THEY often say you eat with your eyes, and if that is the case The White Horse at Thruxton has it cracked.

I don’t think I have seen a Sunday lunch as well presented.

This thatched pub, located just off the A303 about four miles outside Andover, is a feast for the eyes even before the food arrives – tidy and pretty with a particularly airy and attractive restaurant area.

Those who measure over 6ft should beware in the bar however, as headroom here harks back to times past when folk were a few inches shorter than today!

Looking down the list of food on offer on this particular Sunday my expectations were raised the instant I read that locally produced Greenfield Pork was one of the dishes of the day.

I reasoned that if a pub is bothered enough to make sure it sources local produce it more likely than not would take care in cooking it and the other items.

I was not disappointed and my reasoning was confirmed.

When the food arrived it looked almost too good to eat.

The pork was, as expected, beautifully cooked, tender and flavoursome with just about the right amount of crackling.

My partner enjoyed her roast beef and Yorkshire pudding almost as much as I did the pork.

As well as the meat the root vegetables were highlights along with the cauliflower cheese served in a separate pot.

Perhaps the only disappointing thing was the roast potatoes. Not bad but just a little short of the high standard set by the rest of the edible ensemble. Maybe they could have been a little hotter.

One of my regular gripes is that beer is served too cold in many establishments, but here it was pretty well the right temperature so my Greene King IPA slipped down very well.

Service here was polite and prompt and I thought the idea of offering two sizes of lunch was a good one. After all not everyone is blessed with a large appetite.

But we both had the larger option at £14.50 each so this isn’t the cheapest Sunday lunch around. But if you take account of the presentation, surroundings, quality and provenance of the food and the service it is money well spent – just get a little more heat into the spuds.

Steve Dancey