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Located in a former barn at Blindley Heath, a pleasant part of rural Surrey, The Red Barn is redolent of country and an easier pace, where the monthly farmers' market meets, a wide range of community garden parties are held, tasting events and cooking lessons, as well as sport events grip the imagination and Sunday Roasts are an institution.

One of John Clevely's masterly wine lists keeps abreast of the game and what is described as a "range of weird and wonderful beers" takes care of the inevitable thirst that must occur amidst all this activity. After all, shopping in a market can be a very thirst provoking occasion.

The menus are veritable habitats of delight and from Monday to Thursday a simple menu with some real brasserie style favourites holds sway between 5.30 and 7 pm. There's shepherd's pie with a creamy, cheesy mash top, and Savoy cabbage. Cumberland sausages and mash are served with caramelised onions, casserole of the day with chunky fresh bread. Backed up by say steamed syrup sponge and custard a man could last comfortably for 24 hours on this sort of tucker.

The Week Menu is a riot of dishes that all have instant eye appeal and if nothing else serve to set the juices flowing as one contemplates the relative merits of belly of Gloucester Old Spot with mustard mash, greens and cider gravy as against roast rib of Sussex beef for 2 to share, with triple cooked chips, pepper sauce and tomato salad, or smoked haddock kedgeree with curried sauce and a poached egg.

Meanwhile, direct from the Aga, that mainstay of country kitchens everywhere, there's slow cooked lamb shank with a root vegetable and white bean casserole. In season look for local game casserole with pheasant rabbit and partridge, creamy mash and red cabbage. Side orders yield homemade chips with sea salt, braised red cabbage and French fries.

Smaller dishes can be taken on their own or as starters and include smoked mackerel pate, melba toasts and caper relish, or a salad of maple cured bacon and roasted chicken with toasted walnuts and croutons. Can providence bring any more delights, yes, it can and if cherry and almond tart with cinnamon ice cream doesn't do it for you there are plenty more options of which dark chocolate fondue to share, marshmallows, strawberries and banana is but one. And, of course, a decent British cheese board with chutney and biscuits.

Based where they are there is plenty of demand for private hire, and The Red Barn is blessed with a wide variety of areas that can be hived off to accommodate parties of all sizes. For very large parties the marquee option is ever present. Be it a buffet, 4 course dinner or fantastic hog roast, give them a spec and just leave it to them.

Their cheerful Website will tell you all about the current menus, forthcoming events as well as the local gossip. This is a fun and friendly place that invites attention.

The Marchmont Arms is a warm and welcoming country inn and restaurant, located just north of Hemel Hempstead in Piccotts End. The white building that houses the 18th century pub was a private residence for over two centuries before being skilfully transformed into a modern dining destination.

The interiors are furnished with teak tables, comfortable leather couches, large mirrors and an exciting blend of old and new knick knacks. The large open log fire adds to the warm and pleasant atmosphere. The Marchmont Arms bar stocks different beers on tap ranging from continental lagers to European speciality beers as well as trusted ales. The wine list has an even balance of New and Old World wines with a variety of styles from which to choose.
 
The Marchmont Arms's menu is contemporary with many tempting homely dishes available, and to set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, antipasti of Italian meats, dolcelatte, marinated vegetables and warm stone-baked flatbreads, or Mediterranean mezze of hummus, roasted vegetables, fregola, tzatziki, feta, spinach and ricotta pâté with flatbreads.

Amongst the appetisers look for freshly made soup; smoked salmon, pomegranate molasses, fennel and micro herb salad, or gambas with rocket, garlic aioli and rustic bread. Look, too, for scallops of the day. The salads offer chargrilled chicken, courgette, fennel, apple, asparagus, hazelnut and balsamic dressing, and the seafood fiends find pleasure in some prawn and avocado with pecans, mango, bacon, orange and pomegranate vinaigrette.

These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; expect to find a classic margherita of cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, pomodoro and basil, rustica with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, goats' cheese and cherry tomatoes or the piccante with pepperoni, chorizo, tomato and jalapeños.

