BACK when we were all still deluding ourselves that the Jules Rimet was within our grasp, before the pain of penalties, red cards and Beckham's goodbye, finding a football-free pub while our boys were on the World Cup pitch was quite a feat.

Not being a fan of the beautiful game and having the fortune to have married one of those most rare of things - a man who can't abide it - I considered the 90-minutes of the England vs Ecuador match the ideal time to grab a spot of Sunday lunch in peace.

Sadly, most of the pubs where we would normally ensconce ourselves with steaming plates of comfort food had succumbed to all things soccer.

Apart, that is, from the Stretton Fox on the outskirts of Warrington. Arriving at its entrance in the rolling fields of the Cheshire countryside, we were delighted to find a sign outside apologising to "Sven and the England boys" for the lack of bunting, flags and other football paraphernalia.

However, it went on, the owners and staff at the Stretton Fox wished to offer guests an alternative atmosphere of relaxation away from the world's biggest footballing tournament.

This was the place. A favourite of mine, the Stretton Fox is what I consider to be the perfect Sunday lunch pub. Set away from the bustle of town with beautiful views, it is like a sprawling farmhouse with big open-plan areas, mismatched benches and huge roaring fires (in winter only!).

Part of the Vintage Inns group, the Stretton Fox inevitably succumbs to some of the sins of chain pubs with a selection of antiquities plucked from Country Pubs R Us scattered around and pithy quotes about drinking daubed on the walls, but it works.

The food, like everything else here, is simple, homely and traditional - just what you want on a Sunday afternoon.

Sunday Roasts are available - Norfolk turkey or sirloin of beef - at the bargain price of £7.95, as are freshly cut sandwiches until 5pm. Then there is an extensive menu of traditional English dishes with a hint of the Med thrown in.