When most think of the perfect Christmas meal, spending time with family in comfort normally tops the list.

But if you want it all without the hassle of hosting, you do not need Michelin star restaurants to feed your appetite, with a small country pub in Downley offering a festive feast and all the trimmings.

Tucked away in one of the prettiest corners of High Wycombe, the Le De Spencers Arms is one of the town’s hidden gems.

A country pub which offers more than just a swift half, the soft furnishings ooze comfort and many would soon forget they were away from their home when they sit in front of the open fire.

However, the making of a good Christmas meal has to be the food – and with a young chef at the helm the pub was able to mix it up with the best and at just £18.95 for three courses and £16.95 for two it appeared reasonably priced.

Choosing from a set menu can often be a hard task for the fussy eaters, but unlike most stringent eateries the Le De make good on their promise to cater for all.

Choosing from a prawn cocktail, smoked mackerel pate and a parsnip and chestnut soup most taste buds would be more than satisfied, but my indecision was soon ended and I was allowed a choice of many more.

After careful thought, and a number of suggestions from our helpful and attentive waitress Moira, I went for a traditional carrot and coriander soup, in the mindset that there would not be too many surprises.

However, I was shocked when I sampled the starter. The soup was far better than I could have hoped for, with the crunchy beer bread the perfect accompaniment to my well seasoned and spiced soup.

I could not have been happier with my choice and my girlfriend Lauren and granddad Barry were both pleased with their choice of pate and prawn cocktail, respectively.

Following a brief break where we were able to further relax in our warm surrounding, the king of Christmas dinners landed on our table.

My Nan, Rose, went for the traditional turkey, while the rest of us took a punt on the topside of beef.

The plates were each delicately designed, proving our new environment was more than just a pub grub specialist.

Without failure the three generous serving of beef were cooked pink and tender as we wanted, while the turkey was juicy and succulent.

Each was served on a layer of roast potatoes, which were cooked crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

Our vegetables were dished up separately and were far better than expected. The roasted carrots had been glazed in a sweet honey while both the parsnips and Brussels sprouts offered the ideal balance to our big plates.

This was turning into a pre-Christmas meal to remember and after opening our festive crackers and washing our meal down with some of the finest ales a country pub can offer, we were all feeling jovial.

Our party was soon convinced to try a third course, and with the option of Christmas pudding, cheeseboard, or anything from the classic Le De pudding board, we were all keen to try more.

My granddad went for the cheeseboard which came with a very generous helping of the nations favourite cheeses while I went for a devil’s chocolate cake, Lauren went for the Christmas pudding with brandy butter and my Nan went for treacle tart with ice cream.

Although filling, each dessert finished the evening off with aplomb and even though my granddad could not finish his large helping of cheese, the lovely landlady and attentive staff were insistent on him taking it home.

As we discovered, often the hidden gems are the ones which sparkle the brightest, and a trip to the Le De Spencers Arms will certainly not disappoint, whether you are after an extra festive treat or just want a night surrounded by good company, this is a place not to miss.