Mike Laycock joined the teatime throng flocking to the Bay Horse at Murton

Word of mouth. You can't over-estimate its importance to a pub or restaurant's success in a competitive market. It was thanks to word of mouth that I took my family along to the Bay Horse at Murton - at the suggestion of a contact who told me the meals represented excellent value for money.

WoM also appeared to have attracted a sizeable crowd of drinkers and diners to the pub when I called in with my wife, daughter Gabrielle, her little friend Nicola and my mother.

It was a mid-week evening, so I hadn't thought to book a table and was a little put out to discover the dining area was already occupied.

The landlord warned it could be half an hour before one came free and we also might have to wait a while to be served.

Not to worry, we said. We'll happily sit at a table in the bar. The old pub, with its Christmas tree already up, had a cosy atmosphere. I discovered later that the landlord and lady had taken over the Bay Horse only in February and had closed it down and worked with a team of helpers from dawn until midnight for a week to get it shipshape before re-opening.

The value-for-money which attracted the pub's recommend-ation, and maybe many of the other diners, was obvious in its specials menu, with meals costing £4.50 per person at lunchime but discounted between 5.30-6.30pm to two for just £6.

There were half a dozen choices, including bangers and mash and large Yorkshire pudding filled with "hearty Yorkshire stew".

But I fancied the savoury pancakes stuffed with mushrooms, tomatoes and onions, and covered in a creamy cheese sauce. My wife asked for tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and ham on ciabbeta bread, topped with cheddar and served up with a plentiful and very fresh side salad. My mother chose Cool Combo, breaded chicken fillets, mushrooms and onion rings, accompanied by cucumber, mint and garlic dip, again with side salad. I was relieved to find a children's menu to keep the conservative kids happy. Gabrielle asked for pizza, smiley faces and baked beans, while Nicola chose sausages, smiley faces and spaghetti, for £2.95 each.

We settled back with our drinks - cider, red house wine and lemonade respectively - and chatted as we waited for our meal...and waited. It was 50 minutes before the food arrived, which I think is my personal eating-out record. But the youngsters amused themselves with some children's drawing toys helpfully provided in a corner of the pub until the food arrived, accompanied by profuse apologies for the delay. It had been caused apparently by a big rush of customers arriving all at once.

I had been getting impatient, but the food was certainly worth a bit of a wait. My pancakes, accompanied by jacket potato and vegetables, were quite delicious. And so was my wife's choice - I know because I nicked a forkful.

My mother was also delighted with her fare. And the children polished off their children's specials with plenty of appetite and no complaints.

We had not had a starter, nor were we getting a sweet afterwards, but we needed neither. Despite my raging appetite when the dish arrived, I could barely finish off the plentiful meal, and it was the same story around the table.

Then came the best news. The whole bill, for food and drinks for all five of us, came to just £21.30. Pretty good value for money indeed, despite the wait.

The Bay Horse, Murton. (Just off the A166 York-Bridlington road).

Tel 01904 489684.

Fact file:

Food: Tasty

Service: Slow but friendly

Value: Very good

Ambience: Cosy pub

Disabled access available