THE FOX and Hounds at Bursledon has been providing excellent food for years - and its standards are still as high as ever.

Nestled at the bottom of a hill, everything about this pub is big, big, big.

It has plenty of parking and, inside, there are lots of tables arranged in a series of spacious bars.

The dcor is simple and cosy and the barn boasts what must be the biggest pair of bellows this side of Chichester.

But the secret of the pub's success is the way it offers such a huge range of dishes on its menu.

These range from old favourites - such as beef and Theakston pie - to an excellent choice of daily specials.

Many restaurants fall down by giving diners a selection of soggy carrots chucked onto the plate to go with their main dish.

Not at the Fox and Hounds, where they are beautifully cooked, and distinctly tasty.

I plumped for fish pie, which was moist, succulent and packed with prawns.

My companions Kate and Jayne both went for bream, which had been drizzled with basil olive oil and then grilled.

With the food we glugged wine from their superb range after knowledgeable staff directed us to the grape of our choice.

Then, full but not yet in any discomfort, we ordered a selection of puddings and all five of us dived in, sampling tiramisu, hot chocolate pudding (with chocolate sauce, of course) and banana toffee crumble (with ice cream).

The Fox and Hounds at Bursledon does not take table bookings but can be contacted on 023 8040 7583.