"Why would we want to go to The Feathers? Isn’t it full of old people; tourists who don’t know any better and fawning mini-breakers feeding each other asparagus and licking the butter of each other’s fingers before they run back upstairs to bed?”

Mr Greedy’s question proved that we had been married too long, and therefore fell somewhere between both camps.

“No,” I said, taking a deep breath, “they’ve got a new chef called Dom Chapman who’s quite a big deal. He’s on the TV a lot, cooking some delicious looking things on Great British Menu, and has renamed the restaurant The Kitchen.

“Besides, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of asparagus. It is seasonal after all.”

We took some friends in the end, fearing the slightly stuffy atmosphere, scraping plates and silver service, the breath-quickening prices, the sound dampening white tablecloths and hushed conversation.

In the end we needn’t have worried. The Feathers, it seems, has had something of a transformation. Gone are the tableclothes for a start. Nice wooden tables and chairs, people talking, youngsters able to keep their hands off each other, cheerful staff, laughing and talking, colourful art on the wall.

It has changed from being a ‘special occasion’ place to somewhere you could quite happily pop into for dinner.

Gone too are the long taster menus, replaced by Dom Chapman’s more down-to-earth offerings, which veered towards the traditional. Leek and potato soup with croutons for example (£6), Black Angus ribeye with spinach, fries and peppercorn sauce (£25), steamed Cornish mussels in a cider cream with fries (£14.95). Affordable at last and on par with places like Gee’s rather than The Ritz.

But more than that, the food was spectacular. Almost faultless. Everyone was stunned, and immediately began organising when to come back. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

We had gin cocktails, of course, in the bar, some bread and olives while we looked at the menu, and chose the chicken liver and foie gras parfait with hazelnuts, sweet wine jelly and brioche (£9.95), which emerged as a picture perfect slice of soft, sweet pate, some clear jellied cubes and the brioche, tasting divine.

The Wye Valley asparagus (well, here’s hoping) with crispy duck egg, chorizo and pea shoot salad, (£9.95) was the only false note, the asparagus being thin and pithy, but the wood pigeon breast, watercress, quail egg, beetroot, candied walnuts and pickled girolles (£9.25) was another delightful dish.

By this stage everyone was sitting up in their chairs and paying attention. There was a subtle shift, a reverence, an appreciation, a realisation that this was very much worth the visit.

The Cornish cod with baby gem, sweet peas, broad beans, spring onion and radish (£22) proved this further, the delicate fish cooked to perfection in its spring like get-up. The Old Spot pork belly with braised carrots, onions, pancetta and apple sauce (£19.95), was a sweet, crunchy taste of England.

The lamb with spiced aubergines, tenderstem broccoli, cucumber and yoghurt was a lovely, new slant. But astonishingly it was the tagliatelle of wild mushrooms with tarragon, parmesan and a garlic crumb (£15.50) that won hands down. Rich but light, crunchy but smooth, its depth of flavour was magnificent and everyone who tasted it wanted more. Very clever to change the banal into the unexpected and a true sign of a great chef.

Pudding the sea of mango and passion fruit mousse with a coconut tuile was so hedonistic I wanted to rush off and buy a one-way ticket to Hawaii. The hot hazelnuts, pecan and walnut tart with tonka bean ice cream (£6.95) was more traditional but equally adept, the soft, sugary tart more akin to a German apple cake with a bite of the nut and the soft cold ice cream.

A triumph from start to finish then.

Dom Chapman has really made his mark and his efforts should be appreciated. So don’t be scared. Venture in.

As for the asparagus situation: that’s none of your business.

The Feathers, Market Street, Woodstock, Oxfordshire

OX20 1SX

Telephone: 01993 812 291

feathers.co.uk

Opening hours: lunch 12-2.30pm

Afrernoon Tea: 3pm-5pm

Dinner 6.30pm-9pm

Staff of note: exec chef Dom Chapman, head chef Wojciech Chodurcki, hotel manager Chris Dee

Try the: Feathers Traditional Tea £18