This week, Stephen and I made our way to The Beech Tree on Amersham Road to sample their menu.

The pub is lovely and quaint, with a conservatory that would be a fabulous place to eat during the summer months and there is a very friendly atmosphere inside. It is clearly a pub that is popular with the locals as there was a surprising amount of people in for a rainy Tuesday evening. It was warm and family-friendly and the toilets were very clean and pleasant.

We settled down at the table, underneath a nice raised glass roof which would be lovely and bright on a nice sunny day. Stephen and I decided to go for starters and mains and once we had chosen, we went up to the bar and ordered. Ordering your food at the bar rather than waiting for a waitress to come over was fine by me, as you have as much time as you like to decide what you want to eat.

The starter menu is varied, including soup of the day, prawn cocktail and baby breaded Camembert to name a few.

Stephen ordered homemade fish cake (£4.65) and I went for the marinated chicken skewer (£4.25). I was warned that my chicken skewer would take around 20 minutes to arrive as they marinate and cook the chicken upon order. I wasn’t in a rush so the 20 minute wait was fine by me, especially as I had the peace of mind that my food would be fresh and hot. Less than 20 minutes later, our starters were in front of us, which was quicker than anticipated.

Surprisingly, Stephen had two large fish cakes on his plate rather than one. The breadcrumbs were golden and crispy and the mix of smoked haddock, salmon, red onions and mashed potato made for a tasty starter that was full of flavour. The fish cakes were accompanied by a white wine and dill sauce which was creamy and delicious a side salad with dressing and a lemon wedge.

My starter was a good portion size too, with soft roasted peppers and onions and tender chicken. This was also accompanied by a side salad with dressing and a pot of sweet chilli dip, so I was very impressed with the amount of food you get for the price – not too much that you aren’t hungry for the mains, but just enough to keep you satisfied until they arrive.

The main courses included classic hunters chicken, gammon, egg and chips, chicken and chorizo tagliatelle and pie of the week. They also have a nice selection of vegetarian options, including vegetarian flatbread pizza and vegetarian burger and a children’s menu which has chicken nuggets, chips and peas and DIY chicken pitas to name a few.

For the main course, I went for a 10oz rump steak (£13.95) and Stephen chose the Beech burger (£10.95). My steak was accompanied by rustic chips, a huge mushroom, onion rings, cherry vine tomatoes, side salad and garlic butter. Once again, I was surprised at the amount of food you get for your money. It was obvious that the chunky rustic chips and the onion rings were home cooked because they were full of flavour. You also have the option between rustic chips and new potatoes and vegetables, or peppercorn sauce instead of garlic butter, so you can mix it up if you visit more than once. My steak was cooked perfectly medium as I had asked for it and I couldn’t really fault it.

Stephen’s Beech burger was comprised of two homemade 4oz beef burgers, served with rustic chips, fire cracker sauce and a mixed salad with dressing. The burger was massive, stacked high with cheddar cheese, bacon, tomato chutney and beer battered onions rings and the chips were hot and fresh. The burgers had a lovely taste that made it obvious they were freshly cooked and not frozen and the beef was well seasoned. The fire cracker sauce provided a nice kick to the meal.

We were too full for pudding but they have a very appealing selection including homemade fruit crumble, sticky toffee pudding and a rather intriguing gluten free daim bar cake.

Overall, this is lovely pub food with a wide choice of delicious meals and drinks. 

Looking at the bar, I could see hundreds of different varieties of beers and spirits, so there is something for everyone whether you come in for an evening meal, a lunchtime treat from their Lite Bites menu, or just a few drinks.

There is a real emphasis on quality, homemade food at The Beech Tree which is a real breath of fresh air compared to other pubs. 

Visit the website at www.thebeechtreepub.co.uk to view their menus or book a table.