My very first visit to Grange Farm was during lockdown when gardening quickly became a ubiquitous hobby and I was on the hunt for flowers to brighten the garden we were largely confined to.
A lot has changed at the place since then, not least the arrival of The Barn, a two-storey tearoom and restaurant at the heart of the farm.
Having been delayed by the pandemic, it was the summer of 2021 when it eventually opened, with the venue, at the side of the East Lancs Road in Lowton, on the border of Warrington and Wigan, serving everything from breakfasts and lunches to afternoon teas.
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It quickly built up quite a reputation with visitors loving the fact that all the meals are homemade - from either homegrown produce or from local farmers within a five-mile radius.
The meat is local too, from a 'very well known butcher' - and half of the eggs are from the farm's own hens, with the other half from two miles down the road. In other words, it's as fresh as it comes.
I decided to head along with my family on a Sunday afternoon to sample the goods.
While my other half and I went for the roast dinner, me opting for chicken and him the beef brisket, our eldest child chose the sausage and mash, while our younger son went for the beer battered fish goujons on thick toasted farmhouse bread, aka a fish finger butty, plus some hand cut chips.
A simple and straightforward menu - with the Sunday roast, at £14 a head, or a choice of eight other dishes - Gordon Ramsay himself would be proud.
There are no lengthy nonsense descriptions. Sunday lunch is 'served with seasonal vegetables, roast potatoes and homemade proper gravy' - what else do you need to know.
A quick glance at the tables around us gave us an indication of how popular the roast is and, considering it was a fairly busy afternoon, we didn't have to wait too long for ours to arrive.
When it did, we weren't disappointed. The meat was so tender - I was slightly envious of the melt-in-your-mouth brisket - the veg piled high and those huge fluffy Yorkshires were just the giant cherry on the cake. Not forgetting the delicious gravy.
The children loved theirs too. It's quite rare that they'll clear their plates completely, but on this occasion they did.
Perhaps the farm's 'famous' sausages had something to do with it. A much-loved ingredient of its popular big breakfast, packs of them are also sold from the farm shop in the barn next door for £4.50, but often sell out in minutes.
There's all sorts of produce for sale, from fruit and veg to jams, chutneys, cakes and more.
The boy devoured his fish sandwich, even polishing off the brick-sized slices of bread, and his hand cut chips were something else. We all ended up nabbing a couple of those to soak up that 'proper' gravy.
Of course we had to sample the desserts while we were there and while stock was running low as the place prepared to close for the day, we just about managed to bag a rather chunky slice of chocolate log, a waffle with cream and two pieces of lemon drizzle cake.
In fact, with only three pieces of the drizzle cake left in stock, we were given the third one as an extra treat - this place was getting better by the minute.
It's not just the food that makes it stand out though. It's the cosy interior, the casual vibe and the friendly and efficient staff.
"I planted those myself" our waitress proudly declared about the potatoes. But it's not just the spuds that farmers Leanne Lester and Andrew Burman, who run the family-operated business, and their team should be proud of.
They know what they're doing and do it well. At a time when so many in the hospitality industry are struggling to survive, this farm's field to fork ethos is clearly a winning formula that has this place growing strong.
It's not a cheap eats place, but when you compare it to the quality of roasts being churned out at pub and restaurant chains for just a couple of quid less, it's well worth paying that bit extra.
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