Old Mill Inn: South Deeside Road, Maryculter

I WAS always told by Ma Groundwater to do what she told me to.

So when she recommended a meal at the Old Mill Inn, it would have been rude of me not to follow the old bird’s advice.

My mate opted for the traditional hearty winter meal of Scotch broth (£3.60) and roast of the day (beef).

His broth had that lovely thick look to it, and the “oohs” and “aahs” coming from the opposite side of the table confirmed my suspicions that it was going down a treat.

I went for the black pudding parcel (£4.90) with caramelised apple in filo pastry – a lovely twist on an old favourite.

But what made the dish even nicer was the accompanying cream and Calvados sauce which was nice and sweet and complemented the tender black pudding well.

Cal’s roast beef (£9.90) looked just as nice as his broth. Surrounded by veg, roast potatoes, gravy and Yorkshire puddings, it was a real feast.

The beef looked lush in the short time it was on his plate.

Not to be outdone in the “old favourites” stakes, I went for the delicious sounding steak and Guinness pie (£8.50).

The plate was piled with massive chunks of meat, the veg taking up what room there was left. While normally not a fan of puff pastry, the flaky topping this time around went down a treat – just like Ma Groundwater had promised.

Don’t you just hate it when they’re right?