FAMILY FEEDS: St Andrews Brewing Company

What is it? A brewpub in St Andrews’ South Street. It used to be The Pancake Place for many years.

First impressions? Cosy and inviting, with low ceilings and a rustic vibe. It was a cold Saturday afternoon and we were looking for somewhere that welcomed dogs so it fitted the bill perfectly.

What did you have? Mum ordered the soup and a toastie for £5.95. Dad had the rarebit on sourdough bread with added smoked haddock (£1 extra), £5.95. Our son asked for the Winter Scottish Cheeseboard at £6.45. With one dessert, Christmas stout toffee pudding, and drinks all round including a glass of wine, the total came to just under £30.

Much of a wait? There weren’t many customers in but as everything is made from scratch we had about a 20 minute wait for our mains.

How was the food? The soup was thick and tasty but the toastie was disappointing. The menu proudly boasts that all ingredients are sourced from within a 40-mile radius and the thin white bread (I’d asked for brown) probably hadn’t come further than the supermarket down the road – I’d been expecting thick rustic bread. The ham was pretty standard and, like the cheese, there wasn’t that much of it. The rarebit was pronounced “odd” with the smoked haddock plonked on top instead of on the side. The cheese plate, however, was really good – three different types of cheese and five oatcakes as well as a beery chutney. The stout toffee pud was also excellent – a very moist and a generous helping.

Good for children? Families are very welcome and the staff are friendly and helpful.

Good for the rest of the family ? We were disappointed the log fire wasn’t lit, and it would have been a thoughtful touch if our dog had been brought a bowl of water.

Would you go back? It’s a good varied menu, which obviously changes with the seasons, but we felt some of the ingredients could have been a bit more upmarket in keeping with the modern rustic vibe. Score: 3/5

Contact: St Andrews Brewing Co., 177 South Street, St Andrews, KY16 9EE. T: 1334 471 111. W: www.standrewsbrewingcompany.com