IT HAD obviously been a good meal.

All that remained of four main courses was the forlornly naked bone of an especially tasty lamb joint.

Not exactly fair of the three meat-eaters among us to have a discussion about which joint my partner had just devoured, but it was interesting from a 'food fashion' point of view.

First there was the Lamb Henry, shoulder chop; Lamb Shanks (leg) still hold court in many quarters (pardon the pun).

The Brown Horse at Winster offers Lamb Henry's big brother, a one-and-a-half pound (before cooking) blade end shoulder joint.

Not that The Brown Horse is setting a new trend.

According to our companions for the evening, the menu didn't seem to have changed much since their last visit a couple of years ago - half a dozen starters featuring such old favourites as Prawn Platter (£4.25) and Chicken Liver Pate (£3.25); nine main courses including Steak and Ale Pie (£5.95) and breaded Fillet of Lemon Sole (£7.95); and a selection of sweets including Sticky Toffee Pudding (£3.25) and Home-Made Lemon Tart (£3.45).

For something more up to the minute, diners can refer to the innovative daily specials, of which there were several - on our visit the board featured Porbeagle shark steak and pan-fried duckling.

When I came to the Lake District 14 years ago, The Brown Horse was one of the most popular eateries on the restaurant scene.

Chefs have come and gone, and their reputations with them.

I may be wrong but it seems to me that The Brown Horse has perhaps decided to settle down with a menu which may not be as big as some, but has a more than adequate choice, nonetheless.

And what The Brown Horse does, it does well.

The dishes are familiar but familiarity has not bred contempt.

Each is cooked and presented with care and attention.

You might think that no-one could mess up a Prawn Platter; but I have sampled many regrettable efforts over the years.

The Brown Horse platter looked delicious (I intend to nick the lemon garnish idea) and tasted as good as it looked.

The remainder of our meal was in similar vein - piping hot plates, perfectly cooked vegetables, and lip-smacking sauces; for example, the raspberry and redcurrant brandy sauce with my duckling (£ 8.25) was a marriage made in heaven.

My friend, the vegetarian, eats like a bird and had already forewarned us that she probably wouldn't be able to manage all her Ricotta and Spinach Cannelloni (£5.50).

She finished the lot because the pasta was light as a feather (good for someone who eats like a bird), and the tasty tomato sauce accompanied rather than drowned the cannelloni.

Her husband's steak and ale pie was "very tasty" and "extremely good value for money," which nicely sums up our evening at The Brown Horse.

Like all memorable occasions, it was a combination of many ingredients.

The company had been exceptional, of course; the service was excellent; the food lived up to its promise on the plate; and the surroundings were suitably convivial.

We came away feeling very comfortable with the world; not a bad way to start a new year.