JUST over two months ago I wrote about the new management team taking over the 17th century Kings Arms at Monkton Farleigh.

I promised them I would return for this food review feature once their new chef had got his feet under the table. Well, I found he's well and truly settled in and firing on all six cylinders.

The kitchen is now in the expert hands of Richard Tuplin, a one star Michelin chef who has worked at The Beachfield in Swindon and the Rising Sun at Christian Malford.

The 17th century Cotswold pub is now being managed by Marcos Cefein, 56, his wife Liz, 53, and their daughter Dione, 30, assisted by bar staff Chris Rosser and Gillian Marsh.

My wife and I ventured out on Monday, a traditionally quiet day for most local pubs, some of whom don't even bother to open in these Covid-19 pandemic times.

We were given a warm welcome by Chris and quickly settled down near the large fireplace with a pint of St Austell Ales Tribute (£3.80) and a glass of sparkling water (£2.75) to hand while we browsed through the menu.

Feona went for the slow roasted pork belly with bao bun and Asian slaw (£6.95) to start, while I plumped for the pan-roasted quail with Coq Au Vin jus, King Oyster mushroom and polenta (£8.50).

For the mains, we both decided to share the Longhorn beef Chateaubriand steak, served with roast tomatoes, Portobello mushrooms, rocket, triple-cooked chips and a Béarnaise sauce (£59.95).

I had never tasted quail before but found the dish enormously tasty, the meat succulent, well presented and beautifully cooked, while Fee drooled over her slow roast pork belly, saying it had been an "absolute delight" on her taste buds.

But it was the main course that we eagerly awaited with anticipation, after hearing the chef uses locally-produced Belted Galloway Longhorn beef aged for 60 days.

The Belted Galloway is a traditional breed of beef cattle deriving from the Galloway region of south-western Scotland. I have to say right now that I have never eaten a finer piece of medium rare beef. My wife's reaction was 'Oh, my God that was lovely'.

The meat was surprisingly tender, beautifully cooked, well presented and absolutely delicious to taste. The Portobello mushrooms and tomatoes were also very tasty and the chips cooked to just the right amount of crispiness. The Béarnaise sauce made a pleasant change from peppercorn sauce.

After savouring the last mouthfuls of beef, we turned our attention to the sweet menu and selected two different puddings.

I chose the caramelised apple with crunchy granola and ice cream (£6.50) while Fee opted for the set lemon fresh

with raspberry and oat crumb (£5.95).

She also tasted my dessert and concluded she had chosen the better pudding, although both were delicious.

The total bill came to £94.40 with drinks and is well worth it for a special occasion.

Parts of the pub date back to the 15th century and it has plenty of atmosphere. It's even listed among Wiltshire's Haunted Pubs & Inns.

John Baker