please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I'm surprised there aren't any more recent comments. I would class myself as an ex-regular - don't get in here as often as I'd like - but this is the only pub in Horsham I do go into on a fairly regular basis.
After a few ups and downs, The Malt has taken on a new lease of life under Sam, the new landlord. Excellent beers, a vast array of "interesting" spirits, good food and plenty of live music and other events. Good staff, who know how to keep track of the punters and the boss plays a mean guitar himself. What's not to like?
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They have new hand pumps working now, but, for some reason all the beer seems to be routed through a chiller. Spoilt some ale that I was sure would have been nice otherwise. Shame.
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surprised there arent more Horsham drinkers commenting on this pubs sad closure, thought that might provoke some reaction!
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fullbelly - I don't know the ins and outs either, but I'd be prepared to wager that they at least had to buy their beer from Enterprise.
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well , they could have held meetings there to showcase their new brews. Run tutored tastings, sold the pub cheaper beer.I dont know ,Horshambeermonster, the ins and outs of the supply agreement , but Im prettty sure had they put their minds to it something more could have been done.
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Not sure what the Horsham Brewers could have done to stop this happening, Enterprise own the Malt Shovel.
Non the less big shame for all involved especially the staff I hope they all find work quickly in these difficult times.
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RIP .......great shame!
Unpretentious, independent, individual and now sadly closed.....
According to the pubs website, a victim of greedy breweries and rising costs.
Pity those brewers of Horsham didnt do more to help....
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hear its closed down???? true or false??
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Used to be my favourite local when it was the Michell Arms and had bar billiards.
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Spit and sawdust? They probably send their furniture out to get distressed.
Good ales though.
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Spit and sawdust type pub with a reasonably good selection of real ales & ciders. A rock band was preparing to perform during our Saturday evening visit, which made it a little noisy. Tables were also hard to come by, as the interior is not quite as large as it first seems. A good bottle collection can be seen on shelves around the walls. Board games are available in one corner. Beers on offer during our visit were Triple fff Moondance, Harveys Sussex Best, Brakspear Bitter, Youngs Special, Surrey Hills Ranmore Ale, Sharps Doom Bar & Hepworth Old Ale. The 3 ciders and perries were all from Westons - Old Rosie, Traditional Scrumpy & Country Perry. Another good Horsham pub.
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Got to be one of the friendliest Landladies I've ever encountered.
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HSB, Brakspear Bitter, Harveys Sussex, Courage Best and Doom Bar together with two Westons ciders and a perry. Looked a decent enough pub but quiet when we were in there on a Saturday afternoon.
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Beer from the barrel, a choice of scrumpy or perry, Live Music on friday & saturday, Sky/Espn. Best pub in Horsham
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No danger of the beer tasting of line cleaner any more. All the beer is poured straight from the barrel, it did confuse me a bit the first time I ordered and the person serving me walked out the back though!
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love this pub greatly! not sure on the bands but its such a pleasant atmosphere and the regulars are lovely - it's good to go back.
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i visited here quite frequently and u can always be sure of a good night great bands (well most of them) great service and always garenteed a good time.
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I thought it was just me that could taste the line cleaner, what a shame, it was the best pub in Horsham for years.
Nowadays I walk in & see if there are any barrels racked up; if s I'll have a pint from one of them them - if not I turn around & leave....
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Popped in with a couple of mates while passing and Harvey's Best was decent enough - better than on my previous visit in December.
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why does the beer taste of line cleaner??? are they always cleaning the lines or not rinsing them out?? Does any regular visitor have any helpfull comments for the manageress??
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Visited for the 1st time on Saturday and not as good as i expected, place seems a tad run down and dull but the beer tasted alright.
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I thought I�d give The Malt Shovel another go yesterday but my beer still had a tang of line cleaner in the taste, so I think I�ll give the place a wide berth for quite some while.A shame because in many respects this place is a great pub.
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Mr Ordinary must have a very fine palate. The beers here are always spot on - I've seen them changing over during busy periods and they don't cut corners. Very friendly atmosphere (even if it's known as an "old Gits" pub, and a good range of bands - some loud, some not so loud. Best pub in town as far as I'm concerned.
