NEW owners have taken over this quaint little pub overlooking a lovely village cricket green in Herongate, and recently introduced a new menu.

I was particularly keen to give the venue another go and make sure the standards hadn’t slipped.

One thing that stands out about this place is the outstanding professionalism and politeness of the staff.

They really do enhance the cosy country pub appeal, always going out of their way to make you feel at home. Good old-fashioned principles.

The menu hasn’t changed massively, but the owner assured me all the delights were homemade as before.

A young, chirpy barman led us to our table which was in the restaurant area at the back of the pub. It is like an extended dining room, complete with fireplace.

A little complaint would be it was quite a chilly night and a lit fire would have been lovely.

For starters, the good-sized king prawns, four of them, came tightly wrapped in filo pastry accompanied with a very fresh and varied salad, plus a mini bowl of sweet chilli dip.

The dip had some real zip, the prawns were firm to the bite and the pastry fresh and crumbling. It made for a really tasty beginning.

My wife enjoyed the deep-fried breaded mushrooms, which came with a delicious garlic mayonnaise.

One thing I remember about the Green Man is the portions. They have always been huge, and nothing has changed under the new bosses.

The beef stroganoff was plentiful, served with a hefty portion of rice.

The burly beef chunks were good, but a few too many were a little too chewy and fatty for me, but never the less the sauce was rich, thick and flavoursome.

There was also no shortage of chopped peppers, mushrooms and onions.

My wife obviously enjoyed her home-made lasagne as it didn’t hang around for long. It came with lovely, fresh side salad and a crisp garlic baguette. I was well and truly stuffed after these mains, but you’ve got to find room for a dessert haven’t you?

On this occasion the wife and I shared. I haven’t had a Spotted dick for years and the gooey, custard-clad treat brought some good memories flooding back.

My wife only had a nibble, but I ended up almost conquering the lot, thanks to its naughty, addictive qualities.

I’m pleased to say the standards at this delightful little pub have not waned and I reckon another visit could be on the cards soon.

What we ate Breaded mushrooms £4.10 King prawns £4.95 Lasagne £8.40 Beef stroganoff and rice £11.40 Spotted dick £4.25

Our verdict (Out of five) Atmosphere 3; Food 3; Decor 4; Value 4; Service 5 . Disabled access No