FINDING a good country pub among the roads and villages of Cheshire is not exactly a tough ask.

There are so many places doing a fine job that you really have to be top notch to stand out from the crowd.

The latest to join the market is celebrity chef Nigel Haworth, who has added the Nags Head in Haughton, a few miles from Tarporley, to his growing collection of Ribble Valley Inn eateries.

And the first thing you notice when you arrive is how impressive the place is.

A makeover earlier this year has been completed with excellent results.

The garden is breathtaking.

Beautiful views over Cheshire countryside and fresh flowers and herbs aplenty.

Inside is equally impressive, keeping the place looking like a pub and a nice restaurant without any stuffiness.

We dined on a Sunday night – so there was a slightly different menu from usual with two good traditional roast dishes to choose from.

First, I enjoyed mackerel with a fresh, warm picallili, which was very unusual and extremely tasty.

While my girlfriend had the home made baked beans on toast – a dish that made you reluctant to go back to Heinz!

We had roast beef and roast pork, both from excellent cuts of meat.

One of the genuine delights about eating here is the menu, which tells you where your food is coming from and tells you a little bit about the supplier.

The only letdown of the meal were the roast potatoes – not crisp enough for my palate.

And, fortunately, there was room for dessert.

My girlfriend really enjoyed her bread and butter pudding, but she had massive food envy over my chocolate mousse dish.

It was incredible – genuinely one of the best desserts I have had. Rich and smooth mousse, tangy raspberry ice cream and plenty of surprising crunchy honeycomb textures.

The service was also excellent from a very attentive staff.

It is a crowded marketplace, and only time will tell about how they will do long term, but from our impressions, this was a solid start.

GARETH DUNNING