Yet a child-friendly, noisy play barn may perhaps not really be that useful if you are trying to teach proper table manners.

Luckily a visit to the Tayleur Arms at Longdon-upon-Tern provided the compromise I was looking for.

My parents had eaten there with friends recently and had recommended it.

It had been a fair few years since my boys and myself had eaten there. At the time it had a play barn and was overrun with screaming tiny tots, but now all that has changed.

New chef/owners Andy Roberts and Kevin Baggott took over the Tayleur about 18 months ago, as their first joint business venture. They are trying to offer people a nice place to eat at affordable prices.

They began a two-for-one offer in January and it has proved so popular that they have decided to make it permanent.

Dining there early Tuesday night, (the offer runs Mon-Sat 12-2.30pm and 5pm-9pm plus Sun 4pm-till finish; they also do a Sunday lunch carvery), I was delighted with what we found.

Although there were people in the bar, we were the first family to dine. The play barn had been transformed into accommodation.

The restaurant is large, clean and attractive and the tables were nicely laid with fresh cloths and glassware. We were shown to a large round table and settled down to choose from the menu.

Being a very hot night and in the company of a six- and three-year-old we decided to stick to a main course and then perhaps have a pudding. You order from the very substantial menu and pay at the bar first.

The young lady who took our order was genuinely friendly, polite and efficient and unflappable when faced with a barrage of requests on who wanted what.

Requests for chips instead of potatoes or mushy peas instead of normal peas were readily granted, as was a request for a small glass and jug of water for the youngest diner among us.

My father ordered whole tail scampi, mushy peas, chips and salad (£8.95); my mother had salmon steak with hollandaise sauce, jacket potatoes and salad (£8.95).

I had surf & turf, 6 oz rump steak and scampi with chips and salad (£10.50), my eldest son had scampi, chips and baked beams from the children’s menu (£4.95) and my youngest had chicken goujons (£3.95), again from the children’s menu and the nearest he could get to chicken nuggets, with chips and baked beans.

I also ordered two halves of lager and lime, half a dry cider and a glass of cola. Because of the two-for-one main meal offer, all this came to just £33.50. I was impressed.

We did not have to wait too long for our meals and my boys were thankfully being well behaved. When the plates did start coming we were pleased that we did not have a starter first — they were huge.

My sons both had good-sized plates and the food covered them. The adults’ main courses came on platter-type plates and were piled high. What good value.

The scampi was hot, in good portions and fresh and tasty. My steak was tender and cooked to my liking; the chips were golden brown and perfectly cooked. The salads were plentiful, colourful and very fresh.

My mother’s salmon steak was of an average size but with more than average hollandaise sauce (yummy). Her jacket potatoes were large and perfectly cooked and came with butter. My boys offered no complaints on the baked beans.

The size of my father’s portion beat him and I had to leave some of my chips, there were so many. By the time we finished there was no way anyone could have squeezed down a pudding, although I would like to go back and try the starters and puddings at some point.

We finished our drinks outside in the sunshine while the boys ran around the garden with benches and umbrellas.

The Tayleur Arms is an excellent place to eat and also take your children to. We had all thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

ADDRESS
Longdon-upon-Tern, near Telford
Tel: (01952) 770335

MENU SAMPLE
Starters
Cheese and bacon potato skins with sour cream and chives; farmhouse pate and toast with tomato relish; Tempura prawns with sweet chilli sauce (£3.50/£3.50/£4)

Main courses
Rump steak 12 oz; tandoori vegetable masala; duck fillet a la orange (£10.95/£8.95/£13.50)

Sides
Diane sauce, onion rings, house salad (all (£1.95)

Desserts
Fruits of the forest torte; hot lemon sponge; chocolate lumpy bumpy cheesecake (all £2.95)

ATMOSPHERE
Warm and very welcoming

SERVICE
Friendly, courteous and super-efficient

DISABLED FACILITIES
Access, toilets and accommodation

SMOKING POLICY
100 per cent non-smoking restaurant, 50 per cent non-smoking bar

Pub review by Cathy Stanworth