A rare trip out into the Vale of Aylesbury unearthed the delightful Chequers pub restaurant in the Bucks village of Weston Turville. It’s surrounded by some very fine walking country. Venture up onto nearby Coombe Hill or you can even walk across the front gates of another Chequers, the PM’s weekend home.

This pub was bought by Dritan & Ranka in 2010 and they set about restoring a 16th century Grade II listed building to create a white tablecloth class restaurant / gastro pub. Dritan is originally from Croatia. The pub has a very strong vegan offering and together with its renowned tasting menu, there is an award-winning vegan tasting menu too (seven courses for £65 per head). Sunday set menu is famed in these parts. Roast dry-aged Hereford fillet beef and my ‘new favourite’ Norwegian Skrei cod are the star choices.

Personally, I preferred the cosiness and woodburner of the ancient stone-flagged bar when we visited on a cold late March lunchtime. The main dining room felt a tad austere for my own liking. However the food and service more than made up for it. There is an extensive range of Italian wines with some really original and unusual wines in their selection, if you know your Italian grapes.

Jamie Masarati has been the chef here for several years. He takes great pride in sourcing the very finest local seasonal ingredients. We were here to sample his seasonal set lunch menu (two courses £27.50 and three courses £29.50) which, for the high quality of his cooking, represented good value. Meat comes from Buckmoorend Farm on the Chequers estate, in nearby Butlers Cross and Timpsons Butchers in Princes Risborough. Fish is sourced from every gourmet chef’s favourite supplier Flying Fish and from Stickleback.

A range of nibbles are available with a particularly noteworthy Langoustine and Marie Rose Cornetto. The amuse-bouche was a rich, nourishing vegetable broth.

Starters were simple but truly outstanding. The Scottish venison scotch egg oozed indulgence and warmth and was perfectly paired with a homemade apple and date brown sauce. HP sauce – eat your heart out! The haddock and potato chowder was as fine as anything I’ve tasted in New England or the west coast of Ireland.

The most upmarket fish and chips ensued – Beer battered Brixham hake with posh pea purée and a handmade dill tartare. The ham hock and leak shortcrust pie was the perfect winter warmer. Rich, moist, comforting and truly moreish. Portions were fairly substantial so you might well not have room for the third course.

We loved the quirkier side dishes like carrots, with almond and orange crumb with Graceburn feta cheese. What indulgent triple-cooked chips too.

The meal came to the perfect crescendo – sticky toffee pudding with poppy and caramel sauce was a new take on the traditional winter pud. The selection of British artisanal cheeses would be rarely bettered. The ‘Wyfe of Bath’ took the spoils; wonderfully deep-golden in colour with a rich and nutty flavour redolent of “buttercups and summer meadows”!

Keep an eye out for what’s on the Chequers’ seasonal fixed lunch menu and do enjoy Jamie’s latest artistry. A good long walk may be in order afterwards though!

The Chequers Inn
35 Church Ln, Weston Turville, Aylesbury HP22 5SJ
www.thechequerswt.co.uk/