please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
This Pub has closed down, Fullers have had enough !
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Think it has changed hands, the Scottish land lady has gone. Unfortunately they have installed a pool table and other machines, seems to be going downhill, but we will see!
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We were in Red Hill for a tough mud race last month, and happened to come across the Prince Albert, hoping to get a quick bite to eat for dinner. Not only were we delighted with the friendly staff and patrons, but the food was delicious! The bangers and mash and chicken pot pie were both a treat, not to mention a nice wine selection. It truly felt like a mini community where everybody knew everyone, but newcomers (like us) were welcome! Lesley and Anna (the co-owners) made us feel right at home!
I am so happy we stumbled upon this little pub, and look forward to coming back to visit when we are in the area. Thanks for such a wonderful evening!
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We visited the Prince Albert yesterday on a friends recommendation and were not disappointed. The new tenants Anna and Lesley made us feel very welcome indeed and the Sunday roast was absolutely delicious! Will definitely be recommending this to friends
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Nice little Fullers pub. Excellent London Pride, ESB also on pump. Food good & cheap but service was slow and somewhat chaotic. Enjoyed the place though. Nice little garden for when the sun's out.
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It did re-open and it's fine. Nice feel to the place and worth a visit.
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Arrived yesterday to find it re-opens tomorrow. Hope it's up to the Whyte Hart's standard by the time I revisit.
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No entry since 18 Feb 2011 and so much has changed. Forget what has gone before with the absentee and caretaker landlords; revisit this pub, it has been transformed in recent months. The new landlord and landlady Steve and Mel have worked hard to make this a great village pub again. They are welcoming, friendly and obliging together with serving excellent food and great condition beers. That welcome extended to our 20 month old daughter, who was given a little gift of easter chicks, Birdeeeee! Bless.
Mel is the "cellarman" and her ESB is the best I have tasted in a long while. They deserve much credit for what has been achieved and justly deserve your custom. I am sorry that the regulars we used to see in there have gone elsewhere, perhaps they should try it again and hopefully never look back.
The garden has also been the subject of some hard work, cleared and tended, great for those summer afternoons.
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Oh my goodness what has happened here. My friends and I had arranged to meet at the Red Lion but on arrival at 8pm couldn't get into the overcrowded car park and so decided to decamp to the PA.
On entering, I could not believe how much this place had gone down the pan in the last couple of years. Flashing machines, Games machines bare floorboards and no food on offer (or so it seemed) and very few customers. However we stuck it out until 10pm as we just wanted a chat but frankly, I was class this place as a dump now - such as shame.
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This pub created the heart and soul of Bletchingley and continued to do so, the Landlord and Landlady (Paddy & Kathy) when i drank and worked there had a massive food & drink customer base, i now own my own pub and trust me whem i say this place has been swallowed by a coporate company with no time for its customers, i feel sorry for the managers, the food was once all fresh and the friday fish night was double rosette standard, as a publican i can honestly say this place was 100 times better 9 years ago, it was the heart and soul!!!!!
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What a fab pub. Took the whole family, my husband and two smallish children. My husband was very impressed with the beer and thats not easy to make him happy. Children had a great time and didn't seem like they were in the way. Food great good size portions for not stupid money. Will be back!
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My wife & I visited this pub this evening, initially planning to do a crawl of each of the 5 pubs in Bletchingley. HOWEVER, the beer (a light & pride) and the wine were so good and the menu was so reasonably priced and appealing, that we aborted the crawl altogether and stayed at the Prince Albert for the rest of the evening. The landlord is friendly & professional. The garden was quiet and well looked after. The pub was clean. The food was EXCELLENT with generous servings. We will be back... again and again!
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Nice pub. Fullers. Better than the White Hart I say but in need of some community spirit. Good luck. I'll be back to see the improvements promised.
anonymous - 14 Aug 2007 19:11 |
Have known this pub for 20 years.
Fullers recent refurb has provided very simple and austere accomodation with no signs of its former glory remaining. The erstwhile super garden needs attention. Good pint of ESB and nothing wrong with the food. The new manager is trying hard to restore the former reputation. Bar staff were pleasant and helpful.
anonymous - 11 Aug 2007 21:02 |
I have been here a few times with my girlfriend now. We found it to have a nice atmosphere, the staff were friendly, and engaged us in conversation, other then "what would you like to drink?"
The food was tasty, and the portions were generous, as we like or food that helped.
I have not tried it at a weekend yet so not sure how busy it gets.
Will try and visit on a Sunday next tim.
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I think Anonymous should try the weekend rather than a tuesday, I seldom find any atmosphere in a pub on mondays or tuesdays unless I bring my own! May try the Albert on an early week day to see how it fares. I am a Fullers fan and well kept ESB is a rarety, so its nice to find a well kept pint.
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Called in on my way home from work (tueday night) cant say that I recognise this place from what gu5h, coronach and edwards80 report. I thought it was lifeless and boring with just about good enough beer. Have I got the same pub or some different one by mistake. You were all talking about The Albert in Bletchingley? Or did you imagine it?
anonymous - 25 Jul 2007 13:17 |
Looks like BITE has some new members here....
