It's bordering on perfection

It's the one that got away, the one that is always the bridesmaid and never the bride, the one that gets overlooked when foodies talk about their favourite restaurant.

While headline writers and food bloggers focus on Ludlow's great restaurants, or the marvellous eating houses that have sprung up in Birmingham in recent years, they seldom mention The Checkers. And perhaps they should.

The Checkers, at Montgomery, in Powys, is a stone's throw from the Shropshire border. Located in the heart of that picturesque town, it is surrounded by verdant, undulating countryside. The drive from Shropshire to Montgomery is spectacular – it's almost worth booking a table simply to enjoy that.

It is run by the Frenchman and the Farmers' Daughters, a business partnership steeped in talent and experience. The Frenchman is head chef Stephane Borie, a man of spectacular talent who began his apprenticeship in Bordeaux before moving to London in the late 1990s. He spent seven years with Michel Roux at The Waterside Inn, Bray, a three Michelin star training that instilled a passion for flavour and excellence. His next port of call was Raymond Blanc's two Michelin star temple to gastronomy Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons. He also worked as a private chef to Sir Anthony Bamford.

In 2008 Stephane decided to go it alone. He opened The Herbert Arms, at Chirbury, with Sarah and Kathryn; collectively known as 'the farmers' daughters'.

Sarah and Kathryn, meanwhile, grew up on a dairy farm in Shropshire. Sarah became an accomplished chef, also working in the country's finest kitchens. She met Stephane during a ground-breaking stint at The Waterside Inn, where she had become the first woman to work in every section. Sarah then became a successful freelance chef, cooking across the UK and Europe for private clients.

While Sarah accompanies husband Stephane in the kitchen, Kathryn runs The Checkers' front of house. She provides an informal and relaxed service that complements Stephane and Sarah's cuisine. A former nurse, Kathryn left her previous career after being unable to resist the opportunity to work with her sister and brother-in-law.

I've eaten from Stephane's menu on previous occasions and it's never failed to delight. He is a class act, a man who fills his food with flavour. He eschews the trickery that some chefs employ – there was not a froth, foam or spherified molecule in sight– in favour of honest-to-goodness flavours.

Stephane's great skill – and it is one that the still-popular Shaun Hill, from Ludlow's former Michelin-starred Merchant House, had in spades – is to be able to extract the maximum flavour from every ingredient. His seasonings, methods and choices of ingredients is the acme of excellence. Flavours sing like a choir: a smoked tomato soup was heavenly, the rich oaky flavour permeated the sweet tomato. It was nectar. A braising jus that accompanied our main course was rich and intoxicating. I could happily have asked the kitchen for a cupful and eaten the lot, as though it were a consommé.

The food isn't the only enjoyable aspect of Checkers. Service is exceptional. Kathryn leads the team, providing friendly and engaging interaction with her guests. Her team, largely comprising French staff, worked the floor with great aplomb. Dishes were presented with brief descriptions, so that we knew what we were eating and had the opportunity to ask questions.

My friend and I arrived for a 7pm dinner and the venue was already pretty busy. The Checkers is reminiscent of an exquisite and modest country home. The bar and dining area are open plan and not at all fussy. The emphasis is on great food, great service and creating a relaxed ambience.

We enjoyed canapés in the bar area; our small table was laden with a delightful trio of amuse bouche, comprising a long strip of pork crunch in a grain mustard mayonnaise; a thrilling beetroot macaroon that exploded in the mouth like stardust and a crispy cup – or, croustade cup – of exquisite rabbit with a tarragon seasoning. We perused the menu while we ate, noting Stephane's penchant for classic dishes that featured the best of local produce. A breadth of beautiful seasonal flavours were on offer.

We were shown to our table and dinner began. The first course was a home smoked tomato soup with a goat's cheese cream and tiny shards of olive. It was sensational; one of the best things I've eaten in years. The Government and Heinz ought to sign up Stephane and provide every single person in the UK with a portion, so that they can appreciate the virtues of good, flavoursome food. After eating mine, I could have happily died and gone to foodie heaven. The sweetness of the tomatoes was framed by their piquancy. The sweet, oaky smoke that filled the dish was softened by the light and refreshing goat's cheese cream. The olives added taste and texture. I could eat 1,000 cappuccino cups of soup at restaurants around the world before tasting anything better.

Next up was a deliciously fragrant scallop dish, featuring fennel and fennel seed, sweet ginger and grapefruit. The scallops had been seared so that a caramel crust formed on the top on bottom. They were placed on mini, tagliatelle-like batons of fennel while a drizzle of sweet ginger added warmth and spice. The sharpness of the citric grapefruit cut through the dish, refreshing the palate. Two courses down, two top marks.

A grilled turbot dish was served with a roasted tomato, green beans and a grain mustard hollandaise sauce. It was a perfect reminder of why turbot is the king of all fish. Rich, satisfying and meaty, it was perfected balanced by the vegetables and hollandaise.

Our main course was a masterwork. I wanted to kiss it. Or, if not kiss it, then create a new gravity-resistant preservation technique that would have allowed me to place it on a wall, like a Monet, so as to marvel at it for years to come. It was stunningly presented: an oblong of gently roasted belly pork with a crisply crackled skin which had been placed on top a thick, smooth and silky swirl of pomme puree. Wilted spinach, tender baby carrots and a roasted half-pear were placed to the side. A rich, savoury, herb-infused cooking jus completed the dish. It was alpha and omega: the first and last word in great cooking.

Imagine eating the best Sunday roast of your life, with every element cooked with finesse and presented as though it were the most important ingredient in the world. Then double it, and add in extra flavour. If I were offered one last meal, I'd opt for a plate of Stephane's crisp free range Welsh pork belly, creamed potato, roasted pear and braising jus. And as I ate it, my mind would be filled with all of the things that I love about good fun. Simple yet sophisticated, presented with flourish and cooked with precision: it was a masterful dish.

Dessert was a soufflé of English strawberries with a basil ice cream and a deep fried basil leaf. It had risen like London's Shard, towering high above the sides of the vessel in which it was served. A strawberry cream was poured within and the sweet, creamy, eggy ice cream provided ballast. Dee-li-shush.

Coffee and petit fours followed: a coconut tuile proving particularly good, and Kathryn made repeated visits to our table to make sure we'd enjoyed everything. We had. And I'm pining for my next serving of Stephane Borie's first class Michelin-starred food. He is an under-rated master chef.

It's been 18 months since I last ate at The Checkers and the standards have gone up significantly. The food is clearer, more precise and imbued with greater flavour. The presentation is genuinely attractive: dishes are as pretty as a picture. The service, exceptional before, remains at the highest level.

One thing's for sure, I don't intend to leave it 18 months before my next visit.

I've enjoyed plenty of superlative dinners this year, but, in truth, that has been the best yet.

The Checkers, Montgomery, Powys SW15 6PN

By Andy Richardson