Mains of Balquharn: Badentoy Road, Portlethen

I HAD two options, I could join the hunter-gatherers roaming the supermarket aisles in search of food or head to the pub for some tasty grub. The choice was simple. The pub.

So me and Hubby headed to the Mains of Balquharn, which offered a welcome, cosy retreat from the blustery autumn weather.

Scanning the pub’s menu, Hubby’s eye was drawn to his favourite – chicken liver pate (£3.49). The two slabs of pate were meaty and flavoursome.

I opted for the breaded mushrooms (£2.99), which were covered in a crunchy coating and packed a punch of garlic.

The interlude before our mains arrived was soon forgotten as Hubby wolfed down his huge beef and ale pie (£6.99) and I tucked into slow-roasted lamb shank (£8.99). The pie was packed full of chunky beef with rich ale gravy, accompanied by crisp, fluffy chips and vegetables.

My lamb shank was cooked to perfection, the tasty meat flaking off the bone.

But the dish was let down by the dry mashed potato – a bit more gravy wouldn’t have gone amiss. The huge portions left us too full for dessert – even if the chocolate brownie sundae was tempting.