MOTORISTS hurtling along the M4, stopping at the services to fill up with fast food and sandwiches are missing out on a tasty hidden gem of an eatery not five minutes’ drive from the Newbury junction.

The White Horse at Hermitage is a village pub just a couple of stops along the motorway from Swindon.

Taken over last year by a young couple, Graham Marrs and partner Paulina Alwin, it has undergone something of a renaissance. It has started tasting menu events, a Pie Society slot on Thursdays and Sunday roasts.

It was a Wednesday night when we decided to drop in. The pub was quiet although there were diners dotted around. Our Labrador, a seasoned pub visitor, was with us and as we enjoyed our aperitifs he was offered a bowl of water in case he felt too warm, which was a kind gesture.

Unlike some places, the menu changes here with the seasons and the head chef is encouraged to be creative, drawing on experience gained in the kitchens of one of the country’s celebrity chefs.

On the dinner menu my other half opted for beef and pork meatballs in a tomato and garlic reduction with some crusty bread. I chose breaded brie wedges with beef tomato and balsamic glaze.

They arrived promptly and we tucked in. The little meatballs, presented in a bowl, were deliciously fresh and herby-tasting with a good texture and there was just enough bread to wipe up the last of the sauce.

I made short work of the brie. As a cheese-aholic it was a natural choice for me and I wasn’t disappointed. Breaded and fried, it was properly crispy and broke open to reveal the melted cheese. My only criticism would be that the beef tomato bed on which the slices sat, was a little bit lost and didn’t really add much to the dish.

One of my husband’s perennial favourites is fish and chips. He’s eaten enough in his time to know that although it looks simple, cooking great fish and chips is something of an art.

So when his main arrived one of the first things he did was to check the batter. It was light and crispy, perhaps not quite as crispy as he prefers, but the fish inside broke into thick, moist flakes.

The chips were thick cut with a crisp coat and instead of mushy peas there was a dollop of crushed peas. He thoroughly enjoyed it and thought the peas made a nice change.

I’d been tempted by the cauliflower and truffle gnocchi with parmesan tuile and the winter solstice salad with goats cheese, roasted butternut squash, pomegranate, cranberries and a honey-lime poppy seed dressing sounded divine.

But I eventually decided on a burger with smoked bacon, onion chutney and smoked cheddar accompanied by coleslaw and fries.

Now I dislike the sloppy processed coleslaw you get in supermarkets, where a few bits of cabbage are drowned with vinegary mayonnaise and I enjoy making my own versions when we get round to barbecue season, so I’m quite fussy about it.

This coleslaw was packed with flavour. Finely sliced crunchy vegetables in a little bit of honey and mustard dressing made it more than just an afterthought.

The burger itself was juicy, full of taste and rather filling, which proved a bonus for the dog who was very happy to finish the fries for me.

Ordinarily we probably would have stopped there, but purely in the interests of research for the review, we ordered dessert.

It was while we were waiting for it that we discovered the dog, bored with waiting for the occasional chip, had surreptitiously removed the paper napkins from our laps and shredded them underneath the table.

Two desserts arrived shortly afterwards – a positively dreamy lemon posset and a sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream. Both disappeared in fairly short order even though we had though we were full. The pudding was rich and the sauce sweet. The vanilla provided the perfect foil, while the posset, which was accompanied by lemon-flavoured shortbread, was a delight.

We paid about £80 in total, but that included aperitifs, a glass of wine and a couple of brandies and I’ve no doubt that we’ll be back.

The White Horse is family friendly, with a pleasant garden at the rear and a children’s play area. It also welcomes well behaved dogs.

It has lunch and dinner menus and the bill of fare also includes children's dishes and a pizza menu.