Pastas include linguini with tiger prawns, crab, chorizo, chilli, tomato and white wine or tagliatelle with slow cooked Bolognaise and parmesan. For the big event there is roast rump of lamb with sauce soubise, asparagus, pancetta, button onions and baby potatoes. Battered haddock with frites, tartare sauce and minted mushy peas is popular, a sign of the times and improving taste in eating. The salmon with crab and chorizo fishcakes, roasted sweet corn and cherry tomato salsa is worth trying too. For hearty eaters there are rib-eye and fillet steaks or spit chicken with lemon, garlic, thyme and frites.

A wide range of supporting dishes includes green salad, and cabbage, leeks and peas. For desserts choose between an apple, blackcurrant crumble and vanilla custard and, sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream. The selection of cheeses is likely to set the buffs alight.

Their excellent Website will keep you up to date on any changes. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.

Casa Nova is every inch an Italian restaurant, serving a good blend of modern and traditional dishes. Casa Nova is positioned in the middle of a quaint parade of shops in the heart of Virginia Water; less than a mile from the beautiful Virginia Water Lake and the famous Wentworth Golf Club, with ample parking immediately in front of the restaurant.

Inside, the restaurant is modern and surprisingly spacious. The décor is warm and inviting - just like the welcome you will receive from José and his staff. Over recent years, Casa Nova has established a reputation for the best quality food, cooked to order and served piping hot to the table.

The a la carte menu is extensive and is supplemented by daily specials. Monday to Friday and on Sundays, Jose and his team offer a good value set menu for lunch. On Sundays expect to find a selection of starters that could include the soup of the day, mushrooms sautéed in olive oil and chilli, served on a bed of spinach, pasta tubes with onions, cherry tomatoes and broccoli, or Parma ham and melon.

The roast of the day would certainly include roast beef, with options of baked salmon with cucumber and white wine, chicken, mushrooms and red wine sauce, escalopes of veal with cream and mushrooms, and marinated vegetables served on toasted ciabatta bread. Follow with dolci del giorno, the puddings of the day, and your Sunday should be fulfilled.

On other days an a la carte menu operates in the evenings, with starters of the day's fresh soup, grilled sardines with the smell of the sea still about them, avocado with fresh sea prawns, deep fried squid served with tartare sauce, or a Caesar salad with crispy bacon, to name but a few of the choices.

Main courses of grilled salmon steak on a bed of spinach with tomatoes and balsamic vinegar dressing lead off the fish courses, followed by grilled Dover sole served with rocket Italians, of course, love their veal and Casa Nova does justice to that inclination, with escalopes of veal with King prawns in a tomato, garlic, parsley and white wine sauce, or another version topped with Parma ham and mushrooms in a white wine and sage sauce.

Chicken is another staple part of the Italian cuisine and petto di pollo, breast of chicken with wood mushrooms in cream and brandy sauce, is popular. Scampi thermidor, a welcome dish in any cuisine, is served here with mustard, cream, brandy and rice.

Which takes us to other vital meat courses so beloved of Italians, with fillet steak in a brandy cream and peppercorn sauce, or roast rack of lamb with a red wine and rosemary sauce.

Sometimes there seem to be few differences between national cuisines and the grilled calf's liver with crispy bacon and bubble and squeak reminds us of this. For a real treat consider the half duckling in an orange sauce and Grand Marnier.

As with all Italian cooking, a lot of the fun comes with the service, the banter and quite often the flattery for the ladies in the party. Maybe Casa Nova is not called what it is for nothing, but satisfied customers suggest that this is the place to be for a fun Italian evening.

The White Horse joins the group of popular pubs known as Peach co-founded by Lee Cash. Opening his first pub, The Rose and Crown in Warwick, ten years ago, Lee is passionate about good, honest food along with efficient and friendly service. This pub in Harpenden, about a hundred miles from Brocket Hall has regained its original charm and includes a superbly designed interior.

The private dining room, with a seating of 12, is designed with a diversity that offers the right environment for a cheerful party, or those with more romantic activity in mind.

