please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Open again.
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Currently being refurbished - sign outside saying 'under new ownership'....
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!!! CLOSED !!!
Finally it may have been put out of its misery...If only we could have a decent pub in the village.
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This is such a terrible pub which is such a shame as it's in a great location right on the main road. It needs money spending on it, I think it really needs to be taken over by a big named chain. Free pool on a Monday? that depends on how many games had already been played, I guess they set themselves a budget and when the pound coins run out so does the free pool, so if there's no pool there's always darts isn't there? well, that is if you can play in the dark as there is no bulbs in the spot light above the dart board and if you dont mind playing with 2 darts because the 3rd is broken! so you may as well just enjoy a drink.... Cider? nope, no Stowford Press! Kronenberg 1664? nope, no Krone! Gin and tonic then with ice & lemon please. Nope no lemons! Southern Comfort? nope, run out of southern comfort. Toilets? No thank you, best to wait til you get home! all in all, give it a swerve is my recommendation. C'mon big chain please take this pub over and make it work.
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Tick...Tock...Tick...Tock...
Time is running out for this pub when the large For Sale signs outside.
No matter how hard they have tried it's just a rubbish pub,the local village deserve better (sounds like a good #bite handle!).
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The pub is now up for sale. The previous occupants moved on very abruptly and the pub is being left to wallow in its own self pity.
Will it ever be a community pub?
No.
Should the next pubco that buys it forget about the bottom line and garner the opinions of the likely customer base?
Yes.
Will it happen?
No.
Yet another pub lost to the greedy corporate pubco's
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I comment from a slightly different perspective as an employee (barman) rather than customer
The new landlords are doing a great job of turning around this pub. (They didnt pay me to write this either!!!) Having worked for 20+ years in this industry at more than 300 sites they have my full vote of confidence not only in turning this pub around but being part of the local community with links to the school, church and all the customers. It seems to me that they are more concerned with the people than the profit they can make from this pub.
They took on the pub earlier than they thought they would and have had to make an astounding investment into sorting out the legalities and structural issues to get this pub trading properly and they have a fabulous vision of what the pub can be, but more importantly they have the know how and contacts of how to get it there!
They are not cowboys out to make a quick buck by cutting corners and putting people at risk in the process - as many others do
Its going to take time and there will be obstacles to overcome that might limit temporarily what is on offer - but stick with us folks - u know u want to
Robin runs one of the cleanest kitchens I have seen in a long time, the toilets mentioned by sexychef are being renovated as i write this, london pride is back on with the youngs - however, most of the locals are lager drinkers. I've regularly cleaned the lines since starting here and many of the ale drinkers that come here say that the beer is well kept.
I am sure a wine list will be presented shortly and the food offer although in limited menu changes regularly - tonight for instance.
Enjoy the firework festivities - but dont forget Kay Teez are playing tonight to finish off your evening
lee
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Things have undoubtably improved here. The pub is clean and welcoming, and the food looks good. The main problem is the poor beer range, probably because Punch offer the worst beer choice of any PubCo.
Only Youngs on offer, and sadly that won't drag me back, no matter how good everything else is.
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hello, many thanks for your comments and feed back
firstly let us say that today November 5th is our 1st month anniversary,
it goes without saying that we have had a monumental task in achieving what we have to date. We are thankful for all the support from the local community and welcome constructive feed back at all times whether in person or on such portals as this.
We would also like to say that this pub had been run down to the point it was almost beyond saving, however we remain committed to restoring the Dukes back into a great venue with the support of the local community. We have had a lot of very positive feedback and are pleased to see so many people returning to the dukes head Hotel and buying into our goal of restoring this lovely old pub back to its former glory. Our chef Robin has produced a very well received food offer and we decided to roll out this side of the business in stages as we are doing with the total refurbishment of the pub. We use local produce and cook all food to order unlike many pubs. We had to close for the first week and a half during the day as their were many areas that required immediate attention including the kitchen. We are now happy with the kitchens and prep area following extensive work. our chef not only worked on QE2 but also was head chef in many of the London Hotels and is well versed in both English and continental cuisine. Oour opening was delayed by problems with boilers and stoves hence the delay in opening full time for food, this we are pleased to say has now been resolved.
