COUNTRY pubs don’t come much more picturesque than the Woolpack – a grade two listed, thatched riverside building dating from the 1780s.

The pub, on the edge of the New Forest at Sopley, recently acquired new licensees who emphasise fresh, home-cooked food from locally sourced ingredients.

Debbie and Duane Lewis took the place in December on a 20-year lease from pub company Stonegate.

The pub has a strong local following and is a destination pub for those from further afield. In the winter, its exposed brick and wood beams make for a traditional warm welcome, and for warmer weather there is a spacious beer garden.

Through their business Country Inns (Southern) Limited, the Lewises already run the Trusty Servant at Minstead; the Royal Oak, Beaulieu; another Royal Oak, at Downwton near Lymington; the Mortimer Arms near Paultons; the Bold Forester, Marchwood; and New Forest inn, Emery Down. But each has an individual identity.

“We let our chefs really do the menu themselves, working closely with our front of house team,” says Debbie.

The Woolpack’s general manager, Nick Hill, came to the business from the Cat and Fiddle at Hinton, while head chef Jamie Haynes has been with the Lewises for nine years.

“People have the pub menu but then they have an opportunity to try something really different,” says Debbie.

“The chefs like to see what’s in season. They flex their muscles and come up with something really nice and unusual and perhaps a little bit different from other pubs.”

The a pub classics menu will contain such dishes as fish and chips; ham, egg and chips; and a traditional pie.

“There are those sorts of things but then it’s nice to have a sea bass or seafood tagliatelle or they like to use the fish that come in the day and do something different with those,” says Debbie.

“It’s all prepared on the premises. Our chefs do everything from scratch, they don’t buy in anything, so even the pub classics are freshly cooked to order.”

Ingredients are as local as it’s possible to get, including produce from nearby Sopley Farm.

Menus change regularly, but examples of main courses include home-made faggots with truffle oil mash, mulled red cabbage, gravy and onion, for £14.99; creamed butternut squash risotto for £12.99; a tandoori chicken supreme for £15.99; a steak and Ringwood ale pie for £16.50; and pan-fried calf’s liver with bubble and squeak cake, winter greens and bacon for £14.99.

Tuesday is curry night and on Thursday there is a steak night deal. On Sundays, there are at least three roasts and a vegetarian option.

The Woolpack also has a two-course lunch menu offering several choices of a substantial main course and dessert for £12.99, from Monday to Friday.

For little ones, there is a Tiny Tums menu, priced at £7.99.

The Woolpack boasts quality drink as well as food, with a selection of real ales, three lagers and two ciders and an extensive wine list.

The pub is dog friendly, with free treats for the canines, and makes the ideal place to enjoy a river walk, or to start or finish exploring the Forest.

The Woolpack is at Sopley, Christchurch BH23 7AX. Reservations can be made via 01425 672252 or info@thewoolpacksopley.co.uk and the pub is online at thewoolpacksopley.co.uk