The Masham, Hartburn, Stockton

Aug 30 2009 by Eddy Eats, Sunday Sun

Being her usual nosy self, a notice on the wall attracted Mrs Eats’ attention.

She was not too discreet about it either, nodding her approval and digging me in the sides to give it a read too.

Refreshingly, the notice said that while staff acknowledged that children can be fidgety at the best of times, The Masham is not a Wacky Warehouse or a Charlie Chalk’s and for parents to keep their kiddies in check . . . a message that gets a definite thumbs up from us.

After already packing away a full English for brekkie, I decided it was best to forego a starter. Mrs Eats, on the other hand, reliably informed me that she could eat a horse, and so opted for the roasted mushroom soup (£4.25) to take the edge off her hearty appetite.

Being quite the soup connoisseur, Mrs Eats assured me that this dish was as fresh as they come – thick, creamy and accompanied by warm, crusty white bread, which she smothered with butter.

For our main course, we both went for the full Sunday roast at £8.95 each – me lamb, her beef. Our meat came on a plate with two small but freshly cooked Yorkshire puddings and lashings of gravy, which is important, as the enjoyment of our Sunday scran is often held up by Mrs Eats’ requests for more.

The vegetables and roasties came separately, leaving us to pile what we wanted onto our plates.

The carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, new potatoes and butternut squash still had some bite, just the way I like them. And the roasties were crunchy to the outside and fluffy on the inside. There were plenty of satisfied ‘mmmms’ coming from Mrs Eats’ direction as she tucked into her generous pile of beef. Succulent, tender and not cooked within an inch of its life, as is sometimes the case.

I was hesitant to go for the lamb, but it turned out to be the best choice I reckon - melt-in-the mouth moist, tasty and, most importantly, there was lots of it.

After our roasts it was little wonder there was not much room left for dessert. So this time we decided to pick up some treats from the corner shop on the way home and enjoy them in front of the TV later.

I polished off my second Stella of the day, and, with that in mind, decided it best to let Mrs Eats drive home.

After settling up a very reasonable bill of £28.85 we said our thanks and left behind this hidden gem, hopefully not for too long.

Telephone: 01642-645526
Food served: Noon till 3pm
Drinks: Pint of lager £3.45, pint of real ale £3.15, large glass of wine £4, gin and tonic £3.15, fresh orange £1.40.

Car park: Yes
Kids allowed: Yes
Real ale: Yes
Wine by the bottle: Yes
Credit cards: Yes
Vegetarian food: Yes
Disabled toilets: No