Hamish Champ: To eat or to drink? Who cares so long as it's in a decent pub

I was on holiday with my 10 year-old son last week, blissfully ignorant as to the goings on in the pub trade. OK, some readers might observe this is the case even when I'm beavering away in Publican Towers, but I'm in a good mood so I'll let that pass.

Any road up, as well as days in the country, visits to the cinema and a spot of 'mudlarking' on the shore of the Thames I popped into a few pubs with the boy while I was off.

Having determined that I would resist the temptation to think about the pub sector during my holiday, a strategy which incidentally extended to not answering the phone when certain managing directors rang me, I found myself able to get into proper 'customer mode'.

Given that everyone in the industry bangs on about service standards I was pleasantly surprised at what we experienced. Nothing beats a friendly welcome and the question 'What can I get you?' when you walk through the door, rather than being treated as an inconvenience. It leaves one with a warm glow - and the inclination to stay a-while.

Since it was the school holidays and during the day, most of the pubs were busy with families, most of whom were eating.

I've subsequently seen coverage - in The Publican​, of course - of the fact that sales of food in pubs have now outpaced those of drinks, and thinking about my own visits to pubs last week I realised I spent more money on things like fish and chips and sausage and mash than I did on pints of foaming ale and endless refills of lemonade.

I used to worry that in their determination to drive food sales certain pubs would turn into homogenous fuel depots, devoid of any character, serving barely average food without an iota of individuality, care and - for want of a better word - passion.

There are plenty of pubs like this of course. But last week showed me that there are pubs doing food that goes well beyond the bog standard.

The trend towards selling food has tradtional pub lovers in a tizzy, but it is a trend that, if only for financial reasons, is perfectly understandable. Yet as any fule kno solids aren't the be all and end all of a good pub.

I also used to worry that wet-led pubs would die out, but last week also showed me that when enough decent beers are on offer and are served well - both in terms of quality of the contents of the glass and the manner in which it is offered - many a pub can thrive without selling so much as a pork scratching.

Certain readers will no doubt cough up the subject of the smoking ban (zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz) but as I've not mentioned it - apart from just there - I see no reason to get sidetracked by it.

As I settle back into the swing of things after my summer break it only remains for me to say 'cheers' and 'good health'. And here's to a great Christmas.