Nestled in the village of Seer Green, the Jolly Cricketers offers real ale, fine wines and delicious food.

A cosy, Victorian pub with a warm atmosphere, it is easy to see why the pub was bustling, even on a miserable Monday evening.

We were shown through the bar area to the quieter restaurant and were seated at our table where we marvelled at the menu.

The quirky menu had a nod to cricket with starters and mains being replaced with ‘Openers’ and ‘Main Play’. To start

I opted for Cornish Crab crumpet, white crab salad and brown crab butter (£9), whilst my fiancé Andrew had the Crispy Cornish Squid which came with a chilli garlic and soy dip (£9).

I must admit, I had food envy when Andrew’s dish arrived first. In a light coating, the squid was cooked perfectly, and the accompanying sauce was simply an explosion of favour. 

I need not have worried, my dish was delightful. The crab butter was perfect when paired with the white crab, whilst the deep flavour of the crab crumpet was a great contrast. 

For ‘Main play’ Andrew went for Stockings Farm pork belly, black pudding, bok choi, bramley apple puree, coriander potato cake and yuzu dressing priced at £16.50. 

It was slightly out of his comfort zone but we both enjoyed it. The pork was moist, and the rich sauce with a hint of mustard was the perfect accompaniment. 

Although an unlikely pairing, the Asian twist on this classic English dish was well thought out. I picked out the BBQ giant red tiger prawns, in a garlic and lemon butter with home cut chips for £17. 

My plate was a feast for the eyes; huge prawns took up most of the room with a generous serving of salad with a gorgeous tangy dressing, and thick cut chips which came served in a dish on the side. 

Although fiddly, the prawns were definitely worth it. Our waitress gave me a bowl of hot lemon water to dip my fingers in after I finished de-shelling the prawns. 

The garlic and lemon butter was flavoursome but not too strong and great for dipping my chips in. The dressing on the salad was zesty and balanced out the salty black olives perfectly. 

We both decided to squeeze in a dessert; Banana bread and butter pudding and white chocolate ice cream (£6.50) and Lemon Posset, Chantilly Cream and Dark Berries (£6.50).

The banana bread was an upgrade for the traditional classic. I was tremendously impressed with the Lemon Posset.

Again, contrasting flavours had been paired beautifully, with the slightly salty garnish taking the edge off the sweetness of the cream whilst the berries added a hint of sharpness to the dessert. 

A proper country pub with an inventive chef, the variety on offer at The Jolly Cricketers means there is something to please everyone.