THE town centre in Worthing may not be the most trendy place on the south coast for a night out.

But there was a surprisingly chipper atmosphere in the Corner House pub, maybe a little poorly-named as it sits next to a roundabout.

I have spent many wild evenings in the nearby Lidl gorging on Sunny Delight and reduced items from the bakery section.

But I decided to treat myself and Mrs PubSpy by getting some proper pub grub.

It was either that or the Waitrose cafe opposite, but my wife always gets her way.

Upon entering we were greeted with some warm decor, with plenty of tables cosily packed into the pub.

The view outside may not be particularly beautiful, but the interior furnishings more than made up for that.

After plonking ourselves down near the door... and slightly regretting it thanks to an incessant breeze... we cast our eyes down the menu.

Good rustic food at reasonable prices was just what we needed after a long day watching Homes Under the Hammer. I can only imagine how exhausted Dion Dublin was making it.

Since I am on a health kick, I decided to order the roast cauliflower strudel, while the wife went for the classic ham, egg and chips.

We both grabbed a tasty pint of Punk IPA each, just what the doctor ordered.

Actually, he explicitly advised against it, but it is fun to break the rules.

All in all that order came to £35, a bit on the pricey side drinks-wise but certainly worth it for the taste.

But then disaster struck.

An enthusiastic waitress came over to break some bad news.

The kitchen had run out of ham. Though I sympathised for my wife, it was nice to see someone else disappoint her for once.

But I felt indignant. If I was Prime Minister, every pub would be stacked with more gammon than an episode of Question Time.

Churchill would not have stood for a ham shortage. I decided I would not either.

But before I could get up to deliver a rousing speech that almost certainly would have ended in a meat-motivated revolt, Mrs PubSpy ordered a burger.

I had to release the pressure valve somehow, so I scampered over to the toilet.

But I was startled to see a life-sized portrait of what was presumably an elderly relative of the landlord staring back at me from the bathroom door.

After that scare, I headed inside and was pleasantly surprised. Spotless and functional, just how I like my bathrooms.

Just as I walked back to the table, our food arrived and I was ready to tuck in.

My strudel was delicious, a mishmash of mashed vegetables and delightfully light pastry. The roasted baby carrots and peas on the side were a bonus. I did not miss meat at all.

But my wife’s burger looked delicious. She was clearly enjoying herself, which made me a bit jealous.

We were hungry and scoffed our food down within ten minutes, most likely attracting the gaze of horrified onlookers. They clearly did not expect Man v Food.

With pot-bellies protruding, we decided to go for another drink.

This time we fancied a cider, opting for some Wild Wave. At £4.70 a pop, it went down rather well.

We decided to walk outside to the beer garden, which was absolutely delightful.

Fairy lights were strung up across the trees, revellers were chuckling, and there were even heat lamps dotted around to stave off the cold.

I felt rather warm inside, which I immediately fought against by taking a glug of ice-cold cider.

You could do far worse than pay a visit to the Corner House.