On The Menu: Afternoon tea at Nobu; Rekorderlig; The Pheasant Inn; Angelo Sosa; Chef Selection

This week I've been eating...Afternoon tea at Nobu

Twinsets, pearls and all things demure. That's the lingering image of afternoon tea. But, these days, it's not marchionesses in the foyer at the Ritz, picking at the cucumber sandwiches, scones and tiny fondant cakes. That's all, well, a little twee and old-fashioned. Things are changing among the crustless-sandwich set.

Nobu's new tea is one of the most appealing of the new breed. We previewed it on these pages a few weeks ago, but now I've tried it out. Between 3pm and 5.30pm you can pop in to the Berkeley Street restaurant for tea, order the Michelin-starred Japanese food and leave having spent £30, rather than twice that on dinner.

Plus the food is brilliant, six little boxes of loveliness. Three savoury (running the gamut from delicately smoked salmon sashimi to fried beef dumplings) and three sweet (yuzu cream and green tea doughnut the star entrant). And you can get tea, too – green, of course.

Cider decider

I'm no fan of cider, on the whole, finding scrumpy too astringent (and often leg-bucklingly strong) and the fizzy stuff a little too sticky. But, that said, on a hot day, I can see the attraction of a nice cool bottle of the stuff. If the weather does perk up, then it's worth checking out the new orange and ginger flavour from Swedish brewers, Rekorderlig. It's nothing particularly sophisticated, and can be bought from most supermarkets, but nonetheless has a fresh, light taste that is quite captivating when served over ice with a nice wedge of lemon. £4, rekorderlig.com

A perfect pie

Pies are simple things. And yet the coming together of a bit of pastry, some meat and a nice bit of sauce or gravy is fraught with dinner-ruining traps. Is that pastry too soft, for instance? Sauce too rich? Meat a little chewy? Yet when it works, as it does at The Pheasant Inn at Tattenhall, Cheshire, it's a thing to marvel at. Last Saturday the unfussy pub served me the lovliest chicken pie I've had in years. Flaky pastry top, great chunks of chicken, rich (but not cloying) sauce. A delight.

Flavoursome

Having learnt his craft under such luminaries as Alain Ducasse and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, you might expect Angelo Sosa's new cookbook to be a little on the tricksy side of things. But not a bit of it. Although the concept is unusual – he splits his book into nine chapters based on his idea of nine core flavour profiles: sweet, salty, smoky, bitter, sour, umami, spicy, earthy and nutty – the recipes are all pretty accessible. Particularly great is the umami chapter (often overlooked) with its superb Vietnamese beef tartare recipe. £19.99, kylebooks.com

Not dear deer

Venison is a great alternative to red meat. It's high in protein and iron, but low in saturated fat. The only down side is its expense. However, the new range of Chef Selection burgers, sausages, and meatballs buck (sorry) that trend, all of the above costing under £3. Slightly odd that the burgers are mixed with pork but, hell, they still taste good. £2.50, highlandgame.com

s.muston@independent.co.uk