YOU can't beat a bit of nostalgia – it brings back such happy memories!

I was whisked back 30-odd years, when I saw the lunch menu at Topsey Turveys Restaurant in the centre of Warkworth.

One of the last home-made steak and kidney puddings I'd had was the one my grandmother used to make when I was a lad.

My sister was never fond of kidney, so she was treated to her favourite – shepherd's pie – that's what grandmas are for.

But I had a plate piled higher than me with suet pudding and meat that had been cooked the night before and left to stand to tenderise and infuse the gravy with a most wonderful flavour. We all prepared the vegetables, after picking them from the modest garden – it was part of the fun.
We didn't know it then but our bellies were filled with a healthy mix of organic, non-GM foods – buzzwords of a future era.

So when I spied homemade steak and kidney pudding among the choices my head was sent in a spin of delightful recollections.

Topsey Turveys is attractive from the street for a different reason – a chiller unit crammed with deliciously-naughty desserts, all creamy and homemade. They dare you to walk past.
Judging by the popularity of the place on Sunday, few could resist.
We had decided to book to avoid disappointment but could not get a table until 3.30pm.

It was a modern version of the Old Curiosity Shop, although maybe 'modern' is stretching it a bit.
There was a cornucopia of prints, paintings, framed Newcastle United cigarette cards, a Magpies shirt and knick-knacks aplenty. A sideboard was adorned with an eclectic mix of items for sale – tumblers, a dipping set, a Pink Lady jacket. The whole place was like a large tombola stall.
Plastic flowers graced the bright yellow and orange plastic tablecloths. Tables were crammed in – it was cosy, quaint and homely, with some appropriately soothing music playing.

No sooner had the children sat down than they were presented with a basket of Play-Doh (hence the plastic tablecloths – clever!) and egg containing a fruity surprise. They felt immediately at ease.
Three roast dinners were available – beef with Yorkshire pudding (£8.95), pork with stuffing (£7.95) or lamb with mint sauce (£7.95) – but with a full menu, overflowing to a specials sheet, from which to choose, we decided to have a change.

We all started with leek and potato soup (£3, children's portion £2). It came with a hot, crusty roll and butter.

The soup was very good – tasty without being overpoweringly peppery for the children.
All bowls were licked clean!

Other starters included celery and Stilton soup (£3.25); melon (£3); prawn cocktail (£4.75); local crab (£4.75); garlic mushrooms (£4.75); spinach and salmon roulade with salad (£4.75).
My steak and pudding landed with a familiar, unmistakeable and delicious aroma. I was instantly transported back decades. My grandma made the best pudding in the world, of course, but I have to say this came a very close second – some accolade. It was agreeably stodgy and packed with meat.
The steak and gravy that didn't fit inside the pudding was spread over the rest of the plate – I couldn't have asked for more.

The vegetables (carrots, swede, mash, boiled potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower) too were plentiful and nicely-cooked, although left just a little too long in heat to dry out a touch.
It was a meal fit for someone with a colossal appetite!

My wife's quest to find the top lasagne in north Northumberland almost reached a conclusion on Sunday. She chose her favourite dish and was bowled over by the whole experience.

The lasagne and salad (£7.95; plus £2 for a portion of chips) was equally homely and filling. It had just the right balance of meat and cheese, and was just what the doctor ordered after a heavy Saturday night (if you see what I mean!). The salad was an interesting mix of bright peppers, fresh tomatoes, lettuce and onions.

She would have ended her search there and then but felt it rude not to try absolutely every lasagne in the land (excuses, excuses).

The children both had small portions of the roast beef. They enjoyed their meals but were not convinced the meat had been freshly carved from a joint and their gravy was of the instant variety.
We could also have chosen a whole range of dishes, including chicken cooked in apricot and ginger (£8.95); poached salmon with seafood sauce (£10.50); garlic prawns and salad (£10.95); scampi, salad and chips (£8.95); or an array of salads (eg crab and prawn salad for £10.95).
Vegetarians could have vegetable lasagne (£7.95); mushroom stroganoff (£7.95) or quiche and salad (£7.95) – not the most imaginative nor extensive.

Another menu of snacks gave an excellent choice of sandwiches, jacket potatoes and toasted sandwiches. An extensive wine list was also available, with prices ranging from £11 for the house red or white to £16 for the Wolf Blass Australian cabernet sauvignon.

By this point, we were truly full to the brim and the one thing that had attracted us in – those tempting cakes, pies, puddings, cheesecake, crumble and assorted sweets – was going to have to wait for another day.

We had enjoyed our visit and pledged to return to sample the evening fare.
Our bill came to just over £47 with drinks (four soft and one glass of wine) – average for a family of four.

STAR RATINGS (out of five)
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Vegetarian choice * * *
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Disabled access * * *
Disabled toilet NO
Overall expeience * * * *

VERDICT: Quaint and truely scrumptious