Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, Dorset, Herefordshire, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk and Sussex also score well. Visitors to any of these counties won't have to travel very far to find an excellent pub. However, the same cannot be said of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire or Staffordshire, which haven't a food award between them. There are some decent pubs in these counties, but not many great ones. More and more pubs are offering a decent choice of wine and rising to meet the demands of an increasingly knowledgeable public.
Visitors taking pot-luck with a pub are still likely to be given a choice of 'red' or 'white'.
Pubs have been set a challenge as never before, and many have responded with imagination and dedication to the cause. The best make it their business to search out the best produce, demonstrating a commitment to quality and seasonality. A double rosette indicates a pub where the quality of the bar food is comparable to that of a 'serious' restaurant - i.e. ingredients are consistently first class, and imagination, skill and an individual style are hallmarks of the kitchen.