THE Horse and Jockey in Grindley Brook is a pub I have not been to since I was a child, yet my one, long last memory of that trip is accidentally eating part of the plastic wrapper that had been left on my cheese.

So I thought in the 15 odd years since that event, it was time to let bygones be bygones, and give the pub a second chance. Also I’m fairly certain it has changed owners since then.

Another pub I planned on visiting was booked up, so myself and my two companions – Charlotte and James – were fortunate that a table was free at relatively short notice on Sunday evening.

After buying our drinks, we were situated in a nice cosy corner of the pub, to have a browse of the menu.

I’m quite happy to say the selection of beers and other alcoholic beverages is pleasingly vast.

I had a pint of Pravha, from the Czech Republic and James an Asahi from Japan.

These were just two of a wide selection of local and further afield ales and ciders.

On to the food and one interesting selling point of the Horse and Jockey, is that it serves tapas.

Now tapas is not my personal cup of tea, but I know many people will travel quite far for such delights.

For starters myself and James decided on our usual favourite of nachos.

This is usually a safe bet, but perhaps in a quest to be different, the Horse and Jockey made their nachos, not with ‘chips’, but with what seemed like a baked tortilla, that had been cut into nacho shapes.

This resulted in an interesting texture, less crunchy than a typical nacho, but altogether more enjoyable. Naturally, this was devoured in seconds. (So quickly in fact, I forgot to take a picture).

For a main I opted for my typical order of the beef burger, with came with a hefty bowl of thick-cut chips and coleslaw.

My companions meanwhile ordered the chicken parmigiana and a tapas selection.

It did not take too long for our food to arrive but in any case we had time to enjoy the ambiance.

Even with Storm Dennis trying to rain on everyone’s parade, the pub was pretty full, and there was a good hubbub of conversation spread throughout, which was nice.

The pub definitely has a relaxed environment, so if you are like me and are always weirdly nervous about eating out, this is a pretty good place to visit.

When my burger arrived, it was exactly what one would expect, on first glace at least.

A nice, chunky piece of meat, topped with cheese and lettuce, tomato and onion for accoutrements, and in a nice brioche bun.

Biting in, you think you know what to expect, but the first thing that hit me was the taste of the caramelised onions.

It sounds so simple, but that immediate sweetness caught me off guard, in a positive way.

Carrying on with the burger, it was no less than I have come to expect from more high-end gastropubs, and so was finished off without issue.

The chunky chips, which have become a staple of this kind of meal, were also highly enjoyable, even if – as per usual – I was unable to finish them.

Coming back to that ‘high end’ comment, I should add that the food did not come with a high end price tag.

And I do not mean that in a detrimental way.

Similar establishments would easily charge more than £12 or £13 for my meal, yet it was actually around £10.

Combined with my pint, my meal came to just over £14, which I think is a more than fair price. Especially considering I have spent a similar amount of money from takeaways or fast food restaurants in the past, but we won’t talk about that...

I have it on good authority than my companion’s meals were equally as delectable, with James highlighting the mushroom ariancini balls that he ordered as part of the tapas especially.

James also ordered three scoops of ice cream for desert, and although I only had a spoonful or two, I can attest to its deliciousness.