The sad decline of the English pub has been the subject of much debate in recent years. Many theories have been put forward about why so many have closed, but ultimately it is down to a fundamental shift in society.

Gone are the days where the working man went out to his local hostelry several times a week, leaving the wife and children at home.

Such is the emphasis on family life now that men rightly play a major part in the home and as such “going out for a pint” to the local inn has fallen out of favour.

Establishments that have failed to recognise this have closed — what is needed is a place where food and drink go hand-in-hand, and where families are welcome. A reputation needs to be developed that transcends the immediate locality and draws in customers from much further afield.

This is especially so in Oxfordshire villages where much of the population works away from the local area.

Fyfield is a typical example. A charming village set just off the A420, it was hard to spot anyone out and about on the Friday lunchtime we chose to visit.

We had been drawn in by a sign on the main road taking us (eventually) to the White Hart.

This is an impressive building which we later found dates back to the 15th century, and has been the ultimate property of St John’s College since 1580.

So, in historical terms, the near five-year tenancy of Mark and Kay Chandler is a mere blink of an eye.

But in that time they have managed to create a lasting impression in the old place, thanks to a combination of good food and efficient service, without losing sight of the need for a working pub serving decent beer at the heart of village life.

It is an impressive building, particularly from the inside as it features a fantastic high vaulted ceiling in the centre, while the beams, flagged floors and smell of wood smoke could place you at any time in the last 500 years.

We sat in the furthest end of the room and were immediately handed both the full menus and lunctime specials.

At £18 for three courses (or £15 for two), the lunchtime offering seemed very good value and there was a good selection which apparently changes every week.

To start, I opted for the chicken and duck liver parfait served with apricot chutney and toast.

This was delightfully rich and creamy, nicely offset by the chutney and my glass of Hungarian Pinot Grigio, although a little rough, accompanied it well.

Across the table the tomato, red lentil, cumin and coriander soup, was also going down very well, although my companion remarked the bread, although homemade, was a little stale which had the undesired effect of me losing some of my toast.

But all such gripes were swept away by the prompt arrival of the main courses. I had chosen pork and herb faggots which came served with mash, onion gravy, peas and pea shoots.

I couldn’t remember eating faggots since I was a child but the herby taste mixed with the traditional offal flavour sited suited my carnivorous leanings nicely.

Its appeal failed to attract my companion, though, as she picked a beautifully cooked piece of salmon served with spinach and new potatoes and a tartare sauce on the side.

The simplicity of both dishes was as remarkable as their delicious taste.

Talk of homemade produce led to a chat with Mr Chandler who revealed that three years ago he transformed some land immediately adjacent to the pub into an allotment.

Now he grows seasonal vegetables, fruit and herbs which he tends to when not in the kitchen. And these change as each new crop appears.

At the time of writing, Jerusalem artichokes, kohlrabi and kale were available, while Mr Chandler admitted he was a little overcome by the amount of rhubarb he was producing, which led to two suitable dishes on the menu as he tries to tackle his mini-glut.

Back at the table we had gone for broke with a serving of sticky toffee pudding each. The inclusion of dates in the mixture made this a reeal sweet treat, along with the toffee sauce and homemade ice cream.

Over coffee we learned Mr Chandler was a self-taught chef and, obviously, gardener, while Mrs Chandler looks after the front of house with two friendly and efficient waitresses.

He is also passionate about his beer and runs two festivals a year, featuring many local brews, the next of which is between August 28 and 30.

So, back to the perennial problem of how to keep pubs open, and Mr Chandler has hopefully found a winning formula, at least for the White Hart.

Good quality food and beer, good service, local produce and attention to detail. Now how hard can that be?

Menu: Two £18 set lunch menus Drinks: Glass of Pinot Grigio: £5.70 Glass of Prosecco: £5 Coffees: £4 TOTAL: £50.70

Contact: 01865 390585.

Web: www.whitehart-fyfield.com