TUCKED away in deepest Ardington sits a hidden treasure – and it needs to be discovered.

I had my first taste of the delightful Boars Head six weeks ago and have been itching to return. Thankfully, the opportunity arose last week – and again I was left craving for more.

Piping hot food cooked to perfection, plates bursting with flavour and to wash it down a quite magnificent glass of gin.

While I certainly like my food, I am also a big fan of the liquid which accompanies it. That was, in truth, one of the main reasons for wanting to go back.

On my previous visit I drank lager, but was very jealous when a member of our party ordered a gin and tonic and was served a huge glass complete with fresh fruit.

I was certainly not going to miss out second time around.

Booking is a must here. The combination of limited tables and the quality of fare on offer means the pub is always a hive of activity.

On arrival we asked for the gin menu, but with more than 20 on offer were grateful for the help from behind the bar.

We opted for the Brockmans, which was served with fresh blackberries and blueberries, and also the Eden Mill Love, a delightful pink colour accompanied by raspberries (£6).

We ordered an anti-pasto sharing platter for our starter – a plentiful board that one of the women on the table next door opted to eat as a main meal (£9.95).

My tender beef braised in Guinness and orange ticked every box.

The sheer quantity and quality of the meat, with a generous portion of vegetables and dauphinoise potatoes meant it was a battle to finish (£13.95). But don’t worry, I was not beaten.

We also ordered off the specials board – opting for peri peri chicken strips with chips and salad (£12.95).

These had a real kick to them – to be fair we were warned about this when ordering – and it was lucky there was still enough gin left to extinguish the warm feeling at the back of your throat!

We simply could not manage any pudding, but the eye-catching selection on offer was very tempting.

We’ll have to leave room for that next time – because we’ll certainly be going back.

l Boars Head, Church Street, Ardington, OX12 8QA. Call 01235 835466 or visit tbhardington.co.uk