"THOU shall not say no to a free steak."

When Moses descended from Mount Sinai, that was almost certainly one of the commandments he had written down on his slate, not least because it made a nice change to all that manna.

So, remembering my days at a C of E school and not wanting to transgress, I accepted local publican Jonathan Spencer's invitation to try a Chateaubriand roast sharing board for two at The Hunters Inn, Romsey.

And it was a good job I did, because it was delicious.

READ MORE: Hampshire country pub to reopen under new ownership

Cheest cauliflower (Image: Sebastian Haw) The Hunters, which Jonathan has recently added to the growing portfolio of Hampshire pubs he owns or runs, is a lovely pub on the northerly edge of town.

Outside, it was prime pub weather – miserable – and we gratefully snuggled into our seats to be expertly served by the waiting team, almost all of whom have been directly transplanted from The Dolphin in Hursley, which Jonathan used to run but now doesn't.

Onto the steak.

When it came out, it looked mouthwatering, but not necessarily like the most abundant Sunday roast you could wish for. This was unnerving, because there is nothing worse than a paltry roast.

Our fears were soon assuaged, though – beneath the big slabs of rare meat was a hoard of roast potatoes, 'snips, carrots, broccoli and red and green cabbage. About halfway through we were already done for.

We soldiered on. Along with the roast came a golden bowl of cheesy cauliflower, which we dutifully devoured along with the Yorkshire puddings, all drenched in gravy.

There are few things comparable to the feeling of utter helplessness one feels when there is not enough gravy to accompany a roast.

This was not an issue at The Hunters. There were lashings of the stuff in two big tureens. It's actually remarkable there was enough to cover the copiousness of the food.

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For those who can't eat gluten, like my dining companion, The Hunters is well prepared to substitute your Yorkies with a gluten-free version.

Oh, and the Yorkshires had stuffing in them too.

The Chateaubriand comes in at a hefty £65, but there are other sharer options starting from £36, and I can assure you you won't go home hungry. 

All in all, this is what you want and expect from a roast – tastiness and plenteousness – and we waddled home content.