RUNNING A GREAT RESTAURANT requires real commitment, and you can’t be more committed than Louth’s Steven Legg.

Born in Middlesborough, the chef relocated to Lincolnshire in 2007 purely because he appreciated the county’s attitude to food. “Lincolnshire provides a great quality of life, it’s quiet, friendly.” says Steve. “But what really appealed was its love of good food.”

Arriving via Edinburgh, where he met and married wife, business partner and front of house star Aileen, the couple found they both loved Louth as the town really does have good food at its heart, with independent delicatessens and suppliers like McLeods, The Cheese Shop, Pocklingtons and butchers like Meridian Meats and Fairburns.

It seemed like the ideal place to start a restaurant where the quality of the cuisine was the most important consideration.

“The idea was quality.” says Steve. “When I go to a restaurant, the food I?eat should be prepared to use local ingredients to reflect a knowledge of food that in turn reflects the area and the season.”

Steven stresses that the food he prepares is all made in-house, from his home made bread  — “It’s time-consuming but easy when you get the hang of it, and well-worth it!” — to the venue’s home made ice creams and sorbets.

“Customers come to a restaurant to dine not just on good ingredients but on the chef’s expertise too.” says Steve. “If they come here to dine, everything should be prepared by the chef, nothing should be bought in.”

The restaurant is located on Louth’s Upgate, smartly presented from the outside and intimate on the inside with bespoke soft furnishings.

Opening in October 2007, the restaurant is named after the couple’s daughter, a graphic designer of not inconsiderable talents. Trained in Lincoln and currently working as a teacher in Grimsby, Melanie is responsible for the restaurant’s branding and its menus, which are as clean and well-considered as the food itself.

Open from Wednesday to Sunday, lunchtime service is from 12.00-2pm, with extended service for Sunday lunch.

A?lunchtime menu offers four starter dishes, which, during our visit, features Steve’s own version of Lincolnshire Haslet, pictured here, served with Apple Chutney. It’s stronger, with more depth and flavour than a conventional Lincolnshire haslet, and sits alongside soup and salad options on the menu.

Main courses include Venison Sausage, Breast of Free Range Chicken and Lincolnshire Pork Belly with Honey Glaze, pictured on our opening spread.

Three puddings are offered including the venue’s home-made ice creams, and the cost of lunch at the restaurant is a wholly reasonable £7.95 or £10.95.

A dedicated Sunday lunch menu, meanwhile, provides the same four starters, five main courses and four puddings, with a traditional Roast Rib of Lincolnshire Beef at the heart of the menu.

Evening dining takes place from 6.30 midweek, 7.30 on Friday and Saturday evenings, with diners able to choose midweek or à la carte dining. Steve says that the restaurant’s à la carte dishes are of the highest quality, but refutes that Melanies is a fine dining establishment.

“We’re not fine dining. We’re a quality restaurant. We produce excellent food using local produce, but we’re in it for the love of food, not to have our egos satisfied. It’s all about the customer and all about providing an enjoyable experience.”

That experience begins with a warm welcome from front of house Aileen. The 40-seater restaurant has a small but welcoming bar area leading down into the restaurant.

À la carte diners can then choose between six starters, seven main courses and six puddings including an assiette of desserts in miniature and a cheese plate of local cheeses including Cote Hill, Dambuster and Poacher. Coffee with truffles — again hand made in house — follows.

Menus change seasonally, and include mainstays like Steven’s enormously popular Lincolnshire Haslet and Seared Scallops, for starters. Popular main courses include Pepper Crusted Venison, served with a thick, dark, red wine gravy and creamy mash, Pan Roasted Duck with shallots and mushroom, and Slow Roasted Lincolnshire Belly Pork with a garlic rub.

Two fish dishes, a vegetarian option and Lincoln Red Beef are permanent features of the menu, and all main course dishes are served with seasonal vegetables with no surcharge.

To accompany, renowned supplier Townend has created a list of wines with everything from accessible new world wines to Bollinger champagne at £100, and with wines available both by glass and bottle.

One final tip; end your meal with one of Steve’s ice creams. Whilst the restaurant’s Rhubarb Panna Cotta is refreshing and light, the Cambridge Cream rich and delicious, its flavours of home made ice creams such as Honey & Vanilla and Disaronno, and sorbets flavoured with local apples or lemon which keep customers coming back for more.

“It’s easier to create good food when you’ve good ingredients.” says Steve. “We work with Lakings of Louth, Meridian Meats, Lincolnshire Wild Venison, Rich Pastures and J Shaw and Son among others to ensure we bring not only high quality food to our customers, but the best local suppliers too.”

It’s this approach that has most impressed the panel of judges at the recent Tastes of Lincolnshire awards. Steve and Aileen’s hard work over the past four years has definitely paid off, and a trip to Melanies is highly recommended.