How to get there: Take the main A676 -- Tonge Moor Road, then Bradshaw Brow, then Bolton Road, then Bradshaw Road -- towards Ramsbottom. Go through Hawkshaw, continue to follow the main road until the first set of traffic lights at Holcombe Brook, the pub is off to your left.

STAR RATING

Quality of food:...****

Menu:...****

Service:...****

Value for money:... ****

Atmosphere:... ****

Overall rating:... ****

THERE is still the same old problem when my wife and I want to go out for a meal. She only likes "good wholesome" English cooking with none of those funny (or, perish the thought, "hot") spices.

Finding it is getting harder and harder these days. "Pub Grub", therefore, can be useful to us just so long as the (usually) frozen food is heated up properly.

I am only presuming that the Hare and Hounds heats up previously prepared food, but if that is the case then they do it very well!

Part of a chain owned by Scottish and Newcastle Breweries, the pub is a credit to whoever is in charge of acquisitions.

You know how sometimes a pub can just "feel" right? That's the Hare and Hounds.

Some modernisation has taken place since we were last in there -- about 10 years ago -- but there is still that careful mismatch of chairs and tables that makes it feel lived in.

And lived in it is. This is a true local pub that was very quickly heaving on our visit, a Friday night.

And so to the food.

A garishly printed menu leaves no doubt as to the image this company is aiming at. Huge yellow letters on a red background say "I'll have the biggest thing on the menu...".

Inside we were greeted with Sausage 'n' Mash (£3.95), "huge portion also available!"; Buzzard Breath Chilli (£4.95) "not for the faint hearted" and a mixture of salads (£5.45).

That's in the "Regular Meals" section and is just a small selection of what is available. But did you notice those prices?

We then moved on to the "Huge Meals" section, which the menu proudly informs us are served on 13 inch plates.

From a list of 16 we were trying to choose between the 1lb Steak and Gravy Pie (£4.95), The Stacked Burger (£4.95) which contains "not one but two prime 6 oz beefburgers", Spicy Cajun Chicken (£6.25), a 12 oz Gammon Steak (£5.95) with all the trimmings or the Monster All Day Breakfast (£4.95).

Pausing to sip my glass of very pleasant house red wine (£3 for a huge -- naturally -- glass of Merlot) my eyes moved down to the "Mega Meals" (£7.95) which come on 15 inch plates.

The Whole Hog is a mixed grill, then there is an Indian Feast and a Chinese Banquet.

If this all sounds just a little brash and over the top, I can honestly say that it didn't appear that way. In fact, we found it all rather fun.

You don't get starters as such on a menu like that, although there was breaded mushrooms (£2.25) which we ordered between us or soup (£2.25) in the "Snax" portion of the menu.

To follow, I ordered the rack of ribs (£6.95) "a massive rack of pork ribs cooked with our special BBQ sauce, served with some more BBQ sauce, chips and salad" while my wife chose the 8 oz rump steak (£6.25) with the usual trimmings -- she didn't think she could manage the 16 oz (£10.95) alternative!

In the event, having consumed plenty of mushrooms first, our 13 inch plates full just about saw us out.

I mentioned above that the pub was heaving by the time we had worked our way through the massive menu so that our waitress was faced with an obstacle course.

For the cheerful and polite way she threaded her route through this crowd she deserves nothing but praise -- and here and now I want to apologise for forgetting to tip her! If ever a young lady earned a tip it was that night.

So, after all the build-up and hype what was the food like?

It was delicious! Both the steak and the ribs melted in the mouth, salads were crisp and fresh-tasting and the chips couldn't have been frozen (although surely they must have been?) for they had taste!

No children of course, it is a pub after all and you eat in the bar, but wheelchair access would be simple as there are no steps into the main bar area.

Like I said before, very brash and flash and "in your face" but the Hare and Hounds and that upfront menu also delivered what it promised, and I'm still reeling at those prices.

A couple of drinks, enough food to leave us both stuffed and change from £20... I can't remember when that last happened.