There can be few greater joys in life than tucking into a roast dinner after a long country walk with man’s best friend.

Fortunately for us here in the Garden of England there are no shortage of top pubs to enjoy a spot of Sunday lunch after one of Kent’s many great rambles.

But when it comes to dining with a four-legged friend present it’s not always clear if he or she is welcome at the pit-stop too.

Many of the great coastal pubs we’d visited recently in Thanet or Deal proudly display stickers in their window indicating whether they are a dog-friendly or not, but I’ve seen far less of this in my northern corner of the county.

This can prove particularly cumbersome if, like our very own lockdown pup, they are not overly used to crowded set-ups and socialising indoors.

So when we found out the Black Horse Inn at Thurnham, near Bearsted, had in recent times added a designated dog-friendly restaurant, aptly named the “Dog Loft”, this sounded like the answer to our particular canine conundrum.

The family-run drinking hole sits squarely on the Pilgrims Way, just a stones throw away from White Horse Wood Country Park at the foot of the North Downs, making it a prime location for a dog walk followed by Sunday lunch.

And so shortly after 3pm on the Lord’s Day we arrived with our ever enthusiastic four-year-old Labrador Mia.

As we stepped inside the place was absolutely heaving with regular punters at the bar area tussling to refill their jars, as well as those dining in the adjoining restaurant area.

Thankfully we’d made a booking and after checking in with one of the hostesses we were promptly shown upstairs to our separate doggy dining experience.

However, if our destination had ever been in doubt it was soon made abundantly clear with the furry clientelle awaiting us making themselves heard well before we’d made our ascent to the top.

Given our reservations about our slightly anxious Lab we had requested a quieter part of the venue which was tucked away in the corner of the loft and sadly lacked the space of the other tables reserved for bigger bookings.

But what our booth lacked in natural light and space the pub itself certainly made up for in atmosphere with characterful wooden beams and barrels and ceilings adorned with hops - although there were a few rogue signs in our section which looked like they were simply filling a void.

Nevertheless, every nook and cranny seemed to hold its own secret and the old-school pub placemats gave off homely vibes.

The menu itself is predominately upmarket pub grub with the usual suspects of bangers and mash, pies and the oh so tempting slow braised pork belly.

But this was Sunday so there was only ever one choice to make here: beef, chicken or lamb roast?

I’d put the hard yards in today so I treated myself to a combo of both the beef and lamb to be accompanied by a pint of the black stuff.

My meal came served with roast potatoes, carrots and a giant yorkshire pud, surrounded by a moat of gravy.

Served on the side were two generous sharing portions of broccoli and cauliflower cheese.

From the very first bite it was not hard to see why these guys have been given the nod for food gongs recently.

I’d ordered my meat well done and have regretted such a decision before - but not this time.

Both the beef and the lamb, like everything else on the plate, sliced with ease and each mouthful left me salivating for more.

The generous coating of gravy only added to the flavour as I mopped up every last piece.

But the real test of any great roast, as any Sunday lunch aficionado will know, is whether or not the spuds are up to spec.

I’m pleased to say not only were these roast potatoes golden and crispy on the outside they were also fluffy in the middle. My only complaint was there wasn’t enough, but then when is there ever?

Another plus point for me was mention on the menu of where my food actually came from with efforts to source all the produce on my plate as locally as possible.

Overall, we found the atmosphere in the pub to be relaxed and jovial and we relished the opportunity to dine in with our slightly overzealous pup who looked on even more enviously after sampling a snippet of the beef.

Roasts are served every Sunday between midday and 5pm and there are other parts of the pub not reserved for diners and their canine companions.

Out of five:

Food: This was one of the best Sunday roasts I’ve had for quite some time. They got all the basics right while also giving their own take with the side accompaniments *****

Drink: My Guinness had a proper head on it and it went down a treat with my meal so there can be no complaints. If you’re looking to be more adventurous there are all kinds of lager options on tap. ****

Decor: This is an Aladdin’s Cave of a pub, albeit with one or two eccentric anomalies. ****

Staff: Many appeared rushed off their feet as it really was exceptionally busy but our servers were attentive to us and understanding of our slightly nervy dog. ***

Price: Prices start at £18.50 for a single meat roast, or two mixed for £23.50 which for the quality and portion size I thought was more than reasonable ****