IT MAY be some 30 years since I last ate a school dinner, but I can still remember some of the culinary catastrophes dished up at my junior school in Ilkley.

Particularly the exceptionally pongy fish they seemed to inflict on us every Friday lunchtime.

So was a visit to a pub called the School House Inn such a good idea? Would it take me back to my childhood in a most unwelcome way?

No, most definitely not. This may have once been a village school - or more likely the headmaster's house - but the food my wife and I enjoyed during our visit was light years away from the fare that local children probably once scoffed.

Situated down a single track lane in the quiet country village of Low Marishes, just off the Malton-Pickering road, the imposing white building has only just been taken over by a young couple, Sarah and Matthew Richardson, but they already seem to have found their feet.

It probably helps that she is an experienced hotel manager while he is a trained chef, who used to run not one but two restaurants in West Yorkshire.

Sarah was a positive bundle of energy, welcoming us from behind the bar with a smile before zipping back and forth from the kitchens throughout the evening - all this despite being a fair number of months pregnant.

The couple said in June they wanted to cater for both locals and diners from further away.

There were certainly plenty of people dining when we arrived, even though it was only a Tuesday evening - albeit a sunny one. Some were seated in a conservatory overlooking the large, lawned beer garden, but we were given a table just inside the restaurant - overlooked by a lugubrious black fish in an aquarium.

There were some former church pews serving as seats, but we just had standard wooden ones which would, it has to be said, be more comfortable if fitted with cushions.

The menu did not offer a vast range of options, but there was enough choice to leave us with a couple of interesting dilemmas, and we eventually agreed to sample each other's dishes throughout all courses.

The starters ranged in price from £3.95 to £5.95. My wife gave very serious consideration to poached Scottish salmon flakes with fresh asparagus salad, for £5.95, before going instead for soup of the day att £3.95, while I opted for chicken and bacon salad, with wholegrain mustard dressing for £5.50.

The vegetable soup, served with a warmed wholemeal roll, was tasty enough, but it was my dish that sent me into raptures: crisp segments of bacon combined nicely with strips of tender chicken breast and a delicious creamy sauce, accompanied by fresh salad leaves.

I liked it so much that I even threatened to attempt it the next time people come to our house for a meal.

The mains seemed good value, starting at just £6.95 for the veggie option, a penne pasta dish, and most coming in at less than £10.

Having rejected salmon for starters, my wife went for it this time round, choosing Scottish pan-seared salmon, with "wilted" spinach and sautéed new potatoes, served with a light, white wine sauce for £8.40. I opted for a 7oz rump steak with grilled tomato, sautéed mushrooms, salad and chips for £8.95.

The steak was lovely, tasty and tender, easy to slice a knife through and free of any of that annoying gristle.

But my wife's dish probably had the edge this time round, particularly the mouthwatering sauce which I kept nicking to give my own food some extra flavour.

The salmon was good, although I was put off by the three bones which I found in the small portion I had sampled.

Before pudding, we checked the loos and found them smart and spotless, and the ladies even featured orchids, reported my impressed wife.

The choice was a little limited when it came to the puddings. I fancied raspberry creme brulée with a summer berry compote for £4.25, but this had sadly sold out. From the few remaining options, I chose ice-cream in three flavours, chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, topped by a single strawberry: an acceptable if rather uninspiring end to a generally excellent meal.

It was home time - once we had paid the £34.45 bill, which we thought represented pretty good value for a school dinner of the standard we had enjoyed.

Mike visited the School House Inn on Tuesday July 31, 2007.

The School House Inn, Low Marishes, Malton. Phone: 01653 668247.

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Food: DeliciousService: FriendlyValue: GoodAmbience: RelaxedDisabled access: YES