Hearty plates, honest pints, and pubs worth the detour.
A highly unscientific ranking of the UK's classic pub bar snacks, judged on crunch, salt, and whether they actually keep you going until dinner. Pork scratchings, scampi fries, crisps and peanuts all face the index.
A score doesn't go as far as it used to, but it can still buy a proper pub lunch — if you know what to look for. We set a simple £20 test and explain how to spot an honest plate before you order.
The best roast is the one you've walked for. Eight routes across coast, moor and river, each finishing at a country pub worth arriving at hungry — with the plate to order and the details that make a proper day out.