Country matters

Crispy fried aubergine served with a salsa dip, £3.50

Puy lentils with chorizo, bacon and granary bread, £3.95

Pork and duck liver paté served with a Cumberland sauce and granary toast, £3.50

Kleftico of lamb with a rich minty gravy served with new potatoes and fresh vegetables, £8.25

Vegetable moussaka, a combination of fresh seasonal vegetables in a rich tomato concassé, layered with aubergine and topped with mornay sauce, £6.25

Grilled large Swaffield trout with fries and salad, £7.95

Fresh lemon and ginger syllabub, £2.95

Real Norfolk treacle tart served with cream or vanilla ice-cream, £2.95

Cräme caramel, £2.95

A TRADITIONAL, English-based menu with well-known dishes is the key to success for Andy Ward, who took up the reins as head chef of the Buckinghamshire Arms pub in Norfolk four months ago.

The reason for the menu direction, says Ward, is a customer base of "middle-aged and local" diners at the 17th-century pub near Aylsham. "The customers like to know what they're eating," he adds.

Classic dishes such as beer casserole and steak and kidney pie are included, the latter being made, as are most of the dishes, with local produce - hence its billing as local beef ‘n Woodfordes Norfolk beer casserole served with fresh vegetables and potatoes (£5.95).

The menu - which features nine starters, an average of 14 main courses and seven desserts - is tweaked by Ward and his brigade of three on a regular basis, with a full change generally happening three times a year. And, although it is centred around traditional British favourites, Ward has sneaked in a few global variations.

For instance, a starter of deep-fried chicken is served as Cajun chicken fingers coated in beer batter, accompanied by an orange marmalade sauce (£3.75).

Like other white meat dishes, this is popular with the pub's diners; in fact, another chicken choice - chicken fillet filled with Camembert and wrapped in bacon, oven-baked and dressed on lollo rosso with a vinaigrette dressing (£7.50) - is a bestseller among the main course offerings.

Vegetarians are catered for with dishes such as Brie puff (a wedge of brie wrapped in spinach, topped with an onion relish and encased in puff pastry, £6.75). "I think customers like it because it sounds slightly different from other vegetarian options," says Ward.

Ward offers customers more adventurous dishes on his specials board. This carries an average of six dishes, "mostly made up of fish because that's one of my favourite ingredients," he explains.

Fresh shark, chargrilled and served with a home-made barbecue sauce (made with Worcester and soy sauces and spices) "to combat the dryness of the fish" is a typical example, costing £8.25.

Desserts (all £2.95) are tried-and-tested pub favourites such as banoffi pie and death by chocolate and are served in both the 40-seat bar, and 50-seat restaurant by a front of house team of six, headed by manager Marc Stubley.

The two areas share the same à la carte menu and covers are currently running at a daily average of 60 during the week - going up to 90 at weekends - with the average spend per head being around £10 before drinks. n

The Buckinghamshire Arms, Nr Aylsham, Norfolk. Tel: 01263 732133