Not just a time for traditional fare

We take a look at what's on offer on some of the UK's pub menus at Christmas time this year

Tony Ellis, head chef of the Dinton Hermit, Ford, Buckinghamshire offers grilled pavé of smoked salmon served on a crunchy vegetable salad with a tangy citrus dressing

as a starter and a rich casserole of venison and pheasant with field mushrooms, shallots, Port and juniper as a main-course option.

Paul Smith, head chef, the Fountain Inn, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire has a threecourse set menu in the run up to Christmas at £16.95, which includes homemade vegetable soup, Worcester turkey with all the trimmings and rum log. The Christmas Day lunch costs £49.95 but, as Paul explains, they don't serve traditional turkey dinners then, because they find that if people are eating out on the big day itself they want something different, like poached carp and bread sauce."

Assistant manager Catherine Merry of the House in Islington, North London (the winner of Time Out's Best Gastro pub 2003), says, "We'll keep our à la carte menu in the run up

to Christmas but add turkey and Christmas pudding."

Sashimi of yellow fin tuna, yuzu and pickled ginger is just one of the starters, with mains including linguini of lobster with clams, chilli, garlic and slow-roasted cherry tomatoes.

"Turkey is there if you want it, but we find lots of

people come out for something different."

Executive chef and proprietor Valerie Hope of the Wig and Mitre in Lincoln has modernised dishes on the Christmas menu to cope with demand. She serves escalope of turkey with sage and onion stuffing wrapped in Parma ham and baked in filo pastry served with cranberry compote. Valerie said: "This

method is very easy but very tasty because all the flavours are wrapped up together."