Alford Arms, The

In the great pub evolution there have, as always, been winners and losers. The weak have gone to the wall, the strong have survived, and the newcomers have lead the renaissance. The emergence of modest groupings of revitalised pubs has brought some real stars, of which The Alford Arms is undoubtedly one, a verdict supported by a string of awards; six time winner of Herfordshire Dining Pub Award in The Good Pub Guide, most recently for 2010; Regional winner of Best Gastro Pub at the 2007 Morning Advertiser Pub Awards and included in Eat Out magazine's 'Best of the Best Top 100' pubs in their April 2008 edition.

The advantages of a dignified Victorian building have been skilfully combined with new ideas, modern management with heart, and an adherence to good taste in matters of décor. Character and atmosphere is there in abundance. For dog walkers in on-the-doorstep Ashridge forest the Alford is a beacon of hope as they stagger the last few yards in to the welcoming arms of the pub and its friendly staff, who understand. They see it all the time. At bluebell time the woods are blue with beauty; later in the year a search for mushrooms there can prove rewarding, whilst in between the summer months can be whiled away in the pretty pub garden over a few glasses.

The menu reflects the rural nature of this delightful place and plenty of fresh local produce is encountered in the dishes that Head Chef Justin creates for an increasingly large and appreciative clientele. Formerly at Mirabelle and The Belvedere he shows no signs of resting on those particular laurels. A choice of around 'small plates' is likely to include an omelette Arnold Bennett, a King prawn and spring onion bread and butter pudding with saffron aioli and beetroot dressing, or roast local wood pigeon breast on baked apple tarte tatin with thyme caramel.

Moving on to more weighty matters, guests may encounter the excellent Ashridge Estate venison steak and kidney pudding, a veritable tour de force of its kind, served with celeriac mash, purple sprouting and 'Houses of Parliament' jus - no, just go and find out - 'emollient' springs to mind. Hertfordshire this may be but nothing wrong with some crispy Oxfordshire pork belly with onion roly poly and sticky roast parsnips, or a side of good honest beer battered haddock with hand-cut chips, a spot of tartare and the minted pea purée.

But be sure to leave space for the sheer joy of selecting a little something from their seductive selection of puddings. How can anyone resist a warm fig chocolate brownie with crème fraîche ice cream, or even a white chocolate and pecan bread and butter pudding? For those to whom a meal is not really complete without a pass at the cheese consider the merits of some Stichelton Blue, Arran mature cheddar and Ardrahan. This last is a farmhouse cheese that hails from Co. Cork, semi-soft, pungent aroma and is a real coup for the Alford. And all of it comes with Alford oatcakes, sticky malt loaf and tomato chutney.

From extolling the virtues of a food that derives from the cow, let's consider the wine list, a stunner of its kind, wide choice in a consistent quality filled smallish list with very little over £30, plenty by the large, or not quite so large glass, ably extended by the attention its pays to pudding wines which, given the quality of the puddings is the very least they could do. So with your lemon curd crème brulée perhaps a glass of Vin Santo di Capezzana Riserva 00, known better to some as 'The wine of the saints'.

An evening with the saints might be the right terminology for dinner at this outstanding pub with restaurant, which brings us back to those awards, of which I suspect we shall see even more winging their way to 'the pub on the edge of the forest'.

Their Website is full of fun and gaiety, an informative and intelligible extension of the character of this pub and those who run it.