Andy Warren gets a sweet treat he really hadn’t bargained for on an impromptu visit to The Plough.

The Plough Inn

Marlborough Road, Badbury, nr Chiseldon SN4 0EP

Tel no and website Telephone: 01793 740342 or go to www.ploughbadbury.co.uk

IF you like big portions, then the Plough at Badbury could well be the place for you.

I have driven past the lofty venue, which overlooks junction 15 of the M4, many times but I can honestly say it’s not a place I’ve ever thought of going to for dinner.

But after a long Sunday walking in the countryside, my wife and I didn’t fancy cooking and opted to pop in.

Despite its position close to the motorway, The Plough is a million miles away from being a place for hungry truckers to stop to inhale some grease, with all the feel of a country pub both in the well-decorated and warm interior and the surprisingly quiet garden.

The Plough’s stance on food was evident as soon as we looked at the menu, which covered several blackboards and hosted cuisine from almost every country you could think of.

With that in mind I opted for a starter which best encapsulates the county of Wiltshire and the wildlife which roams its countryside… the kangaroo taster (£5.95).

I’d never tried kangaroo before and felt it my duty to give it a go. The grilled strips I received were beautifully cooked and served with a side salad and a spicy barbecue sauce which was a great accompaniment. For anyone wondering, kangaroo pretty much tastes like steak.

My wife opted for the devilled whitebait, which is always a winner in our house, and what arrived was a fisherman’s catch constituting close to 50 fish. They were crisp, flavoursome and moreish, but even with a little help from me we couldn’t (and felt we probably shouldn’t) finish the plateful.

It was just as well as the attentive and friendly staff had quickly cleared our plates and our mains were on their way.

I plumped for the chilli (£10.95), mainly because it claimed to be the ‘chef’s special recipe’ and came served with rice, nachos, salsa and sour cream. What arrived was another hearty plate packed with meat (which is unusual for a pub chilli), and full of flavour, which made up for the ever so slightly watery rice.

However, the most memorable aspect of the dish was without a doubt the sour cream. I like my spicy food so don’t usually try and cool it down with the white stuff, but I felt I should give it a try.

Upon my first dip I discovered a strong taste of ginger. It turned out that rather than being given sour cream, I was accidently served a portion of the crème brulee from the dessert menu. Strangely, it actually worked really well, so decided not to raise it with the staff and finished the small pot I was provided with.

My wife’s main was tempura battered goats cheese with new potatoes and a salad (£10.95) and she was given an enormous bowl of greens topped with two crispy cheese discs which were light and full of flavour. Again, though, the mains provided too much of a challenge, as we needed to save room for dessert.

Given our as-yet-unconfirmed suspicions that I had already inadvertently tried it, Mrs Warren decided she should taste the crème brulee (£4.95) for dessert, and her pear and ginger version was smooth and delicious and a great way to finish the meal.

I opted for the Malteaser cheesecake, also £4.95, which was as rich and creamy as you would expect and ensured I was stuffed to the extent I was almost unable to drive home.

With drinks our meal came to around £40, which was excellent value considering the amount of food we had at a place we may well visit again.