Go for a meal at a meadery and you expect certain things.

Mead to drink, obviously – it's in the name after all.

Low level lighting for that essential medieval atmosphere is another given, along with food you can eat with your hands. (Essentially, my six-year-old daughter's dream meal, where she doesn't have to bother with a knife and fork, and no one can really see if she doesn't clear her plate.)

Happily, both she and I can confirm that the new Helston Meadery, in Wendron Street next to Helston's Flora Cinema, can tick all those boxes and more.

There are some dishes that have become meadery traditions, so for our first visit there wasn't really much doubt what we were going to go for: I went for barbecue ribs, while the husband opted for the classic 'chicken in the rough'.

We weren't alone: at least half of the meals I saw being brought out appeared to be the chicken, which I'm pleased to report does come served in a wooden bowl.

Chicken in the rough is a firm meadery favourite

'Chicken in the rough' is a firm meadery favourite

If you were fancying something a bit different you could instead opt for scampi, fish and chips or perhaps a Boston chicken burger, or for seafood lovers prawn salad or smoke mackerel. Vegetarian options include cream cheese-filled sweet cherry peppers and a vegetarian lasagne.

There are also a range of starters, and we shared a bowl of fiery chicken wings while we waited for our mains, which were on the right side of 'warming' for a heat wuss like me to enjoy while still being tasty.

Portion sizes for the mains are plentiful, with lots of meat in the both chicken and rib dishes to satisfy a hardcore carnivore, plus chips and a side salad. Children's portions are also generous, with my daughter's chicken goujons – which were delicious, with fresh crispy tempura batter and quality tasting chicken – enough to fill her and cater for pinching parents.

The sticky barbecue spare ribs

The sticky barbecue spare ribs

My ribs were exactly what I was hoping for, with plenty of sweet sticky sauce; there's nothing more disappointing than a dried up rack of ribs. The husband appeared equally satisfied with the chicken, and even proffered me a leg (now, now) so I can also attest to its moist meat and a slightly salted, crispy coated skin.

Sadly after all that we could only manage one pudding between us, opting for the death by chocolate – warm cake, plenty of sauce – but we could also have gone for Mississippi mud pie, apple crumble and sticky toffee pudding among a ten-strong dessert list.

Death by chocolate to finish the meal

'Death by chocolate' to finish the meal

The restaurant isn't breaking any new ground – but who would want it to? It's that traditional meadery experience we know and love that makes it a firm favourite again and again.

  • Helston Meadery is open seven days a week, from 5pm through to last orders at 9.30pm. See its Facebook page for booking details or call 01326 569900.

READ NEXT: I N PICTURES - Inside the new Helston Meadery as it prepares to open to customers