‘Picture postcard’ may be a cliché, but this cottagey little pub is the image of a country idyll, and it comes with impressive self-sufficient cred – note the fruit trees, vegetable beds, chickens and beehives in the garden. To match it, Jason King’s simple but generous cooking is driven by respect for great produce, and he rings the changes on his daily blackboard menu. Expect rabbit and pheasant terrine, gloriously rich venison ‘pot pies’ and soufflés showcasing local cheeses, ahead of, say, home-reared pork (perhaps fillet, belly, loin or even kidney), served with red cabbage, crisp new potatoes and glossy gravy. For afters, order treacle tart or blueberry sponge pudding with custard made from the pub’s own eggs, or try the summer pudding packed with locally picked berries. Two oak-beamed bedrooms in the old barn mean day trips can now become weekend breaks.