CHRIS TITLEY raises a glass to the choice of food now available down at the local.

PUB grub: the very name conjures up happy memories of pickled eggs in pathology jars, hairy pork scratchings and, if you were pushing the boat out, a cheese and onion bap.

Today, however, the British palate is more sophisticated, and pubs have risen to the challenge of satisfying it. So says the AA's Pub Guide 2002, launched this week.

Increasingly, the guide's editor says, pub-goers find they can choose from a daily blackboard of freshly-cooked local produce.

The book reviews of more than 2,000 "destination" pubs, and goes on to praise the growing number of microbreweries taking on the big breweries with quality local ales.

Guide editor David Hancock said: "We are seeing a migration of chefs from top restaurants who are instead plying their trade in country pubs. This means that dishes such as sea bream with orange and chilli, or teryaki stir-fry, are increasingly available.

"A heightened awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving also mean pubs need to give people extra incentive to travel."

Among the pubs picked out by the guide in North Yorkshire are:

The Crab and Lobster, Asenby, Thirsk. This 17th-century recently re-thatched cottage is set in an idyllic spot. Famous for its fish dishes, the pub boasts a brasserie menu is supplemented by daily blackboard specials which major in fresh seafood. And you can wash it all down with a pint of Black Sheep.

Feversham Arms, Helmsley. The AA notes that the mid-19th century pub was completely transformed by its new owners towards the end of 2000. Main courses include prawn and fresh pea risotto, seared calves' liver with bacon, mash and gravy, or haddock and salmon fishcakes, all complemented by an extensive international wine list. Beers include Theakston's Best.

Star Inn, Harome

This 14th-century pub comes complete with low beams and log fires but, comments the AA, its "superior pub food is robustly up-to-date". The emphasis is on fresh ingredients and home-grown herbs, and a typical lunch offers creamed wild mushroom tartlet with quail's egg and chervil sauce, and roast monkfish with chanterelle risotto and seared scallops.

Three Tuns, Osmotherly

Boasts a modern new interior "designed to create a relaxed atmosphere in which to relax and enjoy largely produce-led food freshly prepared from up-dated seasonal menus offering a wide choice".

Fox and Hounds, Sinnington

An attractive location, right on the edge of the North York Moors National Park, and good food combine for the perfect atmosphere. "Expect imaginative, well presented modern cooking, perhaps starting with duck and pistachio pat, steamed mussels, or pan-fried black pudding with mustard sauce," says the AA.

The AA publishes its Restaurant Guide 2002 later this week, with an attack on snobbery at the table. An editorial in the guide by Simon Wright said: "A tedious snobbery still persists among certain elements of the restaurant trade. Too often the fundamentals - top class raw materials, simple accurate cooking, enthusiastic service - seem to be given less priority than posturing in areas that don't have any real impact on the quality of eating out."

The AA Pub Guide is published this week, price £10.99