'I visited Derbyshire's highest and cosiest pub and it did not disappoint'

The 427-year-old Peak District boozer made The Sunday Times' list of Britains cosiest pubs in 2023

When exploring what makes a good country pub, various criteria must be met: good food, good beer, good views and - in many cases - miscellaneous brass and copper items, with the occasional taxidermied fox, scattered around the interior. I wasn't sure what to expect when I entered Derbyshire's highest pub, The Barrel Inn at Bretton, which is also the second-highest pub in the Peak District, behind the famous Cat and Fiddle.

I took my old man along for the ride and, although it seemed to be a new experience at first glance, we actually used to go to 'The Barrel' quite a lot when I was younger, but years of TikTok and YouTube nonsense have put those cherished memories to the back of my mind. It was a fair drive from my home in Belper, but with no traffic and sunny skies above, the journey was enjoyable and gave me plenty of time to build an appetite.

The Barrel lies above Foolow at an altitude of 1,300 feet (396 metres) and overlooks the vast rolling hills to the south, with its beer garden to the front acting as a sun trap in the summer - and in this case, autumn - months. The building itself retains its authenticity as a historic inn, but has also adopted new features - such as a fancy glass porch - to bring a slice of modernity to the hidden corner of the national park.

Considering we visited at 1pm on a Tuesday, it was almost full with diners - so it was a good call to book a table and I would advise others to do the same. We arrived around 20 minutes early so took the opportunity to sample the beer.

Much to the disappointment of beer-lovers reading this, I decided to not go for an ale or a bitter, opting for an Estrella instead, purely because it is my favourite lager. After enjoying the simply incredible view, which you'd normally have to trek up Mam Tor or Win Hill to see the likes of, we headed inside where the friendly waiter quickly took our orders.

We were told that they had sold out of their pies, one of which was particularly intriguing with the inclusion of pumpkin, pork and beef - which was fairly impressive considering they'd only been serving food for 90 minutes before we arrived. So my hopes of sampling a slightly adventurous dish were put to bed and I pretended to be disappointed as I ordered the gammon and chips - a guilty pleasure of mine and a true staple of an Brit's diet.

The old man went for fish and chips to go with his vinegar - I just couldn't believe how much he put on, as if he was scared to taste any fish at all. After a short wait, maybe 15 minutes, our food arrived and our eyes both lit up and the generous portions and delicate presentation of each dish.

A pile of chips was hidden beneath a large battered cod which came with a wedge of lemon, a boiled quail's egg, mushy peas, tartare sauce and - above all else - scraps of batter, which is simply unheard of in your average country pub restaurant and a great addition. I was greeted with a thick slab of gammon, adorned with a pineapple purée, roasted pineapple, some mixed leaf and a bowl of chips.

A particularly pleasant inclusion to the gammon was, rather than a sad-looking fried egg, a homemade, warm scotch egg with a runny yolk - it really was to die for. The whole dish was perfect, without doubt, the best gammon I'd ever eaten... but it came at a price.

The gammon was £17.95 and the fish and chips were £16.95, both maybe a fiver more expensive than you'd expect in another restaurant. But you're not just paying for a plate of food, you're paying for the experience of eating in a really cosy pub, with friendly staff offering excellent service - and the view isn't bad either.

While we let our food settle, which was practically inhaled we were so hungry, we discussed how pleasant the whole experience was. No noisy crowds, no clattering from the kitchen or behind the bar, no faffing around from staff - just a warming atmosphere on what was an otherwise chilly day in the Peak District.

The Barrel Inn certainly gets my seal of approval, and if it wasn't an hour's drive away from the comforts of Amber Valley I'm sure I would pick up an unhealthy - and pricy - habit of tucking into gammon and scotch eggs on a daily basis. The pub can be accessed via the A6 before turning off at Ashford in the Water if you fancy a scenic drive, or you can head from Derby along the A38 before hitting the country roads at the Alfreton turn-off. For more details on The Barrel Inn, click the link here.