The Greyhound at Besselsleigh once slaked the thirst of cars as well as their drivers and passengers - to which end a petrol pump stood sentinel to the left of the front door. I don't recall using it myself, but no doubt others found it a useful facility, if a slightly dangerous one. Did you go in and order a couple of gallons at the bar? It would have made for a very heavy session if the request had been misunderstood.

The pump, of course, has long gone, along with almost all the others in rural Britain - something else we have to thank the bloody supermarkets for. The traffic still rolls relentlessly by along the A420, though, heavier than ever these days. Passing trade, no doubt, accounts for a considerable part of the Greyhound's business. But its proximity to expanding centres of population at Oxford and Abingdon - and, indeed, Witney too - make it a popular destination for those fancying a taste of the country life.

On warmer days its large garden comes into its own. There are a number of tables on the lawn, as well as some placed in a more neatly organised way along a stretch of decking laid during the latest improvements to the pub carried out last year. This turned the place into a Blubeckers, a 15-strong chain, which makes much of its offer to provide "great fresh food". A leaflet I picked up boasted: "Blubeckers Eating Houses are full of character and charm and are renowned for their warmth of welcome, friendly, attentive staff and great quality, fresh food. Every meal is prepared from scratch and cooked to order in our kitchens by chefs who love what they do. It matters to us that we serve the very best ingredients, so we buy from local and regional suppliers wherever we possibly can."

So a lot of the right buttons are being pushed then - and to good effect. Testimonies to the qualities of the place have reached me from various sources - one while I was giving half an armful of blood at my doctor's surgery last month.

Rosemarie and I chose to make our own assessment on a visit last Friday lunchtime, when it looked as if it might be possible to put one of those outdoor tables to good use. Looked, but not felt. A distinct chill in the air meant the only customers outside were ones with dogs and ones with dog-ends - by which I mean smokers.

(Soon, of course, outdoor users of pubs are going to be putting up with smokers all around them. An absurd aspect of July's change in the law is that it takes no account of the fact that smoke carried on the open air is hugely more irritating than the sort that's sucked away by an efficient extraction system.) That "friendly and attentive staff" were present here was obvious from the start. Astute, too, for the young lady who welcomed us led us straight to the table - in a corner overlooking the patio - that I would eventually have chosen had I spent my usual 15 minutes hopping from one to another. Food ordering was not a lengthy process, since Rosemarie was planning to try the Simple Set Menu, as it's styled, and I had already chosen from the menu that's posted on Blubeckers' web site.

There was a slight delay over my choice when the starter-sized portion of roasted Mediterranean vegetable pasta that I fancied was not listed - only the main course one, at £9.95. But the manager was asked, and he said I could have one for £5.95. This was a pound more than it had been on the website, but eminently worth it. The pasta was gargenelli, made with egg and rolled into the shape of a quill. It had an excellent slippery texture. Red, orange and green peppers, red onions and courgettes were the vegetables, and there was also a sprinkling of pine-nuts.

Rosemarie went for the home-made soup, a generous bowl of tomato and basil, served with two big chunks of toasted ciabatta. The other starter options on her menu were fresh melon and fruits, goat's cheese tart, calamari, and feta and vegetable salad.

On the main menu there were a number of interesting starters, including mussels in Thai green curry sauce, crayfish, crab and rocket salad, and spare ribs - only for the very hungry, one presumes.

On this subject, I was impressed with the size of the burger meals and steaks on their way to tables around us. Clearly they cater for trencherpersons as well as gourmets here.

Wishing to try fish myself, I was able to choose from fish pie (Rosemarie fancied this - except for the carrot and parsnip mash topping), tuna steak, baked salmon and baked fillets of sea bass. I chose the last, and it was excellent. There were two fillets, served on wilted pak choi, with ginger and spring onions, hoi sin sauce, garlicky crushed potatoes and vegetables (broccoli, carrots and cauliflower).

Out of curiosity, I also ordered a mixed salad - leaves, baby tomatoes, red onions, shredded carrots. I expected a free-flowing dressing to coat this, but there was only a herby mayonnaise - the sort people like with their burgers, I suppose.

Rosemarie chose steak, ale and Stilton pie, which was fine in all respects (the rich gravy especially), except that the meat could have done with another couple of hours' cooking.

To finish, she ordered a pudding of chocolate brownies, with chocolate sauce and Bailey's cream. I had hoped for a taste of this gigantic feast, but it vanished during the three minutes I was away in the loo. Explaining this, she said: "I ate it quickly, so I didn't feel guilty for so long."