We also thank all of you that have returned and keep returning for bar snacks, lunch dinner of sunday roast. we are also so pleased that many of you have booked for your Christmas, this is wonderful news and as you can see we have produced a menu that is of a very high standard. We are also offering well priced Bar snacks from midday to close, lunch from midday to 3.30pm and dinner from 7.30pm to 10.30pm. We will also be catering for functions including weddings, offering a free bespoke cake if you book your wedding here. As all food prepared from fresh, it is not possible to prepare a main course in a very short time however we ensure that the customer is aware of this. The wine list is being prepared as we speak as is the new menu shortly however for now we offer 5 starters, 5 main courses, and selction for freshly made desserts. We offer main courses range from Sea bass with prawns and white wine sauce, chicken breast in a leek and wine sauce, griled steak in a mustard and red wine sauce, also specails available including homemade steak and mushroom pie, Steak and stilton pie and many other dishes. We have some great wines and champagnes and of course a childrens menu upon request. We were suprised at the comments about waiting too long for food and would ask that you please advise us in person if in the unlikly event this happens again. We also are training our team to be better equipped to serve you properly. Myself , Robin, and Hettie are always on hand to speak to you.
We are proud to purchase our produce locally and all our employees are from the local area which is how we intend to proceed.
We thank Barbara who played Jazz in the dukes head and to all those that supported her and it was great to meet many of the local residents, and then to see so many return and have lunch was very encouraging . we managed to colect a fair sum through the raffle for the church charity. so many of you have enquired if Barbara will be on again we are happy to announce that she will be very soon. we will be also hosting Jazz evenings, country and western nights, themed food nights, quiz nights, etc. We are also holding a christmas raffle in aid of the church charity.
We have put the date of the launch back until we have had the front elevation decoration works completed and the bar area and function revamped as well the toilets that are adjacent which are currently out of order and undergoing refurbishment.
The guest performer is not a pianist but a singer who used to perform regularly in our London bar/ club and we are sure you will all love her. she is very booked out but we are liaising with her to ensure that she can make this date along with a supporting artist.
We have great plans for the Dukes Head and as professionals we must apologise if the start was a little shaky, this was due to the speed in which we had to move to rectify important issues that were not aware of to prior to our arrival, however we are here to stay and fully intend to put the Dukes Head on the map and turn it into a fgreat local with a great food offer, friendly staff and fun filled evenings for the whole community to enjoy.
loking forward to seeing you all at the Dukes Head very soon
Gordon, Robin, Hettie
The Dukes Head
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We recently returned to the Dukes Head following an article in the parish magazine, and disagree with some of the comments below. we have lived in the area for several years and have witnessed the gradual decline of the Dukes Head since we have lived here. The new owners are a breath of fresh air and appear to be trying to make the Dukes Head into a more welcoming, hospitable environment. We came for dinner last week and I enjoyed the meal thoroughly (as did my husband) the staff were attentive and we had a very satisfactory evening all told, so much so that we visited on Sunday and had a roast lunch. I feel we should give the Dukes Head a chance as was stated in the parish newsletter, I am aware that the new owners have only been here a short time however the difference in the standard of service and cleanliness is evident and I am sure with our support that we will regain a much missed part of our community.
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seems every time i come in here there is a new landlord. what is happening with this pub?
the new owners/managers/landlords have cleaned up the bar area (but not left anything to create an atmosphere) and am told the letting rooms upstairs have been decontaminated as well as the kitchen. but as yet have done nothing with the bar toilets which stink and look like they were put together by a tipsy diy enthusiast - you cant even sit on the toilet and close the door of the gents and the ladies seem to have to share hand washing facilities of the gents that include real towels that look and smell like they have been there for at least a month without washing. gushing landlord/chef/partner promises me that this will all change this weekend when the toilets are to be rebuilt - will wait to see on that one.
Current restaurant area attractive but staid and normally closed off not that it ever seems to get much use as the menu only consists of about eight dishes none of which have appealed to me yet. The word on the grapevine is that the sunday roast is very good but all of the food takes ages to be cooked some saying they waited 20 minutes for a bowl of soup and a sandwich, 40 minutes for a steak, 30 minutes for 3 roast dinners when there was no-one else in eating. There doesnt seem to be a structure to when the food is being served either - i heard the other night that the evening dinner service doesnt start until 7.30 ish, the previous week it was 6pm- might work in london, but what about family meals and choices for kids etc etc - surely these days when most pubs survive on food sales they need to up the offer - the parish magazine says the chef used to work on QE2 - maybe he should have stayed there?
However the front of house staff all very pleasant and willing - yet feel for them when standing in an almost empty pub - it must be tedious and boring listening to the same directional speeches/blurb from the owners yet having few people to serve and the same old crooners on a cd in the background.
