For the size of the town, Stokesley is very well served for food and drinks venues. From cafes, to pub grub, to takeaways, to something a bit more special, the options are plentiful.

Fancying a Sunday lunch, my sister and I booked into The Truffled Hog, mainly because we have both been past so many times and never yet been in, and we were curious to see what lay beyond its attractive double frontage, facing the Market Place on College Square.

The day of our booking coincided with the arrival of Storm Ashley, and having spent the morning being alternatively drenched and wind-blown while umpiring a game of hockey, I was certainly ready for a nice meal out of the elements. Typically, almost as soon as we walked in, the sun came out from behind the storm clouds to illuminate the town in brilliant autumn light.

The Truffled Hog deli and kitchen, which also has a newer branch in Saltburn, describes itself as being both "an upscale neighbourhood café and dining spot ... with casual bistro-style dining" and "a cosy cocktail and wine bar".

This does actually describe the feel of the place pretty well. Tucked to one side of the ground floor seating area, our fellow diners included Sunday lunchers like ourselves, friends meeting for a cuppa and a few family groups.

With its autumnal decoration, and a few strategically placed miniature hogs here and there, the overall atmosphere was modern, and calming. Just the thing to recover from the wild morning.

The Sunday lunch menu, served from 12pm to 4pm, is £21 for one course, £26 for two, £30 for three and £11 for a children's lunch. Keen to get stuck straight in, we bypassed the starters (Greenland prawn salad, garlic 'shrooms, focaccia with herb butter, and Peter's Farm – potato rosti, wild mushroom, spinach, truffle oil and a poached egg) and went straight for the mains.

I opted for the slow confit cooked beef shin, while Claire went for pan roast chicken breast. Other options were lamb shoulder, smashed butternut squash sweet potato stack and pan fried salmon.

Now, being farmers' daughters with healthy appetites, neither of us are fans of less-is-more-style upmarket dining. If you need a snack when you get home, the meal has not been a success.

So when our plates arrived with a beautifully arranged but frankly, miniature stack of mash, stuffing and meat, we were both already thinking about the dessert menu. However I'm happy to say we were both totally wrong, and the Truffled Hog was right – there was more than plenty to fill us up.

As well as what was on our plates – which included a pig (hog?) in blanket, asparagus, a roast potato and pea puree – there were fulsome side dishes of shredded veg and cauliflower cheese plus a huge Yorkshire pudding each and plenty of gravy (which always guarantees high marks from me).

The Yorkshire was light and crispy, the mashed potato nicely flavoured, and the veg added just the right amount of crunch. The beef was slightly on the fatty side for me, but had a deep, rich flavour and melted in the mouth.

Claire's chicken, served with skin on, was succulent, and went perfectly with the hearty portion of stuffing.

Cauliflower cheese isn't a favourite of mine, but for the sake of thoroughness, I delved into the piping-hot skillet for a taste test. It was sturdy stuff, but cooked well so as not to be mush once you got past the sauce.

We were filling up rapidly, despite our earlier concerns, but had enough space for dessert. I chose the "chocolate box" – described as a sort of chocolate parcel with a filling of mousse and raspberry sauce.

Claire chose the lemon posset creme brulee, with came interestingly served in two halves of a lemon, with a topping of crackling candy. She rated the filling highly – smooth and creamy with a great lemon zing – but found as she got down to the bottom of the portion, she was scooping up remaining bits of the bitter lemon insides.

My chocolate box was possibly more of a chocolate canoe – long, lid-less and slender – but however it was described, it was completely delicious. Lovely, light moussy filling with the tang of raspberry to stop the whole thing being too sweet, and good solid, chocolate on the outside.

The bill, with two soft drinks, a tea and a coffee, came to just under £70 – decent value for the quality of the food, interesting presentation and stylish surroundings.

The highlight, as much as we enjoyed our meal, was the service – friendly without being overbearing and paced beautifully. It makes such a difference to the overall experience if the service is knowledgeable and properly welcoming. This felt both.

With the evening and all-day brunch offerings looking as enticing as the Sunday lunch menu, I don't think it'll be long before we pay a second visit, hopefully without being blown in on the back of another storm.

The Truffled Hog

28 College Square,

Stokesley, TS9 5DN

01642 714745

hello@thetruffledhog.co.uk

www.thetruffledhog.uk

Ratings (out of ten): Food quality 9 Surroundings 9 Service 10 Value for money 8