We visit a Staffordshire countryside pub which is a destination venue for diners and drinkers alike

He said he had moved into the area a year earlier and found there was a lack of an independent eatery of a certain standard - but he had found the perfect building to create just that.

He said: "I've spent a lot of time eating in numerous different restaurants around the world and so, maybe naively or bravely, we decided to go in and take on this building.

"We went in a bit blind, but did the full renovation, taking the best bits from all the places we've been to and amalgamated them into one venue.

"I used to visit a pub around here called the Countess's Arms and that sort of high-end and independent eatery was something I aspired to and we're different to other places as we have the ability to change menus with the seasons, using local suppliers and the freshest ingredients."

More than 30 jobs were created as a result of the reopening as the Lesters Arms, including the high-profile recruitment of head chef Phil Jones, and Mr Hutchinson said anyone coming in for the first time would be warmly welcomed and feel a combination of modern eatery and cosy pub.

He said: "When we did the work we made sure that everything was brand new, plus we extended the kitchen so that we could cope with the covers that we needed to make the restaurant viable.

"There's also new bars, new restaurant areas, new flooring, new heating, new cellar lines and a completely state-of-the-art kitchen and what people get when they walk in is a warm and welcoming country pub with log burners and a higher end food offering that is all locally sourced."

Mr Hutchinson said that while the pub was mostly dry-led due to the food offering, there was still a lot for drinkers to enjoy, including real ale hand pulls and other beers.

He said: "Traditionally, we've got three real ale lines, and we'll usually keep two on and one in rotation, with Butty Bach a regular one, and we keep working to try and get Bathams, although that's a struggle as they sometimes sell more than they can brew.

"However, our regulars are always asking for it, so we'll keep looking for it as it's like the unicorn of beers, plus we have Hawkstone cider and lager and IPA and we tend to keep a very high end number of spirits, such as Grey Goose, Hennessy and we'll use local distilleries and breweries."

The Lesters Arms has a wide-ranging and very diverse food menu, which Mr Hutchinson said was split between staples and an ever-changing seasonal menu, all supplied by local producers.

He said: "The menu is split between the staples on one side, so things like fish and chips, beef burgers, steaks and mixed grills, and we get our fish from Sands Fish in Walsall, sauces from Mears Butchers in Great Wyrley, Wolverhampton Fruit and Veg Market and a lot of other local producers.

"We've also got the a la carte menu, which is an ever-changing seasonality menu and, at the moment, we've got scallops in a Thai broth, slow roasted lamb with Antonelli pasta and lamb with new potatoes, pomegranate and rocket salad with a mint yoghurt.

"We try to keep the menu fresh and change at least a couple of dishes a week and we can do that because we're independent and single site and not having to order or negotiate massive supply chains."

Mr Hutchinson said he felt the Lesters Arms had become a proper destination venue through commitment to consistency and quality and said he was proud to provide something people enjoyed and kept coming back to.

He said: "It's somewhere to go where you know the service is going to be second to none and the quality of the food is consistent and of a high expectation.

"That idea of consistency is something I hammer home, whether it's through the Sunday roast dinners or the quality of the meat, and it's something which brings people back time and time again."