The Wayfarer country pub and restaurant, Alder Lane, Parbold WN8 7NL. 01257 464600

The Wayfarer country pub and restaurant, Alder Lane, Parbold WN8 7NL. 01257 464600

This established family pub-restaurant between Wigan and Ormskirk is easy to miss if you're wayfaring in the car, with its narrow frontage of two converted cottages hiding a small traditional pub and comfortably sized restaurant behind.Watch out for the pub's logo on the whitewashed side of the building, the silhouette of a wayfarer striding out in his medieval wellies and raggedy shirt, with all his possessions tied in a handkerchief (or is it a giant strawberry?) on the end of a stick over his shoulders. I'm not sure if he would fit the Wayfarer's dress code these days.Through the entrance from the car park (lack of steps making it wheelchair friendly), the atmosphere is cosy and traditional, with the lowceilinged bar serving real ales. There is a small garden terrace through French windows at the side, while the restaurant is off the bar, a high, square, open-beamed room, decorated as though flood waters had carried the contents of a 1950s second-hand shop in and left the bric a brac high and dry on the shelves and rafters.A safe way of testing somewhere unfamiliar is to try the Sunday lunch. If they can't manage that, the kitchen staff should tie their belongings in a handkerchief to the end of a stick and hit the road. I needn't have worried; the Wayfarer took the traditional stuff in its stride, and added a few well-judged bells and whistles too.The three-course Sunday lunch is good value at �13.95 (�7 for children under ten), with four varied choices for each course, including vegetarian dishes. Our starters were creamy, hearty leek and potato soup with warm rolls, and a delicate poached salmon and mango salad with honey and sesame dressing. Next time I'll try the black pudding spring roll, there's fusion for you.Main courses were succulent roast beef, Yorkshire pudding and red wine gravy, thick roast loin of pork with caramelized apples, crispy bacon and gravy, and juicy pan-fried breast of duck with spring greens and plum sauce. The wine list was ample and reasonably priced, but we stuck to the well kept guest beer, Bombardier, and soft drinks.The generous desserts would slow any wayfarer down: plenty of ice cream, sticky toffee pudding and a huge platter of cheese and biscuits. It's a child-friendly place, with a children's menu as well as smaller portions of the adult fixed price lunch. Our two had chicken dippers, fish and chips, ice cream and chocolate fudge cake, all of which kept them quiet.The bill for four adults and two children was �90.10, very reasonable for good quality food in a comfortable traditional pub. The a la carte menu is a bit dearer, �5-�6 for starters, �12-�16 for mains, but there is also a good bar menu of snacks and full meals.Service was friendly and efficient, and the menu says they are happy to offer any dish 'in a plainer style' if required, which sums up the Wayfarer approach, a combination of tradition, modern British flair and consideration for the customer.