Restaurants are setting up their rural outposts. What started with fish aficionado Rick Stein and his Padstow Seafood Restaurant, has now extended through to the rest of the Saturday Kitchen clan. Gary Rhodes is due to launch Rhodes South and King's Rhodes in Dorset, whilst Jamie Oliver is threatening to open Jamie's Italian in Oxford, both within months. Atul Kotchhar, of celebrated restaurant Benares, is expanding to Wykham Vineyards near Southampton with Vatika, and not content with his newly opened Farringdon eatery, Mark Hix has plans to open Hix Oyster & Chop House in Lyme Regis this summer.

For a full country manor experience, The Vyse Room at Stoke Place in Buckinghamshire is opening today under the capable hands of the Underdog team that brought us The Hawkesmoore and The Marquess. Promising supreme cocktails and garden kitchen cuisine overlooking 23 acres of Capability Brown designed grounds, it's time to get your combine harvester out and embrace country living.