The commitment to local produce demonstrated by Chipping Norton’s excellent new restaurant Wild Thyme can hardly extend, for obvious reasons, to produce from the sea. The town is said to be as far from the coast as you can get in England, so the definition of local would have to be flexible indeed to embrace such delights as the juicy pearl-white turbot I enjoyed on my first visit or the delicious crab that preceded it.

Both are billed ‘Cornish’ on the menu, as were the seared scallops that figured among the starters, teamed with parmesan and asparagus from Wyckham Park Farm (near Bloxham) with orange and cardamom dressing. The John Dorey that went into the main course cassoulet with crab and scallops did not have its provenance specified but it is safe to assume it came from Cornwall, too, via the same Gloucestershire supplier who delivers daily.

This pleasantly intimate restaurant has been run since last December by Sally Daniel, the delightful front-of-house boss, and her partner, chef Nick Pullen.

I had visited its New Street premises in their previous guise as Little Italy last year. Its owner invited me to an opening party which, regrettably, I missed; so when we were in town for the theatre a couple of weeks later I thought I’d give it a try. We arrived to find that opening party in full swing. I had mis-remembered its date.

Little Italy proved to be so short-lived I never got around to reviewing it. I fancy Wild Thyme, to which both Sally and Nick bring huge enthusiasm and commitment, will prove a very different story. Quite clearly it has already become a first-class restaurant of the sort the town has not enjoyed since the days of the much-missed Chavignol and, before that – for those with longer memories – La Madonette.

Nick and Sally say they are “living a dream” in running the cosy two-room restaurant, which boasts a couple of letting rooms above for those who want to make a night of it. Certainly, it’s a dream for those visiting it, as our review trip on a Wednesday evening last month proved.

This was a quiet night for Wild Thyme, with only one other customer, who was completing a substantial three-course meal at the table next to us as we placed our orders. In the room behind, though, a number of ladies of the town were enjoying one of their get-togethers. From what I overheard on a visit to the loo the “Chippy Lippies” appeared to be hearing a talk on sewing (or possibly, with all the mentions of cutting and stitching, plastic surgery).

While studying the menu, with a glass of surprisingly acetone-tinged Domaine de Pourthie chardonnay to hand, we noted the ‘local’ flavours alluded to. Starters included pan-roasted breast of wood pigeon from Gunthrop, near Heythrop. Among mains, the poached chicken breast (offered with sautéed morels, peas and broad beans) was from Newent, in Gloucestershire, and the best end of lamb was from Wiggington, off the Hook Norton to Banbury road.

Presumably it was from Wiggington, too, that the lamb sweetbreads of Rosemarie’s starter came. Lightly sautéed, this rarely offered offal — rather chewier, she thought, than is usual — was much enjoyed with its accompanying minted fresh peas. My starter was a most attractively presented blend of Cornish crab, small chunks of ripe avocado and crunchy apple with lemon mayonnaise in a skin-seeded large tomato split across the middle.

The turbot that followed was a delight. A good-size chunk, it was served lightly steamed with grilled new potatoes and summer vegetables, a mix of fresh peas, skinned baby broad beans and braised fennel. Having polished this off, I watched with amusement as Rosemarie struggled to finish her huge portion of roast tenderloin of pork, which was wrapped in pancetta and basil and offered with (as if this were not sufficient on its own) braised pig cheek – a juicier, less closely textured meat – and puy lentils with a shallot and prune jus. In the end I offered to help her out (such consideration!).

From a good range of home- (or rather restaurant-) made puddings (which also included rhubarb fool, blood orange mousse, and white chocolate, cardamom and saffron soufflé) Rosemarie chose pear and frangipane tart, with honeycomb ice-cream. She thought it first-class. I went for cheese, which proved truly local and featured two (Roquefort-like Blue Monday and the hard white goat’s milk Farleigh Wallop) made by the Blur bass guitarist Alex James at his country home in Kingham. There were five others (Windrush Valley goat’s, Berkswell sheep’s, Roger Crudge’s Churchill, St Eadburgha’s and Cotswold Blue). They came with quince chutney, biscuits and more of the excellent home-baked bread – sunblush tomato, walnut and prune, and onion.