The Three Oaks

‘I think about it often,’ muses one devotee of the Three Oaks’ Sunday roast, pondering the ‘out of this world’ pork belly and the savoury granola adorning the vegetables. Such imaginative flourishes also characterise the full menu, where a ‘large plate’ of pan-fried cod fillet – glisteningly white, delicate and succulent – might be matched with a light, crisp, cod-mousse croquette and an exploration of the humble celeriac (served salt-baked in rice-like grains, puréed, and pickled in wafer-thin slices).

Starters and desserts have also impressed, from a flavour-packed Thai red curry soup, which arrived homogenised with coconut milk (we’ll forgive the soggy rice-cracker garnish) to a sizeable, elaborately adorned macaroon containing chunks of banana, gooey blobs of chocolate crémeux and nutty macadamia ice cream. Elsewhere, there are abundant plus points to applaud: an ‘excellent value’ pared-down set menu; outstanding, crusty fresh bread; polite, personable and unobtrusive staff; local real ales; and an expertly chosen, globally sourced wine list (the owner also has a wine business).

Although the regulation grey and olive-green colour scheme and cashless operation might shout ‘Home Counties modernised pub’, the display of empty wine bottles, the collection of readable books, and a neat little beer garden lend ample individuality to this mock-Tudor hostelry on the outskirts of town. In short, a first-rate local valued for its all-round consistency.