabled access 3
Disabled toilet Yes
Overall experience 3.5
Verdict: Great for families on a tight budget. Plenty to eat at excellent prices. Not the best quality food.

Contact details: Widdrington Inn, Widdrington, Northumberland NE61 5DY. Tel: 01670 760260