WHEN you make the effort to drive to somewhere out in the sticks, you really hope it will be worth it.

My partner and I chose the Fat Goose on the Saturday evening of Valentine’s weekend and with recommendations from friends, our expectations were high.

For starters, I opted for the chef’s special soup, carrot and coriander, while my other half went for the slow-braised pork cheek, with chorizo, butter bean broth and winter kale.

Both were served pretty promptly, as was the bottle of red we had ordered from the posh wine list.

The soup was tasty while not overwhelming. My boyfriend spoke highly of the tender meat in his dish.

We were spoilt for choice for the main menu, with a selection of hearty favourites, such as steak to a home-made rump burger and various fish dishes.

I chose a special – roasted sea bass served with a tomato salad and new potatoes.

My boyfriend went for the Dedham Vale sirloin steak, with tomatoes, mushrooms, onion rings and hand-cut chips, and he was more than satisfied with the generous portion.

For dessert, the chocolate fudge brownie served with ice cream was a very good choice for a chocolate lover.

My partner found room for the jam roly poly with custard, which was satisfactory but could have done with a touch more jam.

We really enjoyed our dinner out and, although the meal was a little on the pricey side, we would certainly go back for a special occasion.