please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
After a game of Pooh sticks in Ashdown Forest (I kid you not), we traversed a ford and arrived at the very nicely located Hatch Inn. This place is tiny in all aspects. Getting through the door was a challenge, let alone getting to the bar. However there was a small room at the rear that was completely unoccupied. Tables were set up for diners. But there were none. The garden looked quite pleasant. But it wasn't quite the weather for outdoor drinking early yesterday afternoon. Inside, most of the locals (with their dogs) seemed upper class. Ales were Larkins Traditional, Harveys Sussex Best Bitter & Youngs Bitter. Not the best ale range. But the location scores this pub an extra point.
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The best pub I've been to this year based on my visit yesterday. Barmaid was very chatty and welcoming, telling me about the pub and the current landlord. 4 ales on offer which is nothing exceptional but well kept. We didn't eat or even peruse the menu so can't comment on the food or prices. It's the gardens (and the previously mentioned toilets) that score this place extra points. Truly lovely.
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Things have gone wrong at The Hatch. Possibly the worst person I've ever had the misfortune of meeting solely operating the bar. So slow I felt like I wanted to serve myself. The person had either sadly had a stroke or was just drunk. No hello, no goodbye, no personality, no anything. If the person who owns this pub is reading this, it must be very obvious who the employee is, do yourself a favour and fire them. It's going to loose yourself a whole load of future business and reading the other reviews may have cost you already. I love this pub otherwise!
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Shocked by some of the more recent reviews on here. This is THE BEST pub in the country. I used to do a 70 mile round trip from South London for dinner or lunch and now that I live about 12 miles away still love it as much as ten years ago.
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Village pub, nice to look at from outside. Inside is very small and dominated by locals. Service is exceedingly slow and the prices are ridiculous. �5.35 for a diet coke and a pint of 3.4% Larkins beer. Couldn't afford another visit if I wanted to go back.
foamy - 22 Sep 2011 19:40 |
Why would anyone go to this over-priced pretentious and unfriendly place when the very wonderful Gallipot Inn is about half a mile away?
The Gallipot is not on BITE (I know - I HAVE suggested it, but things on BITE are moving even slower than ever at present) but you can Google it. It's just a bit south of Hartfield.
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Classic old country pub in a lovely setting. Not a great deal of room inside but has outside tables front & rear. Harveys, Doombar and Larkins on which were fine. Menu is changed every day and has quite a wide range of meals, veggie options looked unusually good. Only had a ploughman's but was well impressed. Bar service was painfully slow.
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I would disagree with 'Whirling Dervish' below - this is DEFINITELY the worst pub in Sussex! Gave up trying after waiting fifteen minutes to be served. It took this long for the dithery barman to serve the one customer in front of us, whilst his female colleague also ignored us in favour of her pals seated at a nearby table. When Mr. Slow finally finished fumbling he then proceeded to serve one of the local young inbreds who had blatantly swaggered up long after our arrival. Cue a chorus of 'Blow this for a game of soldiers' and this hopeless establishment lost whatever king's ransom it would have charged us for a pint.
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I was really shocked by what's on offer at theis place. Not so much by the quality of the food which I could only describe as fair, it's the pricing. Bonkers. I'm a chef so I can look at a plate and tell you pretty much what it cost to put together and The Hatch Inn stretches its mark ups to the outer limits. I don't mind paying the best part of 22 quid for a high quality steak with hand cuts chips and grilled mushrooms etc. What I got at The Hatch was a piece of ok steak with a sauce that tasted of toilet cleaner, some cheapo frozen chips and the kind of salad I would expect in my local greasy spoon. Poor and exploitative. Beer was nice though.
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Sad to see that the Hatch is getting negative reviews in recent months. I've been going here for nearly ten years and still love it! In fact I moved from London to the Kent/Sussex border to go more often and indulge in Ashdown Forest too.
The food is great if a little pricey and yes, some of the visitors are on the snooty side, but that adds to the fun of people watching when having dinner!
Best thing to do is go for a llama trek at the nearby Ashdown llama park and then pop in for lunch - a truly perfect day!
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Had lunch at The Hatch the other day. Packed pub. Charming setting. Good food. Beer (Harveys Sussex Old Ale XXXX) kept well. Both members of staff were very pleasant. Loos excellent.
Could do with slightly smaller tables to allow a little more room for people to move and perhaps a wood burner simmering away in the side room would make it that bit more cosy.
Overall a very pleasant experience though erring towards the pricey side.
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Quite possibly the worst pub in Sussex. More intersted in catering to the Okay Ya diners than serving beer. Service is non existant and the bloke behind the bar is incapable of any please or thank you's or the ability to attempt more than one thing at a time. Prices are truely shocking. Shame because it is a really nice setting let down by inept staff. I understand the owner is never around to settle any complaints. Move on to another is my advice.
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Yes, the service is as usual - cold, distant and unwelcoming. That is a kind description.
It's a girl's pub really - everything comes with garnish (ie tasteless crinkly lettuce; you're not really supposed to eat it, I imagine). And it's full of chinless wonders: if you thought "OK yaah" was a joke from the 1980s, try here.
