It was once quite a common occurrence for the bars of public houses to be well stocked with little nibbles on a Sunday lunchtime.
But alas, this custom seems to be another little touch that is fast disappearing from our boozers.
Cheese, pickled onions, crisps, black pudding, and quite often chips could be found in little bowls to whet the appetite of thirsty customers as they waited for their pint.
However, I am pleased to report that on the Eats's trip out at the weekend we found a little haven that is still proudly maintaining the tradition.
The Coach Inn is in the picturesque village of Lesbury, near Alnwick in Northumberland.
We have sampled the scran here before, a few years ago now, but word reached us that it is under new management so She Who Must Be Fed decided we ought to check up on the quality of the scran.
She thought we had made a good choice as soon as she saw the bar laden with nibbles, but she did not take up the offer, preferring instead to save all her energies for the main task ahead.
The Coach was very busy, with a host of regulars in the bar who were taking the opportunity to have a quick snack.
We asked if there was a table available and were ushered through to the restaurant area where the waitress showed us to our seats. She then returned with a menu and took our drinks order.
I went for a pint of Guinness and Mrs Eats opted for a lime and soda as she was driving on the return leg.
I had made up my mind to have a starter and was tempted by several things on the menu, including the prawn cocktail and the melon, but eventually I went for the winter vegetable and herb soup served with crusty bread for £3.60.
It duly arrived and looked and smelled delicious. My dish was accompanied by three slices of crusty bread. The soup itself was piping hot, just the thing to warm you up on a winter's day, and was extremely tasty.
So far so good. She Who Must Be Fed skipped a starter and was looking forward to her main course of a mini roast of lamb, while I went for the Northumbria roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. The Coach only serves roasts on a Sunday lunchtime, although there are vegetarian alternatives available.
Our plates arrived, mine covered in thick slices of beef, while Mrs Eats was licking her lips when she saw her joint of lamb, which was so tender it fell apart at the touch.
Both plates were covered in a tasty gravy, but the waitress also brought a spare gravy boat so we could top up if required.
Our lunch was served with roast and boiled potatoes and accompanied by a dish containing broccoli, cauliflower, peas, and turnip and carrots mashed together. Our roasts certainly looked good value at £7.95.
The meat was beautiful and the vegetables were just the right texture. They hit the spot, not too hard and not mushy, just right, in fact.
The extra gravy came in handy but we could not plough through the generous portion of vegetables provided no matter how good they tasted.
While the missus was deciding on her next course, I took the opportunity to sample another pint of the fine Guinness. Eventually Mrs Eats plumped for the homemade lime mousse, which was served with fresh raspberries, raspberry coulis and cream, all for £3.60.
When it arrived, it really looked a picture, as did her face. Again, the course got the thumbs-up.
It seems that the standard of scran in the region is on the up at the moment, certainly at The Coach, together with the last few pubs we have encountered.
The only thing I would fault about The Coach is that our table was a little too small once it had to house our plates, the vegetable dish, our glasses and that extra gravy boat!
To get to The Coach Inn head for Alnwick and then take the A1068 for Warkworth and Alnmouth. Continue along this road until you come to a roundabout in front of a rather spectacular modern bridge. Take a left at the roundabout and the Coach is on your left in the centre of the village of Lesbury.