From a menu large enough to excite interest rather than suspicion look for starters of free-range chicken and summer vegetable terrine with apricot chutney, or Cornish crab cocktail with guacamole and taco. Amongst the main courses the Casterbridge rack of lamb with creamy mash and minted peas, roast Romano pepper and tomato quiche with garden salad rouses interest, alongside with pan-fried Welsh sea bass, fennel, apple and potato coleslaw with summer leaf salad.

Desserts are a must and you could choose from warm treacle tart with mascarpone; chocolate brownie and Vanilla ice-cream, or lemon posset, lime syrup with ginger biscuits.

It is to be hoped that the worthy folk of Harpenden and district recognise genius when they see it. My guess is not only that they will but that they will be joined from a far wider spread.

More information can be found on their Website.

Located near Hampton Court Palace, this is the sort of hotel that Henry VIII would have thoroughly approved of, good and handy for the Portsmouth road, convenient for the River Thames and altogether what a good-bloke King needed. Nowadays modern versions of Henry and many others find it equally welcoming, ideal for weddings, meetings and events, with the largest of their 6 conference rooms capable of taking 300 people reception style.

The Riverview Restaurant, open to guests and local residents alike, specialises in continental and pan-Asian cuisine, and Chef Bhaskar Banerjee can be relied upon to produce attractive and tasty dishes that have a wide appeal. The menu is presented in such a way that it is made easy to suit whatever the circumstances dictate.

If you are tempted by appetisers then these could include steamed mussels served with spicy tomato sauce or white wine sauce or plum tomatoes with buffalo mozzarella, virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Given the evident Asian origins of this restaurant, you should not be surprised to find dishes like mourgh bemisaal, char-grilled breasts of chicken in rich tomato sauce scented with fenugreek and served with pulao rice, chutney and salad or nariyal adrak macchli, chunks of salmon stewed in ginger, coconut scented onion sauce and served with steamed rice, chutney and salad. While vegetarians should be delighted by mutter paneer, described as an exotic melange of cottage cheese with fresh green peas, and served with steamed rice, chutney and salad.

If you are looking for something more traditional then Fish Ahoy is pretty self-explanatory and very recognisable as beer battered cod fillets with chunky chips, the famous mushy peas and tartare sauce; a never failing source of comfort food. Still in that area, beef bourguignon, French style beef with streaky bacon, mushroom - shallot stewed with Burgundy wine and served with celery mash. Amongst side dishes keep an eye open for chunky chips, steamed vegetables, naan bread and roasted new potatoes.

Desserts of berry and white chocolate torte, apple crumble or tiramisu may not be too kind to the waistline, but certainly help a feeling of well-being with which to bring your meal to an end. In fact it might even introduce thoughts of a good night's rest to follow, in which case it is but a short step from the Riverview Restaurant to one of the hotel's comfortable rooms, where air conditioning, a mini fridge, 24 hours room service, LCD screen TVs all are there to make your stay as restful as you wish.

Executive rooms provide extra comforts for those perhaps staying for longer and with a riverside view of the Thames from your balcony, and extras like bathrobes, complimentary magazines and WiFi connection life can seem very relaxing. There are 5 accessible rooms, all of which are DDA compliant.

In fact life can be a breeze at the Holiday Inn, and their Website will give you updates on prices, menus and special packages to suit the mood.

The Bell Hotel and the AA-Rossetted Old Dining Room are some of those features in the life of a community that defines character and fills a significant niche in history, in this case since Tudor times when the Bell Inn, alongside the Barbican Gate and Toll, was a respected place of refreshment at the hub of the port's maritime activity.

Some 700 years later it stands proudly still, grown in stature and respect, overlooking the River Stour and serving a community that extends well beyond the thriving town of Sandwich. With 37 en-suite bedrooms, the Georgian Regency Room that will comfortably accommodate up to 100 guests, and the Stour Conference suite it is the place to which to turn when important events, be they personal or commercial, are afoot.

