I LOVE Sunday lunch. The one day in the week when my husband and our four children finally get to sit down and eat at the same time as each other.
 
But the only problem with preparing Sunday lunch is that, by the time we return home from various sporting events, it is 4pm before the meat can go into the oven and a large meal before bed isn't exactly the best thing for the younger Gallaghers.
 
So, after a few strained Sundays with washing-up being completed around midnight, I decided enough was enough and booked us into a restaurant for the weekly dining experience.
 
However, by the time our 15-year-old had finished his stint as a football referee and our 11-year-old had scored the final goal in a breath-taking cup match which went into extra time, it was getting on for 5pm.
 
Luckily, the Barking Frog, in Southport, is still serving roasts long into the night on a Sunday. And after spending several hours on the touchline on a windy afternoon I was cold and hungry. My spirits immediately soared when we entered the restaurant and saw the warming tones of the pumpkin coloured walls and waxed pine tables. Very seasonal. The welcome from the waitress was equally as warm.
 
Sadly, our two eldest sons at 11 and 15 no longer qualified for the children's menu which is served for under-10s (from £3.95) but it did mean that with four of us paying for the set three course meal at £16.95 we did qualify for a free litre of perfectly quaffable red house wine.
 
The set menu offered a selection of six starters and seven main courses including a roast. Despite the tempting array of dishes, we wasted no time in making our selection.
 
Three of us chose homemade soup of carrot and sweet potato, which was served, with a good hunk of crusty bread and butter.
 
And, without even asking, seconds of bread appeared on the table.
 
The dish was a tasty earthy soup with a hint of robust sweetness which proved to be just the ticket.