So where better to go for a lunchtime treat than a trip out to Thoresby?

Glorious open countryside, beautiful woodland lining both sides of the road. Brilliant!

So when my Bentley crunched across the gravel of the small car park next to the courtyard at the craft shops centre, I was in a really mellow mood – and well fired up for a tasty treat.

Feeling like landed gentry arriving for the country squire’s shooting party, I linked arms with my gorgeous partner and we headed into the warm steamy climes of the Bay Tree restaurant.

Sadly, at that point, things began to deteriorate rather quickly.

Only one table was spare, so we quickly descended on it, and awaited the attentions of the waitress.

The table itself was sticky, suggesting it needed a bit of a wipedown.

But no matter, the girl arrived at our table... and turned her back on us to take the order of two women at the next table, who had obviously been sitting there for some time.

“Sorry about the wait,” she apologised to them... and then wandered off back to the cooking area to deliver the order.

Perhaps she could have speeded things up by taking our order as well, being as she looked like the only waitress on duty, and the place was heaving.

In the kitchen area, it looked like one man was doing all the cooking.

“I reckon it’ll be a bit longer than an hour, this,” I grumbled to my dining chum.

As it turned out, I was wrong, but only by a few minutes.

Our order was finally taken. My colleague went for the chilli, washed down by a sparkling mineral water, while my choice was for a chicken and mayo baguette, with an apple juice.

Eventually our simple, basic orders arrived.

The chilli, I’m told, was very good, served with a baguette and rice, just the right portion for a lunch, hot, tasty, and very much home-made.

So 10 out of 10 there, then.

Unfortunately, my chicken baguette was one of the worst I’ve ever tasted.

The bread was OK, if tasting too much like a mass-produced warmed-up part-baked job from the supermarket.

But the chicken was two giant ice-cold tasteless chunks of meat, coated in a mayonnaise that had an unpleasant sharp taste to it.

This was accompanied by a mixed salad that had a lifeless and slightly gooey quality about it that was most off-putting.

There was also a little bowl of coleslaw and some cold pasta as a side dish. For looks it got 7 out of 10, for taste about one.

“Was everything OK?” the waitress asked as she took our plates away, mine still with pretty much everything still on it, uneaten.

“Yes, yes, fine, thanks.” Well, I’d been out a long time and I just wanted to get away.

It’s obviously a popular haunt and some of the meals on the other tables looked fine.

But their chicken baguettes need a makeover.

- A. A. Grundi HH