Starters
1 Soup
Serving ideas:
l Bubble and squeak soup the Star, Harome, North Yorkshire.
l Cream of herb soup with poached quails' eggs & smoked salmon Ye Olde Bulls Head Inn, Beaumaris, Isle of Anglesey.
Why it's a winner: Janet Codnet, licensee at the
Red Lion Inn, in Arlingham, Gloucestershire, offers home-made soup on the menu at £4 and makes a healthy 70% GP. She says: "It's a very versatile dish and I think people warm to that. We make all our soup at the pub and feature more unusual flavours like tomato, bacon and celeriac."
2 Mushrooms
Serving ideas:
l Wild mushrooms on toast with poached hen's egg and truffle essence the Mole in Toot Baldon, Oxfordshire
l Spinach and Stilton field mushrooms Fox & Hounds Inn, Fair Oak, Hampshire
Why it's a winner: John Williams, chef/proprietorat the Bull in Shocklach, Cheshire, says: "I thinkthat mushrooms are always a winner withvegetarians."
3 Prawn cocktail
Serving ideas:
l Dublin Bay prawn cocktail made with jumbo prawns served in a Jameson whiskey cocktail sauce the Oliver St John Gogarty in Temple Bar, Dublin
l Tropical prawn cocktail with Icelandic prawns, chopped pepper and pineapple, mixed in a tangy cocktail sauce the Old Hall, Haworth, West Yorks
Why it's a winner?: Ian Walker, proprietor of the Blue Anchor in Greenalgh, Lancashire, says: "It's one of those classics that seems to hold its appeal."
4 Paté
Serving ideas:
l Chicken, liver and port paté with red onion the King of Prussia, Farnham Royal, Berkshire
l Smoked mackerel paté, Melba toast and pickled onions the Olive Branch in Clipsham, Rutland
Why it's a winner: Trevor Hopwood, the King of Prussia's sous chef, says: "We've put the paté on as a lunchtime special and the reaction has been very good. I think it's a dish people trust and has a premium edge to it."
5 Cheese
Serving ideas:
l Port and Stilton rarebit on granary bread the Black Jug, Horsham, West Sussex
l Goats' cheese and apple burger with a potato and herb salad the Randolph, Southwold, Suffolk
Why it's a winner: Nigel Ramsbottom, chef/owner of the Swan in Monks Eligh, Suffolk, says: "I think cheese-based starters are popular amongvegetarians and non-vegetarians alike."
