Fox and Hounds - Hunsdon

The Fox and Hounds at Hunsdon has established itself as one of Hertfordshire's leading gastropubs, thanks largely to the efforts of chef/proprietor James Rix and his wife Bianca. He made a name for himself in the kitchens of Alastair Little and the Cow Dining Room before upping sticks and moving out to the Home Counties.

At lunchtime, the kitchen offers a range of affordable dishes along the lines of whole grilled sardines with salsa verde, pork and leek sausages with mash, or linguine with crab, chilli and garlic. Evening meals follow a similar path, although the repertoire is fleshed out with a few more ambitious ideas such as roast fillet of cod with leeks, mussels and saffron sauce or peppered venison steak with mash, beetroot and port sauce. Desserts tend to be things like apple and Amaretti tart with Calvados crème fraîche or poached pear tarte Tatin.

Fixed-price menus are particularly good value: lunch or dinner is £12.50 for two courses and £16.50 for three courses. The Fox and Hounds also has a keenly priced list of well-chosen wines, particularly from France.