Stone Mill

Some people are just blessed by geography. If you live in the part of south-east Wales centred on Crickhowell, Abergavenny and Monmouth, and you're fond of good food, you'll have done well over the years.

The catalyst that accounted for at least some of this was surely Franco Taruschio's Walnut Tree Inn, a simply appointed, whitewashed building with a warm and unfussy style that ran from the rustic furnishings through unceremonious service to the down-to-earth but deeply satisfying Italian cooking.

With Taruschio in the kitchen, the aroma of garlic and truffles hung heavy in the air, and for more than 25 years the Walnut Tree was a strong enough lure to entice pilgrims from many hundreds of miles away.

For six of those years, Simon Kealy was at the elbow of the celebrated Italian chef. The Taruschios sold the Walnut Tree in 2000 but, when Taruschio took on a role at the Phoenix in Putney, London, he asked Kealy to join him. The duo quickly gave the venue a new lease of life, and when they had "achieved what they set out to do", as Kealy puts it, he headed back to Wales.

"I wanted to come back to Wales to cook anyway," he says. "I prefer it. People give the impression that it's easier to get good quality produce in London - well, I was getting most of my supplies shipped up from Wales. With the exception of fruit and vegetables, the quality down here is hard to beat."

"Down here" means the village of Rockfield, and the Stone Mill, a 52-cover converted cider mill, owned by Michelle Decloedt and her family, who have a number of self-catering cottages on the site. Llandewi Skirrid and its Walnut Tree Inn are just a short drive away, and it hasn't taken long for some of the regulars to catch up with Kealy.

His cooking succeeds in pulling off Taruschio's special trick of appearing simple while offering a depth and freshness of flavour that marks it out from the crowd, and it's clear that the success of the food rests on getting hold of the best of the local bounty.

Rack of Welsh lamb with roasted artichokes and spring onion ragoût is a typical example - the lamb comes from a local butcher who is also a regular customer - and it's proving to be the star dish of recent weeks in sales terms.

Business is encouraging, with weekends packed and a healthy weekday trade at both lunch and dinner. A special Tuesday-to-Thursday menu, at £10.50 for two courses, is proving a success and the Stone Mill is beginning to develop a loyal band of regulars.

"My cooking is a little different to the previous chef here, and undoubtedly you lose a few customers for that reason," says Kealy. "I brought in a shorter menu and far less complication in the cooking, so that didn't suit everybody, but we're gaining many more than we've lost, which is great news."

Getting people through the door and ensuring they leave happy is the chef's principal aim. "I used to think that the guides were the be-all and end-all," he says, "but I've come to realise that it makes little sense to cook for the guides. If the guidebooks pick up on me, then that's welcome, but the best accolade is a full restaurant every night. That's my aspiration."

Stone Mill, Rockfield, Monmouth, Gwent NP25 5SW. Tel: 01600 716273
By Simon Wright
Chef's cheat
"To freeze sugar cages, put them in an airtight container with a handful of salt in the bottom, covering the salt with greaseproof paper. This way, they don't collapse."

What else is on the menu?

* Marinated fillet of red mullet with herb risotto, £5.50
* Poached chicken with purple sprouting broccoli and roasted beetroot, £5.50
* Home-smoked tomatoes with rocket and Parmesan, £4.50
* Fillet of hake with Welsh rarebit on a warm tomato salad and lemon dressing, £12.50
* Fillet of Welsh beef with risotto rösti, wild mushrooms and red wine sauce, £16.50
* Poached salmon with buttered asparagus and hollandaise sauce, £11.50