TUESDAY Night is Pie Night. Music to the ears of the many fans of Terri Porter’s pie-making skills.

Terri, who has taken over the village pub at Thornford, used to run the farm shop in nearby Yetminster, where she sold home-produced meat, vegetables and her own pies, cakes, sausage rolls and more. She was a regular participant in the annual Screen Bites Food Film Festival in the autumn, offering tastings and selling her delicious pies.

For the past few years the pub has been successfully run as The Lime Tree, and although Terri and her partner Leigh Napier have gone back to the Kings Arms name, it’s still very much a proper village pub – with great ales, good food, affordable prices and a warm welcome whether you just want a quick beer and a chat, or a leisurely evening with food and drink and friends.

The Kings Arms is in the Campaign for Real Ale Good Beer Guide. At the bar, the regular beers are Butcombe and Fuller’s London Pride, and on the night we went the guest beers were from Devon’s Otter Brewery.

We went on a Tuesday and we love Terri’s pies, so two of us had them – lamb and vegetable, steak and ale – while the third had free range chicken breast with smoked bacon and Somerset brie. We were all very happy with our choices – and with the generous portions.

Other main courses included rump or sirloin steak, the Kings Mixed Grill (for those with hearty appetites!) or gammon steak, cod in dill sauce, a selection of salads, and pub favourites such as scampi and chips, homemade beef lasagne, chicken balti or tuna pasta bake. There are always vegetarian choices and there is a children’s menu, including homemade burgers.

Starters include homemade soup, garlic mushrooms, crispy potato wedges or butterfly king prawns. Puddings (if you have room for them) include trifle, apple and cranberry crumble, ice creams, chocolate steamed pud with chocolate custard, or a cheeseboard.

We had the salted caramel profiteroles, a delicious take on a current favourite flavour – the balance of chocolate, salted caramel and light choux pastry was just right.

There is also a bar menu with burgers, sausages and sandwiches.

As well as the general menu, Terri offers regular themed nights – Tuesday it’s pies, Wednesday is steak night, Thursday homemade curry, Friday fish and chips and on Sunday, in addition to a traditional roast lunch, there is an “around the world” theme in the evening, which could be Italian or American or Indian or Chinese.

And if any of her regular farm shop customers have spotted one omission, she says she will soon have her famous pork pies on the menu.

We can’t wait!

FC

Kings Arms, Thornford, telephone 01935 872294