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Went into horsham expecting a naff saturday night out and had a great time at the malt shovel, great live music 'alter ego' they were called.Good beer, very nice bangers and mash.
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With reference to the Moses� recent review, I have to say that on probably 3 out of the last 4 times that I have visited this pub, the ale had a distinct taint of line cleaner about it. Not good, I hope this is a temporary aberration.
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Returned last Friday - all of the admittedly large selection of ale tasted of pipe cleaning fluid. Not good, but will try again soon.
Moses - 21 Jan 2008 12:54 |
Nice "traditional pub" on the outskirts of the town centre. Good range of ales (6 or 7, some on handpump and three on gravity) but the quality of those I sampled (Harvey's Best and Taylor's Landlord, both favourites of mine when on form) was disappointingly mediocre. I wasn't tempted to have a second pint of either.
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have to agree with the last comment. very good beer and friendly.
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Visited this pub after the awful Boars Head and what a contrast. Good beers, good food - fantastic!
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Saw a great band here last week -'Uploaded!' - I hear they are back on the 19th oct - Dont miss 'em!
A great pub, great people and a great manageress!
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Went there the other night - the barmaid I had the misfortune of meeting last night was extremely rude and has successfully put me off going there ever again. Shame. I liked it there but don't appreciate being insulted and nor do any of my friends. Congratulations - you've just lost 8 customers.
anonymous - 7 Jul 2007 12:21 |
Still worth a visit even after Steve's departure to the great ale-house in the sky.
Has had a lick of paint but otherwise little has changed.
Beer quality has gone up, if anything.
Had a couple of good lunches there recently.
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Nice traditional pub, good selections of beer, went on a friday night open till midnight easily get served.
good tvs up for the sport, i would say most of the customers were 40 plus, a good horsham pub which you can enjoy a night out without any hassel.
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Haven't been since the eccentric landlord's demise last year. It always used to be the best pub in town for ale selection, featuring an interesting mix of beers sourced from across the nation. However, they were not always well-kept, and there was room for improvement. I shall be interested to see how it shapes up in under the new regime.
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Great place to watch an England Rugby game on the TV; excellent beer both in quality and range. Fairly warm welcome from the regulars; serves good honest pub food and very handy for some of the town's best curry houses.
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Nice selection of ales to try. Wasnt able to stay for long, but would definetely drop in again when back in Horsham.
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Seemed like a very reasonable pub. I'm not able to comment on the atmosphere since I visited at a quiet time but the range of beers was excellent, certainly enough to keep you amused. Included some ale straight from the barrel.
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In reply to "anonymous", I do have short "ocmments". It's a hideous trait on my mother's side. Can't see why the remark about it being too smokey for me - when I have complained about this?
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Shame Steve's leaving is all I can say. Except a word to the quaffer please keep your ocmments short and oh yes wasn't it a bit smoky for you ?
anonymous - 1 Sep 2005 15:41 |
Wonderful place to go to. Brilliant range of beer and food, bar staff very friendly. Nice relaxed atmosphere. Friendly people around pub as well. Can get a bit busy sometimes.
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The demise of the King & Barnes brewery did little to help the real ale drinker in Horsham, with so many pubs offering a limited range of standard beers. However, the Malt Shovel is a real oasis! Steve (the landlord) has the best choice of ales for miles around, some straight from the cask, and is extremely knowledgeable about his beer. You'll also be treated to a menu of good honest pub fayre which is tasty and generous, and always served with a smile! There's also themed 'curry' evenings for those who are adventurous. Excellent value all round - not to be missed!
Robin - 8 Jul 2004 08:01 |
Best real ale pub in town. Food
excellent and cheap. Guv'nor looks
like Dylan Thomas.
Steve - 1 Jan 2004 20:54 |
A traditional, busy town centre pub offering customers a choice of between 6 and 9 real ales. Check their website for todays offerings
The pub food is cheap as chips and home cooked and delicious. I especially liked the liver and bacon for �5.
Your host Steve Willimas is a real character, as you will find out if you try and order a lager!
Rob Pine - 24 Jun 2003 15:22 |