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Has to be one of the most attractive pubs around, food was great, atmosphere was second to non and the staff are very friendly. A real asset to the village. If you haven�t been here, you�re missing out. Will visit again.
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Arrived on a miserable, wet day to meet the very sunny new publican Dave (nice guy, great sense of humour). Very different to the way the pub used to look, took me a little by surprise at first. Food was very different from earlier visit, though was perfectly good and there was plenty of it. Beer (Fullers, Chiswick) was well kept and pub generally looked clean and inviting. Will call in again next time I am in the area, but first view of the revamped Prince Albert was very encouraging.
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What an attractive and distinctive country pub, in an equally attractive village. I noticed it was closed for a time for refurbishment and decided I would return once completed.
What an improvement, clean and tidy with a good pint of ale and tasty pub food. Definitely worth a visit so you can make your own mind up!
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Turned up again recently, trying to give this pub some local support, but guess what? CLOSED early again! WHY??? Will not give it a third chance. Shame.
anonymous - 27 Jun 2007 10:47 |
Went here with friends about 6 months ago on Saturday night(fish night?). Sat down at 8pm, told that they had run out of several fish dishes (reminds me of Monty Python Cheese Shop sketch) eventually ordered after approaching the waiter at 9pm. Got starters at 9:45pm. got main course at 10:30pm. Got free bottle of wine after asking where the food was. Pudding about 11:30pm. The free drinks were good. The ones paid for wern't as good.
alboy - 20 Jun 2007 21:11 |
Yep, they have ripped the soul out of this place. I will give it another couple of goes and then give up if it doesn't improve. There was always something about the Prince when Paddy and Cathy owned it. Now it is just another pub with high prices that tell you you're better off staying at home in the evening.
anonymous - 13 Jun 2007 21:21 |
Everytime me and the missus go, it's empty. Is it us? Do we smell? Why must we be on our own? It must be the Fullers effect!
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Oh dear me! What has happened to this place. Fullers have ripped the soul out of this once good pub. No atmosphere. Staff couldn't care less, and as for the so called homemade food, the less said the better. Just as well there's other pubs in the village.
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Visited this pub, post refurbishment, the other night. Oh dear! what has happened? It was very quiet and the interior decor, whilst clean, leaves something to be desired. It looks as though someone has gone over all the interior surfaces with a paint roller dipped in some sort of pallid green/grey giving a very bland appearance.
I know it's early days and perhaps some wall artefacts may brighten things up! Also, the prices seemed very high, although I don't drink beer but I was somewhat surprised, nevertheless. Perhaps we've got to pay for the extensive rewiring?
Initially, then, a disappointment and I can only hope that the months will prove me wrong.
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I look forward to the new improved Prince Albert with Fullers beers, I just hope they do E.S.B. I would like to know whether it will be stocking guest beers too. It must have one of the best potentials in the village, despite the shortage of parking here. If your reading this Dave, good luck in your new venture and welcome to Bletchingley!
anonymous - 25 Apr 2007 20:54 |
And hopefully non-smoking as well, which will make it an improvement on the old smokey Joe's it was before - but there again I'm a non-smoker!
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Well it has not ever before been a Fullers Pub, however, it is now. The Prince Albert has just undergone a refurbishment. This was sorely needed as previous reviews have stated. The new landlord is myself (Dave)and the new landlady is my partner Michelle. We are hoping to be re-opening by Friday 27th April. The service will be with a smile, and a spacious garden is out the back for any that venture further than the bar, and yes we will need a gardener before it looks better. We hope to meet you all soon. Please do post your comments here.
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Went to meet up with some friends for a drinks on Thursday, only to find it closed for re-furbishment! All the lights were on and one could see all the ladders and dust covers inside the bar area. Strangely, perhaps because it was now light in the evening I noticed a Fullers pub sign on the wall - has it always been a Fuller's pub?
Anyway we went, instead, a few yards up the road to the Whyte Hart. My god they don't half charge for the drinks there. There were more people behind the bar than there were clients.
Where was everyone?
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It could possibly do with a spring clean, and for an ostensibly traditional old pub the staff on my visits have been somewhat incongruous - more at home at a Wetherspoon that the Prince Albert?
That said I've always found the ale to be in good nick, and it does have a surprising and rare allegiance to Itchen Valley, which is a pleasant diversion from the usual selection. A nice pub for a quick drink whilst passing through maybe?
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Visited on a 'curry night', promise of a free pint with curry turned out to be 4X, like it or lump it, even when I offered to pay any difference to get a real beer.
A subsequent real ale was ok, the curry was average. The service at the bar was poor and performed without a smile.
This pub does not go on my to return to list. The Whyte Hart is still better for service, food and welcome.
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Lunch in the garden. Served by totally inept staff. Garden overgrown and rather dirty. Not a great experience.
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Saw the rambling old locals but not the rambling old pub as we did not venture further than the bar in the small front.
Has a homely feel to it and supports smaller breweries, on our visit we were served well kept pints of Doom Bar from Cornwall and ale from Hampshire's Itchen Valley.
Best place for ales in the village
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Rambling old pub with rambling old locals. Bigger than you think, nice garden out the back. Unusual range of beers, certainly worth a stop if you're passing this way.
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