There is a choice of bedrooms consisting of single, twin, double rooms and suites. Some bedrooms have balconies and river views with others overlooking the roofscape of Sandwich. All have en-suite bathrooms, bespoke toiletries, hair dryers, coffee and tea-making facilities, digital radios and remote controlled televisions and telephones. There is Wi-Fi access throughout the hotel.

If the day ever comes that plaques are placed on the accommodations recommended by Paddy Burt, the Daily Telegraph's much respected hotel reviewer over 18 years, The Bell will have one! The seasonal menus look both to the sea and inland. Starters of beetroot cured salmon, lime and dill crème fraiche and watercress salad, or glazed smoked haddock with Montgomery cheddar omelette, roquette and chives set the scene and vegetarians will approve of a chilled gazpacho soup with tomato and olive bruschetta.

There's plenty of choice, with a rump of Romney Marsh lamb with niçoise, rosemary, garlic fondant and pesto, or local black sea bream roasted on the bone, Charlotte potatoes, sea spinach, baked fennel and herb dressing commanding a steady demand. Pursuing the classical trend a Valrhona dark chocolate tart with orange sorbet pops up for attention, but for sheer artistry local strawberry cheesecake, vanilla anglaise with honeycomb is recommended. There's a trend these days for cheese selections to become more than a little pricey, but here at The Bell a selection of artisan made cheeses accompanied by orchard fruit chutney and Bath Oliver biscuits is commendable in every way, not least as value for money.

A fixed lunch menu offers the sort of choices - four per course - that you know betokens culinary spontaneity. A three course lunch could consist of parfait of chicken livers, toasted brioche, port and red currant reduction followed by fish from South East coast day boats with seasonal accompaniments and finally by a local elderflower pannacotta, poached gooseberries and lemon balm, all at a price that, along with everything else, would justify the trip from the Midlands to Kent alone.

A wine list of over 50 bins amply provides for the needs of anyone but the most pedantic of oenophiles, with a sensible selection by the glass including a Vin de Pays des Cotes de Gascogne house wine that is crying out for you to cast care aside and buy the bottle.

The Bell at Sandwich is one of those places that should be enshrined in our native consciousness, but having survived all those years one doubts if it needs such protection. Their Website, dignified, clear and friendly, like everything else about them, will keep you up to speed on what else they can offer, menu changes and the like.

Brasserie Vacherin is a stylish upmarket French restaurant to unwind in after a tough day's work or to enjoy an indulgent dinner with family and friends. The latest addition to Malcolm John's collection of restaurants, it is open all day from 8 a.m. onwards. Tasteful décor, creative lighting and a modish interior, with an abundance of pictures decorating the walls, all create an ambiance that exudes the elegance and sense of style associated with the French. On Sutton's High Street, the restaurant is a stone's throw from Sutton Rail Station and a 6-minute walk from The Secombe Theatre and boasts an outdoor seating area perfect for al fresco dining in the summer.

Good flavours abound on an ambitious a la carte menu, with a special emphasis on fresh fish and shellfish sourced from the south coast as far west as Cornwall. Reflecting the fresh seasonal flavours of traditional Parisian bistro fare, diners can expect starters such as pea and mint soup with smoked ham hock; home-cured salmon gravadlax with fennel and red onion salad; chicken liver parfait with gherkins and radish as well as goat's cheese and cobnut salad with beetroot. There are also luxurious oysters, shipped in from Colchester every day, as well as Atlantic prawns and fresh mussels cooked in cider.
 
Mains include the restaurant's delicious fish pie made with smoked haddock, prawns, mussels and baby leeks with a brioche crust; supreme of salmon with Savoy cabbage, Alsace bacon and cockle butter and pan roasted cod with chorizo, haricot blanc and basil cooked with San Marzano tomatoes. Alternatively, there's choice of new season lamb rump with warm spiced aubergine relish, pine nuts and mint, Barbary duck confit with orange sauce and braised endive or butternut squash fetuccine with crème fraîche and cobnut gremolata.

