THE snow was as least as thick as a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother and the Met Office had issued an amber ice warning, but your intrepid spy still braved the weekend's blast of winter in search of noble nourishment.

Snow shoes at the ready and sledge in the boot, Secret Service negotiated the post Derby tundra in search of a hearty log fire and a car park that had seen more grit than some of the roads.

Your spy found both in Tutbury on the Staffordshire, Derbyshire border just down the hill from the ancient castle.

Now many pubs these days are striving to create an air of antiquity so it's good to come across one that's genuinely old.

The Dog and Partridge dates back to the 15th century although, naturally, it has been extended and modernised many times since. Which is just as well seeing as they used to throw the contents of chamber pots out of the upstairs windows in Elizabethan times – so not all modernisation is a bad thing.

The Dog and Partridge still has a half-timbered frontage, bow window and uneven floors, so it doesn't have to rustle through the junk shops looking for piles of old books or Edwardian trinkets to add a bit of fake history.

The Dog and Partridge's problem is the reverse – how to ensure that it has the modern facilities visitors require without destroying it's biggest asset.

But it has handled those contradictions pretty well. There's still a sense of tradition and history, especially when you drive up to the lovely frontage but plenty of contemporary styling and comfort inside.

This Chef and Brewer pub has a bar area, outdoor seating at the back, a rear car park, guest rooms and a large dining room, split nicely into different seating areas so that it still feels intimate.

The snow had kept a lot of people in and many more were still up by the castle hopping onto a sledge. so your spy and party, fresh from the slopes, had little trouble getting a table.

It had been several years since your spy's last visit, prompted by a day out at the castle, but little appeared to have changed, apart from the addition of some very attractive snow.

The menu remains dominated by traditional pub favourites – pies, steaks, burgers and the ubiquitous lasagne, fish and chips and chicken tikka masala. The two vegetarians in the party were unimpressed with their very limited choice and the two meat and fish eaters had plenty of options but were hardly inspired by the familiarity of it all.

As well as the full menu, as it was Sunday there were several roast dinner options, which did also extend the veggie choices by one.

Your spy was the only diner to go for three courses (sledging had built up a real hunger) and grabbed a goat's cheese and caramelised onion bruschetta starter.

That was followed by the roast beef Sunday lunch. This came with a Yorkshire pudding, vegetables and wonderfully smooth and creamy mashed potatoes. The beef sadly was a bit dry and looked like it had been waiting around a bit (we were on the late side for Sunday lunch) and it would have been nice to have had more than one and a bit roast potatoes.

Your spy's first veggie companion was more impressed with the nut roast wellington which came with the same accompaniments as the roast beef.

The second veggie opted for a spinach and feta cannelloni off the main menu which came with salad and very good (crisp on the outside fluffy in the middle) chips.

The fourth diner had fish and chips and had no complaints.

With nobody overly full, desserts were a must and the four chosen were passed around the table for taste purposes. The sticky toffee pudding was predictably a little sickly for some, two chocolate fudge cakes were nicely moist and the biggest hit was the French patisserie-style blackcurrant tart although nobody really wanted the liquorice ice cream that it's served with.

We had hoped to finish with a coffee (they serve Costa here in case you are interested) but ran out of time.

Your spy really needed to build a snowman before it all melted away.

WHAT: Ye Olde Dog and Partridge

WHERE: High Street, Tutbury, DE13 9LS

MEAL FOR FOUR: Bruschetta £3.75, spinach and feta cannelloni £8.45, fish and chips £7.65, roast beef Sunday lunch £8.99, nut wellington Sunday lunch £7.99, chocolate fudge cake x 2 £9.50, sticky toffee pudding £4.95, blackcurrant tart £4.95, Coke £1.95, ginger ale £2.45, fruit shoot £1.65, regular glass of Rioja £4.15

TOTAL: £66.43

CALL: 01283 808695