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orget those identikit chain ‘pubs’ that keep cropping up like a suspicious rash – this is what we call a real pub. The 17th-century Harrow Inn has been in the same family since 1929 and is currently run by sisters, Claire and Nisa, who were born here. It’s tucked away in a pretty country garden, under the East Hampshire Hangers, in the cute little village of Steep.

Carrying on family tradition, the sisters’ homemade ham sandwiches, quiches, soups and treacle tarts are legendary. As are the local beers, from the likes of Suthwyk Ales – and Oakleaf of nearby Gosport – which are both served in the pub’s two cosy bars; on the left you’ve got the Tudor ‘public’ bar with the original inglenook fireplace and library – and on the right the Victorian ‘Smoking Room’.

If you’re more ‘grape’ than ‘grain’, though, why not try a glass of Prior’s Dean wine instead? It’s grown and made in the nearby town of Liss.

One thing to note, if you’re planning on bringing the kids; children aren’t allowed in the pub itself – it’s a legal thing (yawn). They are, however, more than welcome in the garden – which is the best bit anyway, in our opinion.