Dining at the Cholmondeley Arms in Malpas, Cheshire

It's not difficult to imagine serried rows of students in this old schoolhouse, dipping pens into inkwells and writing industriously. Now, amid a delightful collection of eclectic antique pine chairs and tables, diners are learning how good food, excellent ingredients and well-taught staff work together to create an exemplary country inn

The Cholmondeley Arms has long been a destination for good food and drink. It was taken over in 2011 by Mary McLaughlin and Tim Bird of Cheshire Cat Pub and Inns, which operates seven hostelries across Cheshire and Staffordshire. The Chum has a lengthy list of honours to its name, and its success offers hope for rural pubs, with so many facing hard times and even closure due to the economic headwinds.

The Cholmondeley Arms, formerly the village school, is a lesson in how to create a great pub. (Image: John Allen Photography) An air of gentle antiquity and higgledy-piggledy furniture are the welcoming mark of the hostelry. On our visit, well-dressed families were celebrating exam results and other special occasions, yet make no mistake, you are just as welcome here if you're in casual gear and tucking your dogs under the table, as in designer best.

Manager Helen Mosford was a local farmer and still supplies the restaurant with lamb. She has been at The Chum for 12 years and speaks warmly of Tim and Mary, as does Richard Williams, the executive chef. Their mentoring is integral to the business, and those who visit their six other establishments will testify to this.

The Cholmondeley Arms: Richard Williams, head chef. (Image: John Allen Photography) Richard, whose pedigree is also farming and has been known to Helen since he was a small boy, chose to become a chef, exchanging, as he explains wryly,' long hours and plenty of mud, for long hours and plenty of grease'. His background includes working for luminaries such as Nigel Haworth and Lisa Goodwin-Allen at Michelin-starred Northcote Manor in Lancashire. He looks to the seasons for inspiration and uses his inventiveness to put great food on plates to give pleasure to all at the table, whatever their choice.

The changing menu contains old school favourites alongside seasonal specials as well as a generous selection of smaller dishes, sharing boards, and nibbles with your tipple. The Welsh rarebit crumpet starter is a generous heap of pulled ham hock anointed with a slick of melted, seasoned cheese and a hint of beer, atop a toasted crumpet. Then there was a slice of grainy, granary toast with a subtle combination of sliced field mushrooms in a creamy, reduced white wine sauce and a hint of shallot. I wanted to resist sharing the slow-cooked Yorkshire middle white pork ribs – the middle white referring to the breed of pig – but that would have been mean. This being farming country, the breed and provenance of the food has extra significance, and it shows in the flavour and tenderness of this dish. We also enjoyed a plate of spiky green English asparagus and spinach, with a piquant hazelnut pesto accompanying the salty shards of crispy ham and parmesan wafers, all topped with a sprinkling of roasted hazelnuts.

The naturally smoked haddock came from a choice of seasonal specials. (Image: John Allen Photography) We moved on to sample the old school favourite pan-seared cod fillet, which comes set on a bubble and squeak hash cake with tender stem broccoli, and brown shrimp butter, adding depth to the utterly fresh and therefore quite neutral cod. The bubble and squeak with its hint of cheese was better than any I have tasted. Our second fish main, the naturally smoked haddock from the choice of seasonal specials, had a generous topping of cheddar and chive crumb, creamed leek and pancetta, a citrussy sauce and beautifully pan-seared and halved new potatoes. Hard to choose, so I recommend both.

Melt-on-the-plate and on your palate feather blade of beef, Jerusalem artichoke purée, king oyster mushroom, little fondant potatoes, fine green beans. (Image: John Allen Photography) My glass of Côtes de Provence rosé from the Boutinot stable, with notes of white peach, redcurrant and mandarin went well with our choice of dishes, as did our choice of red. The whole wine list is knowledgeable, accessible and reliable, but I spotted something different and it proved to be wonderful. The Macià Batle Collecció Privada wood-aged red from Mallorca is made from a variety of lesser-known grapes along with the cabernet sauvignon and they come together to make a wonderful wine. It went particularly well with the slow-braised feather blade of beef, a glorious example of this increasingly popular cut. The glistening cylinder of meat melted, when touched with the fork, into an intense puddle of jus and the accompanying pureé of Jerusalem artichoke made for a perfect combination. A similarly fabulous concoction was the fennel and dill pureé with the pan-roasted belly of pork. I could have eaten a plateful but I had my eye on the pan-seared chicken breast coq au vin, which lived up to and beyond expectations, from the scent of lightly smoked lardons and juicy breast to the dark, glossy sauce. I must mention that Richard is master of the mash – a buttery, unctuous, creamy creation that adorns some of his dishes.

I also recommend the wild garlic and watercress risotto, with two of my favourite ingredients married in a creamy risotto, parmesan crisps, and roasted hazelnuts evoking autumn mellowness.

Chocolate fondant - the sauce cascaded down the side of the fondant onto the chunks of honeycomb. (Image: John Allen Photography) The banana soufflé beckoned – a delicate mousse, drizzled with hot toffee sauce, with slices of caramelised banana. This is the love child of sticky toffee pudding and banoffee pie. I could barely lift my fork to sample John's chocolate fondant, but I'm glad I made the effort. The sauce cascaded down the side of the fondant onto the chunks of honeycomb (an upmarket version of a Crunchie bar), with a scattering of tart raspberries and a lightly whisked vanilla cream.

Banana souffle - love child of sticky toffee pudding and banoffee pie. (Image: John Allen Photography) The Cholmondeley Arms is planning to introduce weddings and I can't imagine a better location for the celebration of a lifetime, or a better kitchen and team to produce a fabulous menu for the occasion. The headmaster's house next door already has six bedrooms for a memorable stay, so keep an eye out for further developments.