The grill offers succulent Aberdeen Angus beef burger with Roquefort, gruyere or Alsace bacon; corn-fed chicken paillard, wild rocket and crispy shallots with honey mustard dressing and dry-aged beef fillet tail with grilled flat mushrooms. The restaurant is also open for breakfast every day; diners can opt for a coffee and a pastry or choose something more substantial such as eggs Benedict with Florentine or royale, or even a classic full English breakfast with all the trimmings.
A prix fixe menu delivers value for money with such dishes as grilled pork cutlet, spiced apple sauce and celeriac mash, salmon fish cake with tartare sauce and salad and salad of chicken livers with watercress, cucumber and sherry vinegar dressing. A Sunday lunch menu is also available.

Tempting desserts of chocolate fondant with raspberry sorbet, tarte fine aux pommes with caramel ice cream, Kerala vanilla crème brûlée, petit pot au chocolat and rum baba with poached pear bring the meal to a fitting end.
 
An extensive drinks list offers an assortment of white and red wines, Port, sherry, spirits, beers and cider. Aperitifs include champagne cocktail, raspberry bellini, vodka martini cocktail, Malibu and Noilly Prat.

More information can be found on their Website.

Berkhamsted is a gorgeous town and was well in need of a gorgeous pub. Alan Turtill had rescued and restored the Old Mill, keeping what remains of its original Georgian and Victorian features, but making the whole place light and airy. The unloved yard at the back has been turned into a special space - the mill race crashes over the weir into a deep pool - and the garden borders the Grand Union Canal, perfect for watching the boats slide by on lazy summer evenings. The Old Mill remains a real pub, where you're just as welcome to enjoy a decent pint of bitter at the bar as a three course meal or bar snack.

It would be possible to enlarge upon all this indefinitely, but our purpose here is to tell you about The Old Mill and how they put into practice their strongly held principles. There is something very heartening to see sad old inns, particularly those whose character has refused to bow to neglect, being restored to useful life and becoming part of life's pattern in their particular community.

Senior Sous Chef Stefan Brodin and his team have designed a menu featuring traditional pub favourites as well as something a little different. They are in the kitchen everyday preparing all the dishes fresh on the premises. On their menu, you will find the very best quality fresh ingredients - fantastic sausages; free range chicken; moules marinière and mini loaf; 28 day dry-aged Aberdeenshire 24oz cote boeuf - sourced from producers who take pride in their products and an ethical stance in their production.

The Old Mill menu always makes the most of seasonal ingredients - this ensures they avoid air-freighting and keeps us in touch with the cycle of the year - while combining the best of great British cooking and influences from around the world that are now part of our culture.

The deli board lists cheese, charcuterie, veggie, favourites, fruit and vegetables, and fish or the customer can have the option of making their own board from the five options. The deli can be enjoyed as starters, nibbles or tapas. If the conversation level is proving demanding let the restaurant do the work for you by selecting a selection from one of the five.

The Old Mill is open from 10am for breakfast. Start the day with a hearty full English or bacon or sausage sandwich and a glass of champagne with friends. The express menu also operates from noon to 6 pm, offering Mediterranean vegetable with goats' cheese tart, cherry tomato and herb salad, chips and burgers as well. Noon to 3pm, and 6.00pm to 10pm their a la carte menu is on offer with an ample selection of dishes which pulls in the locals who have quickly come to regard The Old Mill as a second home.

Afternoon tea is served everyday from 12pm - 6pm while, sandwiches with smoked salmon or Mediterranean vegetables are served with chips or soup of the day, Monday to Saturday.

A relatively short but punchy wine list mingles well with the menu, so few will quibble with this much needed addition to the local scene.

A swift click on their Website will keep you in the picture over menu changes, special offers and events. You could also consider visiting The Thatch at Thame, sister pub and only 30 mins from The Old Mill.

This is the fifth Belgo restaurant to be established in south-east England, and as with the other four it is essentially a coming together of beer and food, not always in that order, but pretty often. Put another way round it offers La Cuisine à la biere, since much of the union involves the preparation of food with the aid of beer via a sauce or marinade. Beer lends itself well to the stewing of beef and also enjoys a reputation for being a good tenderiser.

