The A21 sends motorway-crazed lorries hurtling through the middle of this otherwise sleepy Kent village - so much so that you could easily miss this inn, just a short spit from the George and Dragon across the local village stream.

Chequers really thinks that it is a "cut above" country inn and the hushed and reverential whispering filters through the staff to the customers. We chose a window seat, foolishly, looking out onto the busy A road and waited for our food to come.

Presentation is key here, as obvious French influences abound - thin sauces skittering around your chosen seafood, meat or poultry selection. My cod in a scallop and asparagus sauce was ok, but not fantastic, and Q struggled with duck breast sliced far too thick in a sticky brown sauce. So - looked great, tasted ok.

I don't expect that we will go out of our way to visit Chequers again, but if you are in the area and want to eat food that at least has some ambition, then you could do worse than eat here. M