Food – pub lunches

With the mercury set to shoot up once again this weekend we, personally, can’t think of anywhere we least want be than London. Don’t get us wrong, we are all about London dining, but when the sun comes out you’ll be lucky to find a free patch of grass that isn’t laden with picnic blankets. For those of you who don’t have the liberty of escaping to a country retreat we’ve picked two of our favourite British pubs for you to whisk yourself away to for the day to get your dose of green.

Want the good news? They are both within an hour(ish) of London, nestled in quaint English villages that are miles away from the frantic buzz of the big smoke. Lay back, order your country ploughman’s, a couple of pints of sturdy cider and enjoy a walk before nodding off in the afternoon shade. We recommend these two gems…

The Thomas Lord, Hampshire (image above)

Bang on the rolling slopes of the South Downs Way, The Thomas Lord is a personal favourite of ours. Combine one of Britain’s most prized areas to walk and cycle with a quintessential pub lunch prepared by Head Chef Fran Joyce. We’d recommend digging into a venison and quail scotch egg and sampling some of the local real ales on offer in the Tommy Lord’s kitchen garden. Pull up a seat and perch next to the locals who love this place. Why not make a weekend of it and book yourself into one of the picturesque B&B’s in the area. Check out Exton Bed & Breakfast (extonbedandbreakfast.co.uk) which is a stone’s throw away and set within stunning grounds and promising soft white sheets and a smashing English breakfast.

For more information visit thethomaslord.co.uk

The Bell, Ticehurst (image below)

The Bell has made East Sussex a destination for countryside deprived Londoners and it is easy to understand why. Head Chef Richard Kirkwood was poached from London’s J Sheekey’s and boy does he know a thing or two about food having worked with the best in the business at Le Caprice and The Ivy. You can catch fresh fish from the Sussex coast on Saturday’s and enjoy the most succulent duck, pork, lamb and beef dishes throughout the week. Most importantly all the produce the pub uses is sourced locally so expect knobbly potatoes and twisted carrots on your plate.

For more information visit thebellinticehurst.com