Nothing to do with the homely, relaxed feel of the pub that is the focal point of the pretty Peak District village of Great Hucklow; nor the fact that the historic building dates back to 1621 and offers everything you could wish for... excellent home-cooked food, an ever-changing range of cask ales and a far-reaching wine list plus a fabulous view from the garden.

No, it was the man behind the bar, Glyn Jewell, and the mother and daughter combo in the kitchen, Angela and Carolyn Ryan.

I had first encountered the trio in November 2006 when my foodie travels took me to the Old Bowling Green Inn in Bradwell. For the past year they've put their winning reputations on the line again at The Queen Anne… they've even got a list of the landlords dating back to 1704.

It hasn't taken them long to stamp their mark – a £7,000 kitchen revamp, new carpets throughout, new wall lights, an open inglenook gas fire and a hefty lick of cream paint on all walls.

As far as the food is concerned they've been quick to utilise the 'locals,' with potatoes, cabbage and beans from one elderly gent in the village, eggs and chickens from the farm down the road and meat from a butcher in nearby Tideswell.

There's a printed menu plus three 'specials' boards – one for desserts – so you're definitely spoilt for choice and there's not a microwave in sight as everything is freshly cooked to order.

One of the boards offers a starter and main, or main and dessert for £6.95 (Tuesday to Saturday) with such things as prawn cocktail, Thai dim sum, home-baked ham, free range egg and chips, spag bol', scampi, chocolate and redcurrant cake and Bakewell tart.

The main board has an eclectic mix from an Asian plate (£10.95) to share of prawn fritters, king prawns, crab cakes and deep- fried squid (main or starter size) to sirloin steak (£12.50), Derbyshire lamb chops (£10.50), chicken breast stuffed with Stilton (£9.50), lemon sole stuffed with smoked haddock and spinach (£11.50) and a couple for the veggies – asparagus and mushroom risotto (£8.95) and a nut roast (£8.50).

Six more starters and nine more mains are available from the printed menu which include oriental king prawns (£5.50), battered mozzarella cheese fingers (£4.50), Greek-style beef stifado, steak and ale casserole, cod and salmon fishcakes and BBQ chicken with bacon and chese melt (all £8.95).

The mango and brie starter proved perfect for sharing… a smattering of sweet- and-sour in four filo pastry parcels complete with a plum dip, shredded lettuce, tomato and cucumber (£4.75).

We then raided the 'specials' for our main courses. I decided to go for the lamb casserole (£9.50) but not any old casserole this was flagged up as 'delicious'… and it was.

Apparently this is one of Carolyn's specialities but on talking to her afterwards she's not always sure of just what she's put in it! Whatever, hearty chunks of melt-in-the-mouth lamb in a rich, tasty sauce of tomatoes, onions and numerous herbs, with a timbale of rice, told its own success story.

M went for the ever popular home-made pancake (£8.95), which has a choice of fillings – chunky chicken, bacon and mushrooms, feta, red onion and asparagus, or chilli. She chose the chicken.

The light fluffy pancake with its generous filling was smothered in a cheese sauce and came with a hefty portion of chips and a mixed salad of crispy lettuce, cucumber, tomato, red onion, peppers and flat leaf parsley.

Cask ales are Glyn's forte and, like the various menus, they're changed regularly. Copper Dragon has proved very popular along with Sly Fox, which has a hint of ginger, Hoppit, Tanner's Jack, Greene King IPA and Tetley's. More's the pity, I'm restricted to one unit a day.

For those who prefer wine, there's a good selection of red, white, rosé and sparkling, with prices ranging from £10.50 to £17.50 – champagne is a little more expensive! The whites and rosé are graded one to nine, one being the driest, while the reds go from A to E, with A being the lightest.

Single-serve bottles are also proving very popular and, would you believe, there's even a flashback to the 70s in the shape of Mateus Rosé.

Three of the nine desserts on board were home-made (all £3.95), so it was just a matter of choosing between sticky toffee pudding, Bakewell tart and fruit crumble.

Sticky toffee and the tart got the vote as was the case at the Old Bowling Green. My sticky toffee was again a delight, with a light sponge on a bed of dates and topped off with toffee sauce and custard. The tart, served with custard, had a pastry base layered with jam although the almond filling needed a little more zip.

The food bill came to £31.10.

Verdict: The Queen Anne rules. Perfect variation on a theme for the ideal pub lunch/dinner with delicious food, a good selection of real ales and wine and friendly service.

Food served: Lunchtime from noon to 2.30pm and evening from 6pm, Tuesday to Sunday; closed Monday. Bar open all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Home-made stone-baked takeaway pizzas available with your choice of topping, £4.95.

The Queen Anne, Main Street, Great Hucklow, near Tideswell; call 01298 871246.

There are two en-suite rooms; cost £65 per room, including breakfast.

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