AFTER spending the day moving house, cooking a meal was never going to be on the cards.

After all, every spoon and saucepan I own was scattered among various boxes, which in turn were strewn across my new living room floor.

So my girlfriend’s suggestion of a trip out of the city to grab a bite to eat was a welcome one.

We plumped for Beekies Neuk, a homely family-run pub in Newmachar. After settling into our cosy booth, our starters were quick to arrive.

My nachos (£5.45) would have been pretty standard fare, but were lifted by the tasty chilli heaped on top and the surprisingly fresh and delicious side salad, with peppers and red onion nestling among the usual lettuce and tomato.

My girlfriend’s Beekies pate (£5.25) came with the same salad and the perfect amount of toast to go with the creamy chicken liver dish.

No sooner had our empty plates disappeared into the kitchen than our mains arrived – everyone appreciates quick service, but we could have maybe done with a wee break!

Not to worry – I would have been delighted to eat these beef olives (£9.65) any time. Plump and juicy, the meat was stuffed to bursting point with oatmeal and came with three gigantic roast potatoes and veg.

My better half was equally chuffed with her cajun salmon (£10.25) with boiled potatoes – although she struggled to finish the huge fillet.