Rhodes chooses simple route

The Complete Rhodes Around Britain contains no glossy pictures and far fewer childhood memories of his grandmother's puddings than Rhodes's other books. What does make it recognisably Rhodes are the recipes, which are good, solid classics and revamped comfort food.

The sections of the book are set out in courses and primary ingredients - for example, main courses subdivided into beef, lamb, pork, etc - which makes the book easy to use and, although there are 450 finished recipes, many can be broken down and used as the basis for others.

British food plays a big part in Rhodes's cooking and writing, but he also includes many recipes from other cuisines and, unlike some chefs, doesn't do this just to follow trends. There are simple and well thought-out dishes using combinations that work well no matter what the country of origin. For instance, bacon collar and sauerkraut, or pan-fried cod on pecorino mash.

Each recipe has a brief history or description, easy-to-read ingredients and straightforward instructions, with alternatives suggested for items such as stocks and jus. There are also two sections on vegetarian and side orders, which can be overlooked or understated in cookbooks by chefs. The sauces, dressings and preserves are clever and not snobbish and range from Worcestershire sauce to soured cream, lime and minted yogurt. These extra sections make the basic recipes at the end of the book unnecessary, however.

Richard Guest, head chef, the Castle, Taunton, Somerset