There was a time when pubs and food were not happy companions.
The curled up sandwich and the rock-hard scotch egg seemed the
norm. Now practically everywhere offers something more appetising,
though there's a huge difference between the pre-prepared portions
and plastic menus of some chains and the wonderfully appetising
food on offer elsewhere. As the interest in food has grown, so
the coverage in guides has too. It's almost impossible to find
any guide that doesn't focus as heavily on the grub as the beer
and atmosphere. But some guides make a special effort in this
direction.
Making no bones about it is Good Pub Food, published rather surprisingly by CAMRA at around £10. The Campaign for Real Ale is no longer solely focussed on the quality of your pint though, taking an interest in everything that makes up the pub-going experience. Although the guide makes it clear that food isn't everything, the entries sensibly concentrate on filling that hungry gap. There are very brief details on location (if you don't know the area, these make The Good Pub Guide look informative), food availability, the beer and the pub itself, but the main entry lingers lovingly on the sort of food on offer, with mouth-watering dishes that would tempt anyone. Maps are small and dense, but give you a basic feel. Not a lot of entries - maybe ten for a reasonable sized county - but food that makes it worth the travel.
