The Pear Tree Inn

This 17th-century pub complete with vintage Usher sign is no ordinary village inn, but its restaurant and rooms are ‘perfect for a secluded weekend getaway’, offering all the values that this Guide champions. It is owned by hostess Jackie Cosens and chef Adrian Jenkins, with both real ales and humour on tap. Bedrooms, each named after a pear variety (what, no Conference room?), are comfy and quirky. Accessible Seckel, in a converted barn, has a wet room with waterfall shower; Taylor’s Gold has a king-size bed, twin beds on a mezzanine, a private patio. Each has home-baked biscuits, fresh milk on request. In the dining rooms or lovely garden, seasonal menus of ethically raised, local and home-grown ingredients include dishes such as twice-cooked chicken with wild mushroom and sage sauce; or grilled cauliflower on white bean mash with Bromham greens and kale pesto. ‘If a quiet pint is preferred the farmhouse has a small but perfectly formed traditional bar.’ Breakfast brings surprises – dukka and garden shoots with the smashed avocado on sourdough toast; a full vegan with dhal and sautéed potatoes. (NG)