You once had to drive to Guiseley and queue for ages if you wanted to sample Harry Ramsden's famous fish and chips. I remember once going to the ornate restaurant as a child and hating the wait but admiring the extraordinary chandeliers. Oh yes, and the food was pretty good too.

Now, if you fancy tucking in to the world-famous fish dish, all you need to do is head down the A1079 past Pocklington and call in to the Little Chef at Shiptonthorpe.

The distinctive roadside eatery, best known perhaps for its all-day breakfasts, has expanded the menu at locations across Britain to include Harry Ramsden's Fish and Chips and also pizza, and I went with my family recently to taste test the new items.

Now you don't, of course, need to book a table at a Little Chef. But I thought I'd better just ring to check before setting out on the 40-mile round trip. It was just as well, as it emerged that the restaurant was closing briefly for a refurbishment before the new menu was launched. A few days later, I called again. The restaurant had re-opened, but there was no cod left. At the third attempt, everything was fine and we set off - straight into a rush-hour traffic jam at Grimston Bar roundabout.

We eventually arrived at the restaurant and were shown straight to our seats by a very friendly and helpful waitress. No queuing at this three-quarters empty restaurant, but no chandeliers either. There might have been a refurb, but it was still distinctive Little Chef - bright and cheerful, with some of the lighting fluorescent in nature.

We decided to share a couple of starters before getting down to some serious eating and ordered BBQ chicken wings and another new dish, deep fried brie. Both were priced at £3.99, but with a 50 per cent discount if we went on to order a main meal. The chicken was nicely spicy, while the brie, melted inside a crumbed envelope and served with a port and orange sauce, was simply delicious. A good start.

Both my son and his cousin David, who was staying with us for the week, are pizza fanatics who could be counted upon to give a brutal but honest assessment of the restaurant's new Italian fare. They both requested the American pepperoni version for £6.90, while my daughter asked for a Margherita, for £5.95.

The 10 inch thin-crust pizzas met with heavily qualified praise. They liked the base and the tomato, but felt the cheese was a bit too rubbery and chewy. But I guess that's mozzarella for you. Seven out of ten, said David. No six, said Matthew. The youngsters took full advantage of the drinks deal, under which you paid £1.89 for your first Coke or Sprite and then enjoyed free refills.

My wife chose "smothered chicken", which sounds a little cruel but in fact involves double breast of chicken with mushrooms and bacon, smothered in a creamy cheese sauce, which came in at £7.95. The chicken was succulent, the sauce packed with flavour and the quantities more than ample.

It fell to me to carry out the big "Harry test", and I asked for a cod special for £7.95. The 7oz cod fillet was accompanied by chips, a slice of white bread and peas or beans. The price seemed a bit expensive to me, particularly when I later discovered the same dish at the original Harry Ramsden's costs only £6.70.

At £7.95 for what was still, basically, a fish and chip supper, I expected something better than the fare sometimes served up in takeaways - you know...fatty batter, soggy chips and fish with the bones still lurking within. I was not disappointed. The batter, which according to the menu had been made to a secret recipe for 75 years, was flavoursome but not fatty, the chips were crisp and golden, and there was not a bone to be found in the cod.

We were flagging by now, but the boys reckoned they could still manage a pudding. They asked for melting chocolate cake, topped with chocolate fudge and cream, and for marshmallow mountain, three scoops of creme caramel ice cream, covered in butterscotch sauce and topped with marshmallows. Both were priced at £3.50, but again with a 50 per cent discount. The boys raved when the dishes arrived - the puddings were rich and sweet, and there were huge quantities, to the extent that I was called in to assist in demolishing the marshmallow mountain.

We staggered, dangerously full of food, back to the car. I could have no complaints about the quantity or quality of the food, or the service. But the £54 bill still seemed a little steep for a meal in routine surroundings. This was still a place for calling in at during a long drive, rather than a destination in itself.

Little Chef, A1079, Shiptonthorpe. Telephone: 01430 873427.

Mike Laycock visited on Thursday July 3, 2003.

Updated: 08:24 Saturday, July 12, 2003