GOOD food at reasonable prices is the best way to describe the meals on offer at Harvester.
Not many companies give you the opportunity to get your fruit and veg “five a day” and don’t charge you for the privilege.
And while you’re feeling pleased with yourself after digging into a complimentary bowl of everything from lettuce, cucumber and tomato to sweet peppers, potato salad and pineapple, the main menu helpfully tells you how many calories each meal you are about to order contains.
And there are certainly some devilishly good things to tempt you.
Harvester has two branches in Crawley - the newest opened on the Leisure Park in November - and, when you are counting every penny, it is always good to find a restaurant that doesn’t cost a fortune and offers more than mass-produced fast food.
After mopping up my salad dressing with a mini bread roll, I opted for the fresh melon (70cals) for starter while my companion went for the potato skins with cheese and bacon (300cals).
Not only was I already winning in the “who’s absorbed the least calories” contest but I had a deliciously sweet strawberry sliced up with my melon. What more could a person ask?
I’m told the potato skins were “cooked perfectly” and the cheese and bacon went a long to whetting the appetite for the next course.
I opted for the 12oz gammon steak with a fried egg on top (570cals), though substituting the egg for a pineapple ring would have been just 480cals.
But there are times when a person just has to have an egg with their gammon - and I’d had the non-fattening melon so was still feeling very good about the size of the meal.
Harvester gives you a choice of sauces and sides to go with your meal and I chose the parsley with creme fraiche (40cals), which had a delightful kick to it, and a jacket potato (260cals).
Looking back, the baby potatoes would have been a much healthier option at 110cals but I’d already surrendered the high ground when it came to picking what was good for me, so a fluffy jacket potato it was.
My companion, who by now had given up on calorie counting and was determined to try things he knew he would enjoy, went for the combine harvester.
Ideal for meat-lovers, the dish offers soit-roast chicken, flame-grilled chicken and chicken wings with a pork sausage thrown in for good measure.
Add to this the corn on the cob, some delicious onion rings and sour cream and chive dip and you’re looking at 800cals a serving.
He chose to have it with a Jack Daniels sauce (100cals) and seasoned fries (380cals).
A whopping meal by anyone’s standards which left him so full he didn’t need to eat until the next day.
But he described it as “succulent and packed with taste and I can’t recommend the Jack Daniels sauce highly enough”.
We both sensibly agreed that indulging in a dessert would have been unwise and a bit greedy, but there were plenty on offer.
From ice cream to apple tart to dangerous-looking sundaes, there is something for even the sweetest of sweet tooths.
There are also a selection of additional menus, including a children’s menu, a takeaway menu and a weekend brunch menu.
As well as the excellent food, another reason to pick Harvester for a family meal is the atmosphere in the restauarnt itself.
Some places insist on playing “background” music which is so loud you can barely hear yourself think let alone indulge in conversation, but at Harvester the music does not intrude on the meal.
Then there’s the price. For a starter and main course for two people, excluding drinks, you can expect to see change from £30. The salad, as mentioned, is free.
That’s not bad for a meal that is likely to see you through the day.