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It is such a pleasure to visit a centuries old English country pub and spend a couple of satisfying hours over real ale and delicious homemade fare. You could do exactly that and much more at the quintessential Old Swan in Cheddington, Bedfordshire.

Close to Leighton Buzzard yet bordering Bucks, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, the pub has a lovely garden where, in good weather, you can enjoy al fresco meals. The cosy bar and restaurant have beamed walls, wooden furniture and floors, and an ever present old world charm.

The bar offers traditional bar meals and you could choose between Texas chilli beef, beer battered cod, homemade lasagne and oven-roasted duck breast and bacon. The restaurant focuses on starters such as cheese nachos, poached smoked haddock and a classic prawn cocktail. Mains take in Pembrokeshire lamb hot pot; steak, mushroom and ale pie, and French style tomato tarts with caramelised vegetables. Desserts change daily and are listed on the blackboard.

The Five Bells is Stanbridge's local 400 year old country pub and eating house. The original character of the building is enhanced by rich blush-coloured walls, reclaimed timber furniture and low beamed ceilings and the comfort of the adjacent dining area balances beautifully with the homely and intimate style of the lounge bar.

The dishes on the English menu are all created using fresh, local produce, including char-grilled meat and fish supplemented by a range of traditional specials. Expect to find lamb steak on a minted pea mash and seared albacore tuna from Scotland. They also offer a fantastic chateaubriand, a huge chunk of best fillet steak for two to share. Desserts include the gooey chocolate fondant and a twist on the classic black forest trifle.

There is always a good range of wine, lagers and real ale to complement the food you order. In the summer the pub gardens play host to open air barbeques, al fresco dining and lazy afternoon drinking.

Located in the centre of an area that contains a wealth of new industry and development, the village of Heath and Reach lives up to its bucolic name, offering an oasis of peace and quiet in the middle of some very attractive countryside.

Within the panelled dining room and half timbered bar most things from a bacon butty to a succulent steak are available. All the meat is local, organic and free range, and supplied fresh on a daily basis. Starters of honey glazed chicken, a warm goat's cheese salad, or duck pâté croustini make a pleasant start to the meal.

Steaks, rump, fillet or gammon are served with either a crisp mixed salad and chips or vegetables of the season. Steak melt is pan fried then topped with mozzarella and bacon, served with mixed salad and chips. Lamb steaks are served with cranberry and thyme jus, whilst the sweet pepper salmon is an oven poached fillet with a sweet pepper, tomato and basil sauce. You have to look around a bit for the fish but a plaice fillet topped with prawns in a citrus sauce is certainly worth seeking out.

For those who like it hot, chicken fajitas are there, and the traditional surf and turf has more than a hint of the Chef's secret spices.

Puddings are a riot of indulgence with hot chocolate fudge pudding, plum and marzipan crumble, to name but two, all served with choices of custard, cream or ice cream.

A large pergola and garden area makes for pleasant al fresco eating.

For some time I made the mistake of thinking that no group of restaurants in the region of 200 locations could hope to maintain the quality for which I was looking.

Then one day I decided to put my prejudices to the test, walked into Oxford Ask! and discovered that I could not have been more mistaken. Their claim to serve freshly prepared quality food in stylish and comfortable surroundings with friendly and efficient service proved to be absolutely spot on.

Since then I have also discovered that a degree of consistency seems to operate throughout their restaurants, and that certainly does take some achieving, implying a degree of management that is enviable. They are perfect places for an impromptu snack, a bit of culinary grazing, or the full works, and families are catered for particularly well.

Their trendy décor usually comprises tiled floors and black furniture with well set tables that sparkle with glass, silver and spotless linen. Ten starters include crostini and bruschetta, followed by a range of salads, pasta and al forno, oven baked pasta, some with chicken.

The pizzas are stone baked in the oven, creating a crisp, authentic and delicious flavour, and they all come topped with mozzarella and tomato. Calzone introduce a touch of opulence with a folded pizza baked in the oven and topped with garlic butter and melted grana padano, whilst inside expect to find chicken or a vegetarian mix.

Amongst the specials may I warmly, in every sense, recommend the polpette al forno, a popular Milanese dish of beef meatballs sautéed in garlic with fire roasted peppers, caramelised onions, chilli and pomodoro sauce, with penne pasta, topped with cheese and oven baked.

An enticing selection of desserts list banoffee pie and tiramisu amongst them, and the coffee tastes like coffee, which may sound banal, but I guess you know what I mean.

Thanks to a well selected wine list speculative drinking can offer handsome dividends, even with prices rarely crossing the £20 barrier.

The Boot at Soulbury provides all the traditional values of inn keeping, good food, real ales, fine wines and a warm welcome. Within days of opening, word had spread about food at The Boot - especially the superb 'sea blackboards' with daily deliveries of fabulous fresh fish, being their speciality. On any day the fish boards can include, sea bass, bream, yellow tailed snapper, baby Dover sole, halibut or tuna steaks. These are served whole or as fillets and cooked lightly on the griddle with the Chef's butter of the day.

The main menu offers modern British food using fresh, seasonal produce. In addition to this menu, there is also a light lunch selection and a daily choice of imaginative chef's specials.

The Bar at The Boot is open everyday, lunches are served between 12 and 2.30 pm (Sunday lunch until 4pm) and evening meals served from 6.30 pm until last orders at 9.30 pm. The extensive wine list at The Boot hosts over 35 wines and champagnes, all available served by the glass.

The Boot encourages dining "al fresco" dining during the summer months on their newly built extensive decking with beautiful views over the beautiful Buckinghamshire countryside.

The picture perfect village of Mentmore is home to Il Maschio @ The Stag Inn, a friendly country pub that serves a distinctive fusion of British and Mediterranean cuisine. Head chef and co-owner Mani Rebelo is committed to using only the freshest ingredients that are sourced from the local Chiltern farming community. Their menus are updated regularly while a daily specials board tells you what the best choice of the day would be.

Starters of mussels cooked in white wine, tomato and garlic could be followed by free range chicken breast cooked in a mushroom, brandy and cream sauce served with potatoes and seasonal vegetables. If you're a pasta enthusiast, then the range there will surely delight you, while those who love authentic, homemade rustic pizzas will find something to their liking too. A fine selection of international wines helps pick up the pace along with some real ales and interesting cocktails.