Simon Ritchie finds that there is certainly plenty to eat at the Cornucopia

The Cornucopia has long been a firm favourite with locals from the horseracing twin towns of Norton and Malton, but had it got what it takes to lure diners from elsewhere?

After our lunchtime visit on an exceptionally mild Sunday, we quickly decided that it had. Having a decent

meal here is a dead cert.

The pub, in Commercial Street, Norton, pays homage to the horseracing tradition which the area proudly boasts. The interior contains dozens of racing prints and other memorabilia, with the piece de rsistance being the magnificent stained glass window which depicts the sport of kings.

We had expected a standard Sunday lunch menu, so we were pleasantly surprised to find that we could pick from the a la carte menu, the Best Bet fixed-price menu or the lunchtime blackboard specials.

In keeping with the pub's racing theme, the Best Bet menu, which we had decided on, came under the headings Starters Orders, A Good Thing and Winners Enclosure. Two courses were £11.95, while three cost an extra £2.

We had just sat down when our waitress brought us a small but warm crusty wholemeal loaf, together with both garlic and ordinary butter. A nice touch, and one which was quickly destroyed by my cack-handed attempt at slicing which resulted in much of our table getting covered in breadcrumbs. Once it was cleaned up, it was time for starters.

On offer was a rather tempting stilton mousse with mango poulis, poached William pear stuffed with blackcurrant sorbet and luxury cheese and broccoli soup. But I went for tender prawns wrapped in a blanket of smoked salmon. This came with a small salad topped with a dill and mustard dressing - very tasty.

My wife, Jayne, chose gala melon which came with a mountain of salad including red and green peppers, crispy lettuce, slices of orange and avocado. It was crisp and refreshing and the presentation was first class.

For meat and fish eaters, the choice was superb. Main course dishes ranged from roast duckling with a black cherry brandy sauce to chargrillled sirloin steak with pat and from rack of lamb to baked supreme of salmon.

It was good news for a carnivore like myself, but not however for Jayne. There was only one vegetarian main dish on offer, even though we were told when we booked the previous evening that they did cater for non-meat eaters.

Our waitress, however, was very helpful and understanding and suggested a number of vegetarian dishes which the chef could easy rustle up. It was a nice gesture, but why couldn't the pub have offered more vegetarian food in the first place?

In the end Jayne chose deep fried mushrooms, which she thoroughly enjoyed. The batter was crisp and light and the mushrooms oozed with flavour. She also received a pile of salad the size of a small country and a creamy garlic dip.

I thought I'd do my bit to help the struggling British pig farmer. I went for roast pork, topped with stuffing and served on a bed of gravy. This came with a tureen full of fresh seasonal vegetables and a bowl of home-made chips. The pork was delicious and the huge slice of crackling was something else.

Jayne declined dessert, but I found the selection far too tempting to turn down. Dishes ranged from the traditional such as Bakewell tart with custard and sticky toffee pudding to the more unusual such as chocolate brandy cake and banoffi liquer meringue.

But the rather unusual deep fried ice cream with caramel sauce took my fancy. The vanilla ice cream, which hadn't melted one bit, had been coated in crushed nuts and breadcrumbs then dropped into the fryer. It looked like a giant Scotch egg! It was a bizarre concoction but one that was a bit too sickly for my liking.

Our bill, which included a couple of soft drinks, came to a tad over £28, not bad value considering the quality of the food. A winner in anyone's book.

Pub: The Cornucopia

Address: Commercial Street, Norton

Telephone: 01653 693456

Reviewed: March 25, 2000

Food: Very Good

Service: Helpful

Value: Not Bad

Ambience: Quaint

Disabled Access: No