MUCH like the man who captivated the 1981 Ashes series with that performance at Headingley, and whom the Ageas Bowl’s signature restaurant is named after, there is something rather captivating about Beefy’s.

Much like Sir Ian Botham himself, there is a healthy helping of bravado and bluster in its initial appearance, as well as behind the eyes.

The menu is bold and no holds barred. The wine list, as you would expect from a Botham-backed eatery, is substantial and wide-ranging.

Yet among the big slabs of meat and rich, valorous flavours, there is also a degree of elegance and finesse coursing through Beefy’s. Like the man himself, perhaps, a mercurial and, at times, intimidating character, there is a touch of genuine class when you delve deeper.

Which is exactly what we did on the Easter Bank Holiday Monday, arriving at a venue that, just hours before, had hosted the conclusion of Hampshire’s maiden County Championship match of 2017.

It is a soaring arena, flanked by the Hilton Hotel across one stand, the home of Beefy’s.

It was a quiet night, though, as we ordered a bottle of Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc (£30) in front of the sprawling glass framing the outfield. It was a wonderful setting on a spring evening and the crisp, moreish New Zealand Marlborough underpinned what was to come.

Browsing the menu, Sir Ian seeped from every dish – quintessentially British a la carte which, like Botham’s batting, was as hard hitting as it was elegant.

My homemade potato dumplings, slow roasted pheasant, crisp confit leg bon-bon and lemon pesto (£7) was generous in its helping, perhaps too much so for some, but supported the British accent beautifully. The pheasant melted in the mouth and its surprising delicacy was underpinned by a wonderful crunch from the dumplings.

But the real century-maker on the plate was the lemon pesto, adding a real zing to the dish. I would have liked more of it.

My partner’s hot smoked loch salmon, beetroot and horseradish remoulade (£7), paid homage to another Botham pastime as it arrived, rather spectacularly, inside a smoking hot fly-fishing tin. Ideal in size and cooked to perfection, she found the smokiness a little overpowering, although the dry feel to the dish was offset well by the freshness of the beetroot and fire of the horseradish.

There were some tempting cuts of meat giving me the eyes from the menu, including a monstrous 20oz bull’s head steak at £35. Not quite feeling brave enough to tackle such an enormous cut, though, I opted for the cutlet and confit belly of lamb, grape mustard mash, shaved Berkswell and minted pan jus at £13.50, while my partner selected the more manageable 8oz fillet beef, slow roasted plum tomato and Hampshire watercress (£28).

Both dishes were cooked well and the lamb, in particular was beautifully complemented by the rich minted pan jus. The star of the show, though, was the grape running through the mash. Truly inspiring.

My partner’s triple cooked fries with truffle and Old Winchester cheese (£3.95) added some decadent clout to her dish, meanwhile.

Wanting to continue the bold Botham trend, I chose the white chocolate, cranberry bread, butter pudding with pouring cream (£6.95) for dessert, while my partner went down a similar path with the steamed pear and ginger sponge, poached fig and vanilla custard (£6.95).

The rich, sweet white chocolate in my bread worked superbly with the sharpness of the cranberries, while the eye-popping ginger note in the sponge was the evening’s standout performer.

Like the man whose signature adorns the literature here, Beefy’s is not for the faint-hearted. It’s bold, it’s brash, it’s British and it’s rich in flavour. But also like Sir Ian Botham, it’s a real winner.