Pub Review: The Royal Standard of England, Buckinghamshire

At BitterSweet Partnership, we’ve been around the UK on the hunt for female-friendly pubs – and one of our favourite discoveries is The Royal Standard of England. Definitely one for history lovers, this quaint country pub dates back 900 years. Full of friendly locals, delicious food and, a lot of history, it’s really no wonder that it was voted the best UK pub in 2009.

Located down a winding side-road, the phrase “the middle of nowhere” has hardly ever seemed more apt. The drive is more than worth it, though; an imposing red-brick building with black wooden beams and latticed windows, the exterior certainly makes an impression on arrival.

The interior really feels like a step back in time; white, uneven walls and black wooden beams contrast with deep red carpeted floors, open fires, candle-holding ceiling lights, cosy window seats, dark wooden tables and hanging tapestries and other artefacts collected over the years. Staff are always welcoming and you immediately sense that this is a place for locals rather than tourists which, being so old, it could well have turned into. There’s something all the more appealing about seeing the pub being used as a local haunt, just as it would have been almost a millennium ago.

Behind the bar, a wide range of beer is on offer - try something locally brewed such as Chiltern Ale; venture slightly further afield with beverages from the rest of the UK, such as the award-winning Timothy Taylor Landlord Yorkshire golden ale; or try historical European ales such as the Kostritzer Schwarzbier Black Lager, brewed the same way since the 16th century.

And let’s not forget the food; equally as good as everything else in this pub, The Royal Standard has many awards, including the Best Pub Sunday Roast. Expect meat pies, local sausages, Parkland Fallow venison, rib steak and a wide range of roasts, with classic puddings to follow. Be sure to check out the specials of the day, too; with dishes like local partridge with cabbage leaf wrapping and foie gras stuffing on offer, they’re definitely worth trying.