WHEN it comes to feeding the family, occasionally there’s a time for gourmet and a time for adventure, but there also comes a time when only pizza will do.

So, there I was on a wet and windy evening, trying to pack for a family trip, due to depart in the wee small hours of the following morning, with two tired and hungry children nagging me for dinner, a husband running-late from work and zilch in the fridge, let alone on the stove.

There was only one solution – everyone’s instant favourite dish on dough, pizza; and seeing as I’d heard rumours of how Pizza Hut in Christchurch had undergone a bit of a refurbishment and was now pitching itself as a more upmarket and trendy version of the family-friendly place to grab a slice and a decent bit of pud, it’s always been, I pointed us all in their direction.

If it went to plan, we’d all get a bit of what we fancy fairly quickly, the girls could be bribed to eat up their main course with the promise of a visit to the ice-cream factory afterwards and apart from eating it, I’d have nothing to do with the prep whatsoever, leaving me free to finish packing.

It worked a treat. We arrived at 7pm, on the tail end of what had been an extremely busy early session for the restaurant, but it was still pleasantly buzzing and the staff were quick to greet us, with the affable Tony ushering us to a roomy table by the window as he joked with the kids. It’s a big, welcoming and airy space these days but with enough nooks and crannies to keep it interesting for the kids, and the obvious Japanese Zen influence throughout the interior design with the new open wine store confirmed its new contemporary credentials.

Menu-wise, there’s all the familiar, comforting things you expect to find, plus a few surprises and before you could say “extra toppings” we’d ordered the Favourites Platter, a big plate of nibbly stuff to share, including a trio of cheese melts (soft, very mild cheese in a light crumb coating, some breaded chicken bits that the little ones fell upon and more potato wedges than we could possibly eat (£6.49).

Over these and some drinks – a glass of dry white, a Peroni beer, milk and a Fruit Shoot (other healthy children’s options are available, but that doesn’t come into it when you’re four) – we sorted out a pineapple-free ham and pineapple pizza for daughter number one (“no problem”) and a straight-forward marguerita for the other. As fans of super-thin pizzas, we grown-ups were drawn to the their new Tuscani pizza, described as their thinnest, lightest, crispiest base yet.

Choosing from the 10 rustic-style toppings was easier once our waitress raved about the creamy Prawn Fresca version (£8.49), which was thinner than Posh Spice on the F-Plan, but decadently creamy of base as promised and dotted with king prawns, spinach, mozzarella and red peppers – a slice of fresh lemon sealed the fresco side of the deal. It was good pizza. My husband’s unashamedly non-creamy Pollo Piccante (also £8.49) had chicken breast, Roquito chilli peppers (hottish but rather sweet, so fans in search of a super-hot capsicum kick be warned), and green peppers on a tomato base. If heat is your bag, then you can fire it up with the chilli oil.

The Salad Station (£3.99 a bowl or £5.49 a plate, with a bit of an unnecessary ‘one visit only’ rule) had a decent mix of healthy offerings like leaves, mini plum tomatoes and cucumber with dressings and drizzles to undo it all again.

But enough of this savoury lark, the Unlimited Ice-Cream Factory (£1.69 a head) is where it’s really at, so while we finished our meal in a suitably adult and civilised manner, our girls got down and dirty at the Factory, decorating piles of ice cream, with the sorts of things they’re only allowed at home as a treat – a particular favourite being a concoction that looked like chocolate covered rainbow drops, though the black and orange choc balls, jelly shapes and dolly mixtures also added a certain je ne sais quois to their mountains of pudding fun.

Pizza Hut’s food was fresh, fast and tasty and straight from the menu, this midweek lifesaver for four, with drinks, would come to about £48 but thanks to Pizza Hut’s endless budget-friendly deals, offers and incentives, order wisely and you’ll pay a fair bit less than that.

Pizza Hut, Barrack Road, Christchurch, BH23 2AW. Tel: 01202 490888.