please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
A fine and friendly local pub, with good food and atmosphere.
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Been in this quiet/small boozer a few times, and noticed the pastime of the owner and some regulars - which is to comment on those customers who have just left.
Not in a particularly flattering way, but with much laughter. Sad really.
One local regular - Robert - seems to be the recipient of significant levels of humorous observations.
But he is, by no means, alone.
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Fine establishment in the Redgate area - with good food, beer and atmosphere.
Numerous buses pass outside, and this different type of place is well worth a visit.
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The dysfunctional dog is a problem.
We don't all have to meet or hear this loud and nasty animal (not his/her fault).
It's a pub, not a kennel.
Beer, staff and food - excellent.
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The new owner, Anthony, has bedded-in now, along with his winsome beagle, Bertie, and although trade remains tricky - in the pub climate more widely but also at this time of the year - I have found what is being offered so far to be good quality.
The food is clearly what he is hoping will lead the pub back to viability, and there's an enticing spread of what many would consider more-restaurant-orientated meals available regularly. In the apparent absence of a regular chef, Anthony often gets his oven gloves on and cooks the dishes himself, and he appears to have a good touch. Prices are not the cheapest, but for the kind of food being served, it fairs well against many a local restaurant's pitch.
The drink is varied, with a flagship four (sometimes up to five) cask ales available, making the bar slightly more reminiscent of its freehouse '90s heyday when eight pumps were in use. Most beers are 'locales' and I have found them to be kept well. Pricing on these seems particularly keen, especially in an environment which clearly has had considerable money spent and is pitched at the higher-end of the market; one is all-too-used to the £4+ pint in such places but less-so here.
The rejuvenated décor is slightly quirky in places, but comfortable and individual; Anthony's evidently put his own stamp on it, but has done so in such a manner as to compliment and enhance the original building. The log fire is still roaring and is most welcome on colder evenings. One may not always realise it, but there is a large amount of capacity here, at the rear as well as what's immediately visible front-of-house.
The difficulty here is that one could do everything right, and yet still run the risk of failure when the takings are added-up though no real fault of one's own. The Hatch once benefited hugely from both passing trade from local business (primarily those from the Law Courts - both sides of the bench!) and a culture of acceptance (if not encouragement) among employers of lunchtime drinking, which helped prop things up even if evenings were a little thin. Alas, both those things have dried-up in recent years; a distinct lack of parking locally also prevents it from becoming the 'destination' pub it could be for eaters. These factors will make it so much harder to make the venue a sound economic proposition longer-term.
But I applaud the new team from attempting to bring back a characterful and cosy local pub from the brink. If nobody ever tries, then failure is inevitable - while it's still a possibility, it is now no longer the certainty it seemed to be this time a year ago. All the best for the future.
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Open and trading well - excellent food.
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New owner working on refurbishment - will reopen in September.
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tax sorted. 'non legal writ' seen
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External sign now reads 'to let'.
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Closed.
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For Sale sign now up - outside the pub.
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Closed again.
Simply because its on a bad road bend, and has no parking.
Also - just between two largish towns.
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2nd pub of the day and it’s this Shepherd and Neame pub on the outskirts of town.
The friendly barman greets us as we enter. On the bar are 8 hand pumps in 2 banks of 4 but only 2 ales on which were Whitstable Bay and Spitfire. I have a few pints of Whitstable Bay and each one is well poured and kept.
It’s not very busy with another group of 4 and then some diners entering during my hour long stay.
In the back room to the left of the bar are wooden beams and an old original fireplace, this looks to be more the original part of the pub. Above the bar are a quantity of very old beer mats, most from ales that don’t exist anymore
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The Hatch is a lovely pub that is worth the short trek from town and in my mind is worthy of a place in the GBG.
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Gam is now posting about a pub he hasn't been in - since the new management came. And gives an observation of a mate, as well his own imaginations/prognosis for the future. Why not just visit and then review the newly managed outlet?
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Sadly, after six years, Roy Peacock left The Hatch (and he tells me the pub trade altogether, though with longer-term plans to re-enter the fray at some point). I am yet to drop-in myself, but hopes for it as a 'proper pub' which is at least as welcoming to drinkers as eaters may be forlorn. A friend of mine told me he went in the other day only to be met by some aproned lackey who seemed to expect them to be dining - a rather heavy-handed tactic for a pub and even for a restaurant it can be a turn-off. I'll give it a go, as one must give any new licensee at least one chance, but given this anecdote one has to imagine they're ploughing the already-well-ploughed foodie furrow as they all do nowadays, which is fine, but not at the expense (or dismissal) of beer lovers and other quaffers. Hmmmm. Watch this space.
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Rear wall repaired last year and is functioning as normal. Pleasant service and as good a range from Sheps' as one might hope for if that is your thing. Actually rather busy on my last visit which was encouraging; despite doing a lot right it can't be denied that custom be thin on the ground even of an evening. I daresay that much of that is associated not only with the lack of natural passing trade but with the continuingly high pricing strategy, which seems to have prevailied here regardless of who owns the place. Just don't blame Roy for that as it's out of his hands I think.
Still worth dropping into I'd say, though perhaps not regularly if your wallet is more Redhill than Reigate...
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Mediocre pub - usually empty because of a difficult location (on a bad bend/between Reigate and Redhill). A bus crashed into it a couple of weeks ago; demolished the pool room. Good beer though.
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Cracking pub, nuff said.