It's a strictly Belgian notion to combine moules, frites and beers, and a very fine one too. But whilst that may be typical it's but the tip of the iceberg. In any case before you gain anything like access to the food there are some 50 specialist Belgian beers to be assessed. Amongst this rich harvest you will find Chimay Rouge, brewed under the supervision of Trappist Monks, dark roasted Grottenbier and fruity Floris beers.

Décor is relaxed and good humour abounds. Promotions include Beat the Clock and an Express Lunch menu at under £7 enables decent food and work to co-exist comfortably. Those who revel in statistics may not by this time be surprised to hear the average Belgian drinks 150 litres of beer per head every year, with 800 different beers from which to choose.

So on to the food where a warm salad of smoked bacon, shredded duck, eggs and black pudding with garlic croutons and a Dijon mustard dressing could make your day. Mussel pots offer the fine mollusc in six manifestations, all of them mouth-watering, or you can order a platter with frites. Braised red cabbage with raspberry beer sounds pretty adventurous and stoemp mash introduces a mash of root vegetables, often mixed with cream. A beef carbonnade is braised in sweet Gueuze beer with apples and plums, served with frites.

Monday to Fridays five rattling good dishes are on offer from 5 to 7 pm., including the bowl of marinière mussels with frites; you pay the price of the time you order. But it's the children who come off best at Belgo, with free eating to spur them on, as if the little devils need any spurring when it comes to tucker time.

Michael Jackson in his book The Beer Hunter says, 'Belgium is the land of beer, seafood and the world's finest chocolate. It is a land of German portions and French culinary skills', which seems to sum up the situation admirably. To crown it all you will by now be not in the least surprised to hear that the world's first beer academy opened in 1999 at Herk-de-Stad.

Details of other Belgo branches, prize draws and the solution to a Belgian maths equation can all be found by a click on their Website.

Matsuba restaurant on Red Lion Street offers a mix of contemporary and classic Japanese cuisine alongside sushi and sashimi in an intimate and elegant setting. This Japanese restaurant has grown rapidly within the neighbourhood of Richmond, since its opening over seven years ago.

A stone's throw from the Odeon Cinema and the Richmond Filmhouse, the restaurant is the perfect place to enjoy a quick meal before or after a film. Other attractions such as the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, Richmond Park and Richmond Theatre are all just a short walk away.

Meaning 'leaf of the pine tree' in Japanese, Matsuba's stylish contemporary interiors feature dark wood and subtle light panels running along the length of the room, with vintage Japanese parasols adding an authentic ethnic touch. Friendly service from smartly turned out waiters is most welcome.

The kitchen offers authentic Japanese dishes with a slight modern twist and a touch of Far East Korean cuisine. Specialities here include dobin mushi, a clear soup traditionally served in a small clay tea pot, scallops seared in butter and the classic Korean dish, bibim bap served in a stone pot bowl.

You could begin with ebi tempura, tuna sashimi, crab and avocado sushi, cod's roe nigiri, Florida maki or California roll, all freshly prepared and flavourful. Then follow with such dishes as grilled squid with asparagus, gyoza meat dumplings, deep fried courgette discs served with tsuyu sauce, spicy Korean seafood broth, teriyaki duck with rice or Kobe beef served with rice and miso soup. Guests can also expect to find a range of set dinners, lunch boxes, speciality sushi and sashimi, and assorted party platter sushi sets. The Matsuba Special Bento Box is filled with mixed tempura, sushi and sashimi, teriyaki chicken, appetiser, pickles, salad rice, miso soup and fruit.

The extensive drinks list includes a wide variety of champagnes and carefully chosen wines to pair with oriental dishes and sushi. Speciality Japanese beers, rice wine sake, Korean soju and soft drinks are also available.

The restaurant also offers takeaway, office lunch, private and corporate catering. With excellent public transport links, Richmond Tube and Rail Station is just a short walk, the venue is also exclusively available for hire for all private and corporate special events.