Beer/drinks arent as expensive as some pubs in the area - but as yet no wine list and the 'house wines' have been different almost everytime that i have been here under new management - all fairly drinkable but sometimes i like to know what im going to get in my glass - after all, im paying for it. Beer quality varies and only one real ale available for last two weeks - they cant be looking for any camra/cask marque here. All lagers seem to be too gassy/too much of a head do they clean the lines often enough i ask myself
looking forward to upcoming live music and the official launch (sometime in nov) of the pub under the new owners. we are expecting a london pianist of some reputation but havent been told who it is - how do you get excited about that and to boot - theres no piano
I wish new owners well but cant help thinking that they are 'playing' at running a pub instead of just getting on with it
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We have recently taken over this establishment and we are already booking live music for each weekend, and offer both fine restaurant dining and bar snacks. We are open from 12 until close each day. Why not drop by and try our lovely Sunday roast, you will not be disappointed! See you soon. TEL 01306 711778
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So can someone tell me what happened to Bob, Alan & the Polish girls? Did they finally sell the lease? Been in that boozer plenty of times and don't remember "300 Badges" over the fireplace. Doubt that there even would be enough space given the headroom...........Who are/were Ian & Dawn?
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Having spoken to the previous occupants Punch did indeed give them a period of no rent on the proviso they spent their own money 'doing it up' Given the state the people before left it in it was no easy thing to do but they tried. For whatever reason the pub is now shut - we will probably never know the truth. Beare Green needs somewhere for people to go, to be a community. It doesn't help that the A24 cuts it in half and the local councillor is old and out of touch with the (ever increasingly) younger population. But that's a discussion for a different mantle
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Unless Punch Taverns invest in this closed pub/hotel/restaurant on the A24, the Dukes Head has no future. And - with the credit crunch and better/town centre outlets to spend their money on - Punch will spend very little in Beare Green.
One alternative would be to give an extended rent free period to the new people - to allow this failed (more than once) business to revive. Knowing Punch, they will be unlikely to go down this incomeless route.
The Dukes Head is heading for a very uncertain future, if any....
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The pub is shut. Again. Punch Taverns haven't given a reason but say they hope to put new tennants in there soon. Their website says a full refurb is due too. It also shows theat Arty P's & The Bush are looing for new tennants - is this a taste of things to come for the pub trade...?
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Was in too...once. This pub will take years to recover; it has a long history of failure. Is it still Big Trevor's office ?
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It's open now. From what I can see (and I've only been in once) it does have the potential to be a nice little boozer. The pool table, darts board, tv & 'moving' carpet have all gone. The menu is reasonable, the set menu looks to be a good deal and the people running it have had pub/bar/chef experience. I think the landlady said it is her third pub she and her partner are currently running so hopefully....? Give them a while to settle in, make changes and become part of the community and I think Beare Green will have a good pub again
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Any idea when this pub is due to re-open? The sign says 'soon' and has done for nearly three weeks. Given the high cost of fuel & taxis, etc, I'm desperate for a pub within walking distance!
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Who stole the badges ?
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There was a piece in the Dorking Advertiser about the Dukes Head; the Regimental badges [mosty Canadian - over the firepace] were stolen - about 300 of them. Very sad - they were unique and there since WW2. The paper said the the pub is reopening in two weeks.
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It would appear there is a Supreme Being after all. The establishment does indeed appear to be an ex-pub. I'm not sure what the tea rooms are like though....
Here's a radical thought - make it into a profitable family friendly place and (another radical proposal coming) give easy access to the garden rather than through the car park? Beare Green residents are getting younger, with families, and have nowhere to go for a decent pint
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Haven't been in the DH for a couple of months - but I pass it regularly. Seemed open to me at the weekend; cars in the car park etc.
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Yes, this pub has recently closed - don't know why.
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Has this pub closed ?
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Recently stopped there for a drink and a meal - on the way to the coast. Food, drink and servce were excellent and with its large car park, this pub is an ideal stop on the A24 from London. Sport was on TV and the locals were very friendly.
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Agree with simwilliams. The carvery is the best in the Dorking area and all the usual pub entertainments are organised by Bob and Alan, the owners. Frequented by some well known horsey people.
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Missann obviously has a major grudge or problem ( or both ). DH's management work hard and constantly bring new ideas into what is a friendly, clean and successful pub. Two examples - the kareoke and the Sunday carvery. Both are thriving.
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it's gone quiet for 5 months.
i kno,the Deadites are hoping if silence reigns we'll forget about their dreaded un-pub.
or perhaps it has gone?
deep in the night the fairies came and stole it away[fat chance]
no,sadly i have to suspect it's still there.
poor old humanity tries to build paradise and ends up with The Huke instead.
You can drown your sorrows in there tho'.-Mind you,you didn't have any until after you walked in thru the front door.
