I’ve been waiting for brighter, warmer days to try and recreate the most perfect afternoon spent grazing and lazing at Hartnett Holder & Co at Lime Wood.

It was early summer last year when my husband and I treated ourselves to a random weekday lunch here. The sun streamed through the large windows into the gorgeous dining room, so much so they threw open the doors onto the terrace inviting a gentle breeze in. We gazed out over the beautiful, manicured lawns and glistening pond and had the most superb meal.

Celebrated head chefs, Angela Hartnett and Luke Holder, share a passion for Italian cooking which infuses the menu, along with locally-sourced ingredients. We started with a delicious selection of meats, cured in their smokehouse at the bottom of the garden. I then had a crisp, baby summer vegetable salad served on top of ewes cheese with honey and pumpkin seeds. It was so pretty I had to pause before tucking in. Meanwhile my husband declared his main the best steak he’d ever eaten.

After lunch, we collapsed into huge armchairs in the garden, sipping Pimms, nibbling shortcake and reading the papers in the sunshine, glancing up now and then to take in the glorious setting; huge trees and green as far as the eye could see.

I urge you to go, and don’t for a moment be deterred by the grandeur of Lime Wood. Yes, the surrounds are beautiful and smart, but the atmosphere is buzzy, relaxed and friendly – and the thing that surprised us most were the prices. You could easily pay the same for disappointing, careless food at an overblown gastro pub. But here, it’s perfection.

Images courtesy of Lime Wood