Stagg Inn & Restaurant, The

Coming round the sort of corner that most people slow down for, you suddenly light upon The Stagg Inn, a modest but solid enough house with creeper clad walls and an air of having been there a long time.

Some day perhaps somebody will do a piece about the migration of notable chefs from the hotbeds of culinary competition to more peaceable and rural haunts. If so they will surely note that a number seem to have made their way to Welsh border country, and so it is for Steve Reynolds, who began his training under Michelle Roux before returning home to his native Herefordshire where, to everyone's delight, he became the recipient of the first Michelin Star to be awarded to a British pub.

A few stick-in-the-muds may have thought it demeaning that a Star should be so given; most welcomed a new breadth of approach to the Award. Expect to find on the menu seared scallops with parsnip puree and black pepper oil, or pan-fried foie gras with the local Pembridge apple jelly. No great culinary displays here, just sound local produce cooked so as to remain recognisable and highly enjoyable.

The pattern continues with fillet of Herefordshire beef with red wine sauce and celeriac purée, or herbed free-range Springfield chicken breast with potato fondant. A crispy duck leg with cider sauce vies with smoked haddock on mustard mash in the bar snacks department. A trendy wine list brings together wines from France, Uruguay and the Lebanon, as well as some more conventional sourcings.

The local suppliers also contribute some very nifty cheeses, with beers and ciders calculated to ensure that you have little option but to resort to one of the two comfy en-suite rooms above the pub, or if you are looking for somewhere a touch less busy, The Old Vicarage, a stone's throw away will do the job nicely.