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Just doing a little local round-up of pubs that have secured a berth in the 2013 CamRA Good Beer Guide - not the be all and end all by any stretch, but a reasonable indication that all is fairing well at least beer-wise - and noting this on their BITE entry. The Hatch has got in, and is one of four pubs in Redhill to manage it this time round.
Well done Roy - must come and check up on your beer soon to be absolutely sure the Guide has got its facts straight....!
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Another absolute gem in Redhill (if you just move out of the centre there are some crackers to be found). Landlord is so enthusiastic about this place after taking over, to the point of informing us how regularly he cleans his pipes, local charities and how rare some of his beers are! Also turns out this place was supposed to be in the 2011 Good Beer Guide apart from an administrative error. Supermarine Spitfire themed pub with much memorabilia and what's not to like about that. I like a lager, especially on a hot summers day after work and we walk from Reigate just for the fabulously delivered Asahi. Usually 6 to 7 real ales (including rare ones - Old Smokey, Jubilee Ale, etc. - but they don't last long) on offer and a large array of whiskeys. Just need to try the food and get rid of the traffic on the main road. Clean toilets, darts & pool table in a separate room, seating outside at front and back, there really is every reason to give this place a very strong 9/10 and get it in the GBG straight away.
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In here on 18 June when apart from about 4 standard Sheps beers they had the latest version of Canterbury Jack from the Pilot Brewery. Pub was empty so spent some time talking to the landlord who clearly is enthusiastic. Seems like you might be lucky to find some guest beers and the Pilot brewery beers often feature.
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As a minor matter of housekeeping, I think this really should be listed under 'Redhill'; 'Shaw's Corner' is barely even a sub-district of the town and refers to a tiny area, and I can imagine people not realising the Hatch is listed. However that aside, there are things that need to be said about this pub; happily the majority are positive, for it has seen something of a renaissance in the last 18 months.
What used to be the best free house for cask ale variety in town in the 1980s and '90s (albeit run by a haridan of a woman and with the highest prices in the area!), became a Shepherd Neame outlet in 1998 and though initially acceptable (despite the much-reduced beer range), in the last 10 years it has been through a number of different licensees; some of whom were more effective at bringing out its potential than others.
It had become something of a below-average venue by all accounts, with variability in service, beer quality, and inevitably custom, but it appears that the current incumbent, one Roy Peacock, has made a genuinely concerted effort to broaden the appeal of the place, and although this is a painfully slow climate economically, in 2011 there are signs that people are starting to appreciate the efforts.
Unusually for a Shep's outlet, ales do now feature from beyond the tied portfolio. Roy attributes this to their being 8 handpumps available, and that he has shown he can sell a wider range of beer. He is a keen cellarman, and although the prices are still shockingly high - �3.65 for some cask offerings - the quality in my experience has always been sound.
Wine-wise, it is immediately obvious that he has widened the stock considerably, with most popular styles well-represented by quality options, all clearly-labelled behind the bar and with easy-read pricing for each measure - it's worth noting that the majority are available by the glass as well as bottle, which is a novelty nowadays.
The usual array of mass-produced lagers are available, including the Shep's-brewed offerings, alongside a decent show of various spirits. It is clear that while immediate focus is on ale and developing the pub as a smart local with a mixed clientele, there is something that can appeal to everybody at the Hatch, wallet-permitting!
Despite being positioned on a busy junction and with very limited scope for parking, the pub is actually a charming Victorian building which at various points in history has included the cottage next door (presently it is a self-contained house). For many years the interior did not live up to this promise, with a lurid blue carpet and upholstery dominating, but Roy has improved this and the tone is now far more welcoming.
Service is efficient and convivial; Roy himself will chat for England, particularly if one shows oneself to be an ale and pub enthusiast. Clearly he has the right values at heart and is working hard to put on events and so forth to drum up interest in a difficult market. A nascent group of regulars is being built up and I can only hope this is enough to ensure the storm is weathered.
Not an exceptional public house - yet. But give the licensee's enthusiasm, and the brewery's relative autonomy extended to him, the Hatch could eventually reach a new zenith. The only barrier is the pricing strategy.
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Wow! This pub has been transformed! Gone are the louts that used to reside there. It's now run by a very welcoming landlord with great ales and wines. Quiet classical music playing and a lovely home made and fresh sunday roast! Amazing apple crumble too!!
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Called in for a pint last night, of the 5 ales only 2 of them on and not one worth drinking both cloudy full of bits and smelt stale, the place was so full of smoke from the log fires you could not breath. Walked a few 100 yards and had one of the best pints of Harveys in the Red Lion i have had in a long time. So you know what to do, walk past the Hatch and go to the Red Lion.
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At last, thanks to all the staff we are now a Cask Marque pub!!! Also achieved with five ales on at any one time, yes file ales. If you don�t believe it come down and see what you think.
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I don't visit this pub very often but it has improved no end in the last few months. Its a lot cleaner than it used to be and the range of beers available is really good. The staff are friendly and polite.
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Although not a local I do visit The Hatch from time to time when I am working in the area.
I called in last week. My first visit since last summer. What a transformation. I initially thought that the place had been decorated but was advised by the guy behind the bar that it had simply been cleaned.
The beer and food was good and whilst not being the cheapest in the area I didn't mind paying the extra considering the improvements.
Well done.
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The transformation of this pub has been great. A warm welcome, good beer and food. Well done to the new owners who have put a lot of effort into making it a good place to drink and relax.
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