The Milkshed, Weston-on-the-Green

Captain Scott deserved two lunches before setting off on his fateful mission to the Antarctic, as did David Walliams before donning his wetsuit and swimming the Thames, or Eddie Izzard as he embarked on his 43 marathons in 51 days . . . but I had no such excuse.

Except for hauling the odd box around the attic of a Sunday afternoon, my two lunches were a direct result of unadulterated greed, pure and simple, mixed in with a bit of sangfroid and a total lack of restraint and/or shame. Not that I regretted it, even though by suppertime I was still acutely uncomfortable.

You’ll understand when you’ve visited The Milkshed in Weston-on-the-Green, which used to be Godwins Ice Cream Parlour and is now a Cornish-style café/ restaurant/deli/ice cream shop thanks to Lucie Greenwood who opened up at Easter and has been run off her feet ever since.

Hardly surprising considering the gorgeous decor and heavenly food she’s serving, complete with take-away deli counter and tiny gourmet shop. My appetite was whetted early on Saturday morning after Mr Greedy had disappeared on some spurious all-day Grand National pub crawl and we were left to fend for ourselves. The combination of brunch, ice cream, and spring lambs frolicking in the countryside fitted the bill perfectly. And we weren’t disappointed.

In fact, you could stay there all day whiling your time away eating their gorgeous cakes and drinking the fabulous coffee at the assortment of scrubbed wooden tables, sofas and milking stools, all decorated in gentle muted colours.

While the kids gorged on the gorgeous home-made ice-cream (a two-scoop cone costs £3.20 and keeps them occupied for hours if they can ever decide on a flavour, with daily options such as banana fudge and Eton mess to choose from), we drank lattés, tried the Nutella brownie and marvelled at the ricotta pancakes with banana and honeycomb butter.

But it wasn’t enough. Having seen the menu I needed more, so re-appeared the following day for lunch with the shell of a man formerly known as my husband. He opted for the smoked haddock chowder with crispy lardons and toast, while I chose the roasted courgette, onion and cheddar tart with salad. Mine came as a huge, juicy delicious slice accompanied by a succulent portion of couscous salad. The kids had toasties and more ice cream.

So far so good. But then Mr Greedy offered me some of his soup and once I tried it I knew I was doomed. There was no way I could settle for a spoonful. I needed a whole bowl so grabbed Lucie and ordered another chowder just for me. Her eyes widened a little, but she understood: she alone knew how good it was and even though every mouthful was a struggle, I can’t remember the last time I had soup this good – proper chunks of fish in a rich, smoky, fragrant broth which I ate with eyes closed.

I had to be helped to the car after that and needed a long lie down when we got home. The attic will have to wait for a less gluttonous weekend, but with The Milkshed in such close proximity, it might be a while.

Opening times: 8.30am–5pm Tuesday to Saturday, and 9.30am –5pm Sunday. Closed Monday.
 Parking: Lots – round the farm
Key personnel: Lucie Greenwood, owner, waitress, and chief bottle-washer and her lovely team of waitresses.
Make sure you try the... Eggs benedict: £4.50; Milk Shed club sandwich – charred chicken breast, pancetta, Gruyère, slow- roast tomatoes, basil mayo and rocket – £7.50; children’s sausage toad in the hole, mash and ketchup £4; green pea and hamhock soup with toasted sourdough £5.50.
In ten words: You’ll want to move in. If so, see you there!