Six miles outside Hereford on the route taken by the pilgrims on their way to the shrine of St Ethelbert, the hotel has splendid views over the Golden Valley and offers sound eating in calm and pleasant surroundings. The cuisine takes the influences of France and Britain and combines them in a menu which offers the familiar with the slightly risqué.

For starters you may find a warm Stilton and red onion tart served with apple chutney on a bed of mixed leaves, or a terrine of locally smoked salmon with prawns and asparagus and served with a tomato and balsamic vinegar salad and granary bread. Main courses offer a wide range and lamb shank simmered in a rich gravy of Burgundy, mixed root vegetables and rosemary and served with a spicy couscous has an agreeable touch of somewhere from across the sea, possibly Morocco even. Looking for something a touch further north you might feel drawn to the fresh salmon wrapped in bacon and served on a bed of spinach with a cucumber and fresh herb sauce.

A crème brûlée with brandied orange segments makes good press and the rich three chocolate mousse comes served in a torte with crème fraîche. Pilgrims detained by the need for a quick fix before they fetched up alongside St Ethelbert would have approved of the wine list and gone on their way rejoicing, particularly as they were not driving.