FOR many living in north Essex, Dedham is the place you aspire to if you somehow manage to grow both old and rich.

So it seems logical eating there, in a picturesque restaurant overlooking the river, where hundreds come to relax every weekend, would be expensive.

But the delicious three-course meal at the Boathouse Restaurant cost little more than a trip to a High Street chain.

My only real quibble was with my starter, duck with hoi sin noodles.

The shredded duck itself was pretty bland, and could have easily been replaced with ham or something similar, although the sauce itself was tangy enough to be enjoyable.

On the other hand, my girlfriend was handed a succulent, chunky hock of ham, setting the scene for the rest of the meal.

My roast pork chop was so big it covered the entire plate, forcing the Welsh rarebit mash and delicious chutney to hide underneath.

Meanwhile, the other half was tackling her haddock with leek mash, greens and egg, occasionally expressing delight at finding even more fish.

By this point, a few large parties had arrived, and the service got pretty slow.

This was surely a good thing, as I was taking time to digest the chips with lime and cracked peppercorn mayonnaise I had ordered as a side.

The puddings, a pecan tart with ice cream and a double chocolate marshmallow brownie, like everything before, were tasty and huge.

As I slowly rolled myself home, I reflected this place must be the key to being able to afford to live in Dedham. One meal like this, and you won’t have to eat for the rest of the day.