Dogs like the place.-Since when did Fido have any taste?
ttfn from,
Mizzie
[She Who Brings You The Truth].
anonymous - 14 Mar 2008 16:19 |
and still the glowing testamonials for The Hukes Dead flow in folks
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Really horrible pub and nobody from the nearby village of Capel uses it. Marginally better than the Crown at Capel which really is the worst oub I have ever been into.
anonymous - 14 Oct 2007 19:03 |
Lyme Regis is a long way to go for a decent drop.
english bitter is often too many hops in it
the continental lagers are okay tho'
theakston's old peculier is a fave , but a rarity in mole valley i think.this is an actual 'ale' i believe.
Meanwhile ,what can we do about The Huke's Dead folks?
it may look pretty,but'dismal' was invented for it.
can we persuade the owner to atomize it?
Do we know who the owner is?
Perhaps nobody owns it?
The joint is parentless all these years , but its clientele have been bibbing in there unaware.
Says something about somebody folks!
Thropey.
p.s. yes , the garden's promising , but you'd still need to wear a smog mask and ear plugs.
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This pub has lovely character untill you walk inside... Its like the land that time forgot, apart from the sports room.. The garden could do with sorting out.. And the beer is not that good either..
anonymous - 16 Aug 2007 18:53 |
Stella! John Smiths! Ales? I would rather have a wet weekend in the hukes dead love shack with a plutonian female (is there such a thing?) than drink that muck - although I did enjoy a proper John Smiths (not the smooth stuff) in a pub in Lyme Regis. Does a non residents drink contain anything. At all?
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more important;does the motel still do you a non-residents'drink?
you need one the nearer you get to Bore Green and the dreaded Hukes Dead.
last I heard was, the inhabitants of planet Pluto were refusing to make welcome any earthlings from those places
Ms A Thrope
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More important;does the motel
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pub in beare green not capel (not good pub anyway full of drunkards and druggies)
anonymous - 31 Jul 2007 16:56 |
love is always bizarre
'golf is a nice walk interrupted'
let's not be too harsh about the Huke's Dead.Really it's an out post of what's to come.The further north you go the sooner you come to them-the boozers of places like Raynes Pk Stoneleigh etc.Their cacophony of tellies,one-arm bandits, the clicky customers, the overpriced products the endless motorism and soccer talk.Need I go on?
Stay home citizens! the booze is cheaper , and if you have to talk to yourself at least you'll get som e common sense out of someone
Meanwhile salute J.Barley corn - who's fault it isn't for 'this day and age'.
Ms Ann Thrope
p.s.I've never spotted any 'ale' locally Localaledrinker.Give us the griff unless you think Stella, John Smith etc., are ales.
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Dear missannthrope, whilst I bow down to your super knowledge I think you'll find the motel is in Capel - just! The entire pub should be flattened, including the bizarre love-shack in the car park, and turned into golf course!
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cancel the bulldozer - i forgot about the nice-made saloon bar.
miasmas - miasmas are the answer . conveyed by mind waves on to The Huke's Dead until everything BUT the saloon is rotted down.
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would someone mind writing to tell us when this joint isn't open? - i could pop along there during its 'shut'time,just to savor the pleasure of not being able to get in .
[thropey strikes again]
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take heart , there are at least 2 doorways , so you can make a quicker getaway.
take more heart - a bulldozer can probably be got on a hire basis
take even more heart- the laxative quality of mine host's beers can be dealt with by not a bad lav i seem to remember.
Miss Annie Thrope may be back with other treasured memories -or- you never know- news of a latest visit to Beare Green's best boozer.[it would be the best if it's the only one][does one count the motel?]
ttfn
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Awful pub, awful beer - it all tastes the same. Do they clean the lines ever? I'd rather drink in the comfort of my own front room. At least I get a smile and conversation!
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take a good book by the way.this is an englanders'pub so don't xpect to be noticed,let alone chatted to.
this may be a good thing depending on yr point of view.
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SUSPECT ARCHITECTS MIGHT RESPECT THE INTERIOR OF THE SALOON WITH ITS SEEMINGLY PURE PROPORTIONS.
haven't been here for ages , nor do i wish to return particularly. booze is servicable.why were we herded into the public only?
it's okay if you're a local i suppose.forget about sitting outside on a warm day - unless you like the roar of an arterial road right nearby.
i'm not surprised it hasn't been reviewed , nor pictured.it's largely unmemorable and well-suited to a mediocre and uninspiring part of the country.
better to stay at home than go to this one i think.
fair- do's tho' - i haven't been there for yonks.
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