The Ship at Elswick review: We tried out renovated countryside pub under new management and left feeling like we'd had a warm hug

The hubby and I have resorted to putting blankets over our legs in the evening in a desperate attempt to keep the radiators switched off.

And my summer clothes have gone into hibernation in a bag at the back of the wardrobe until next year.

There’s certainly an autumnal chill in the air that demands winter woolies and hot chocolate – and our favourite countryside walks finished off with a hearty pub tea.

Last weekend marked the official start of autumn – September 23 to be exact – so it seemed the perfect time for a family trip to Beacon Fell to explore the new season of beauty.

Crunching through fallen leaves and picking up pine cones kept our two little ones entertained as we worked up an appetite for a late Sunday lunch at The Ship at Elswick.

Nestled in the picturesque village, the pub on High Street fuses traditional charm with a modern finish after a renovation earlier this year under new management.

We met Jamie, the new landlord, who is attentive and gives just the welcome you’d hope for from a village pub.

We were shown to a comfortable booth table after ordering our drinks at the bar, which is incidentally where you also order food.

The menu suggests more of a gastro pub experience with Beavertown Neck Oil and a Rhubarb Gin Spritz among the ‘liveners and sharpeners’ and bright, bold flavours the theme for the starters and bar snacks such as pork belly bites with spiced apple sauce and sticky beef salad with ginger, sesame, chilli, garlic.

We’d seen the size of the huge Sunday dinners as we’d walked past other fellow diners, so we went straight to the main courses.

The hubby opted for the roast sirloin of mature aged beef, Yorkshire pudding, and all the trimmings (£17.50). And when I say all the trimmings, I mean it: roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots, broccoli, green beans and lashings of tasty, velvety gravy.

The beef was cooked just to our liking with a pinkness in the middle while the vegetables were tender yet firm.

I chose a delicious vegetarian dish: a butternut squash and lentil filo wellington (£14.50) with the same Sunday roast sides as the hubby.

Packed with warming spiced flavours, the soft filling contrasted perfectly with the flaky filo. It certainly hit the spot.

Our three-year-old daughter tucked into the children’s roast chicken Sunday dinner (£7.50) which was a mammoth portion while our eight-year-old son enjoyed his fish and chips (£7) with a side of broccoli instead of mushy peas on special request.

Washed down with a glass of red wine for the adults, the hubby compared the meal – which came to a total of £65 – to therapy; just what we needed after a busy week at work.

We all left feeling like we’d been given a warm hug – another good reason to not need the central heating on just yet.