The Cricketers

The creation of Trevor and Sally Oliver (yes, Jamie’s parents), this pioneering gastropub was taken over recently by the local Chestnut group, but this hasn’t made us think of it less fondly; indeed, it’s still hard to beat the food they serve, which is several cuts above what you will enjoy elsewhere. The Olivers always hung their steaks, got their fish daily from Billingsgate, baked their own bread and insisted on using fresh local ingredients long before it was fashionable to do so, and the new owners have deliberately kept to the same important traditions. Yet prices are pretty much the same as in any decent gastropub, and you can stay overnight.

The pub is actually bigger than you think, with no less than 22 guest rooms spread between the main building, a couple of buildings next door and a bungalow across the road. They have all been recently, beautifully refurbished in a bright, contemporary style that will make your stay feel very special, and have tea and coffee, complimentary water, sweets and biscuits, digital radios and Freeview TVs, plus there's a thoughtfully provided flashlight to find your way across to the pub on dark nights. Most also have big bathrooms, and many have been recently refurbished. The ‘Best’ rooms have baths as well as walk-in showers and toiletries, while ‘Standard’ rooms just have baths with showers. Some of the rooms are dog-friendly.

As for the pub, it's always been more a place for food rather than a place to drink, and it remains super-popular with locals and regulars from further afield. The menu still changes every couple of months but but the focus is still on pub food, beautifully cooked and presented, served at a price that most people can afford. There is the odd Italian twist, and they have their own wood-burning pizza oven, which they fire up at the start and end of the week.

And the location? Well, there's not much to Clavering itself, but it does have the advantage of being relatively easy to get to; it's also close to the pleasant market town of Saffron Walden, and Cambridge is not a great deal further, plus it’s only a 20-minute drive to Stansted Airport, making it a much better option for an airport stopover than the usual chains. One of our favourite places to stay close to London.