The food is really expensive, and if you pay by credit card the screen asks you for a tip. Without my glasses on, I nearly left a �66 tip when I tried to enter my PIN. Needless to say, I was not warned about this by the grumpy old g*t at the bar, nor was he at all pleasant about cancelling it.
A must to avoid - a pity, as the building, location and beer are all great.
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This is a terrific pub in a great location with a good pint of Harveys. Unfortunately, when we visited recently, we thought that the food was overpriced and absolutely awful.
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Picking up on a recent posting by 'Insearchofthebestpint', we had a similar experience a few weeks ago, whilst paying a one-off visit to the area.
The pub itself, the beer and the food were all really excellent, but the couple behind the bar, who we assumed to be the licensees, had a distinctive air of indifference. This naturally made us feel uncomfortable, as though we were 'intruding'. That said, the young chap who brought our food to the table couldn't have been more friendly, which made us feel more welcome.
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Visited yesterday lunchtime. Lovely setting in Ashdown Forest but with tables set for diners either side of the small bar area it is quite clear what their priority is. That said, the Harveys Old Ale was in top form and a visit to the gents (or ladies) is an eye opener!!!
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Lovely pub which always has Harveys on. They seem to have guest beers if the clips behind the bar are to be believed: Larkins on when I visited. However disinterest and a cold welcome are both alive and well here. I waited for almost five minutes whilst the licensee and two women (landlady?) discussed food orders before being grudgingly served. I should have apologised for disturbing them. Watched with fascination as other customers were given the same discourteous treatment. I could not afford the wait for a second pint and my departure failed to receive the customary "Thank you" as it went unnoticed despite me passing in front of the bar. A smile or nod of recognition will always be received by patience if a bar is busy but their absence may well explain one which is not. If this is a "regulars" pub then I will not be joining them.
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Pleasant country pub with a food area at one end. The food was reasonable and not over-priced by London standards. Excellent pint of Larkins Bitter.
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Dissapointing overall.
Lovely location and very charming and quaint but I have had to make the pub down considerably for the extortionately expensive food.
I am really not at all impressed about seeing steak on a country pub menu for �24.00.
Having eaten there a few times, I can say with some authority that the food, while being nice, is not exceptional (and the portions are small) and is just not worth the prices they charge, unless you have money to burn.
In terms of food, I am still to find a pub that beats the Middle House in Mayfield for quality and generosity of food and reasonableness of cost and I am sure if you have eaten in both pubs, you will concur.
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Quite simply the best pub I have ever been in. Amazing beer, excellent food, brilliant service and the best setting. Really can't fault it;
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Been in a couple of times and the pub is a real treat. Its the sort of place to take your lady rather than a lads night out. There is a good sized seating area outside the pub and a large garden with tables for those who want to eat in the summer. The beer great and the bar staff was rather pretty last time I went. Well worth a visit.
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The place was packed to the rafters this lunchtime with �ladies who lunch� doing just that. With the other two men in the pub I kept my counsel and enjoyed a well-kept pint of Larkin�s (other beers were Harvey�s Sussex Best, Harvey�s Old and Wells-Young�s Eagle IPA). Probably best not to come here for a spot of quiet reflection but all in all a popular and cosy pub, and Good Beer Guide � listed for 2008.
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Beautiful little pub. Cosy inside, with great food and beer. Only negative would be that it's just way too popular on a Sunday lunchtime. You have to get there at 12 on the dot to get a table. Also it's quite hard to find. Best visit on an evening when you can book. Recommended.
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Although billed as a Harvey's house, it is not tied and in addition to offering Harvey's Best and usually one other, it also offers Larkin's excellent Traditional amongst others. All are wortwhile beers, all are well-kept.
The food is good here and whilst fairly ambitious in its menu, just about pulls it off.
The Hatch is enormously welcoming in the Autumn/Winter months, offering a cosy haven in the middle of nowhere, with a log fire and plenthy of jovial conviviality amongst staff and punters alike. Some of the younger staff members can get a bit too skittish and perhaps don't quite suit the country cottage environment, but this is a minor matter and overall, this excellent hostelry is to be commmended.
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Went Sunday lunchtime but were eating in the evening so avoided the roast beef/pork @ �14 inc dessert and had sandwiches/ploughmans @ �5-7. They were well filled (they need to be at that price) and came with some salsd and fruit.
Excellent beer - we chose local Larkins - in great surroundings
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Excellent Beer and friendly staff, found the pub in The AA Pub Guide and went to have a nose. We didn't eat as it's very expensive (especially for a pub - Average main course is �15) but the food did look excellent and the menu very tempting.
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Great location, good choice of beers and food excellent if pricey! Atmosphere always excellent. It has too work hard to maintain reputation and does so.
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All true. If possible, go by bike as it has no proper car park and its popularity means parking can be tricky. Also, you can drink more!
Vasili - 30 Jul 2004 16:55 |
Fantastic selection of ales, with Susses's best bitter Harveys on all year.
Fantastic food with romantic dinning room.
Chris - 13 Jun 2004 20:22 |
What can I say about this pub other than it is the best one in the world!
My regular haunt, the service is great, the location beautiful and the food, well it is out of this world!
Nothing better than lazing in their beer garden on a warm and fresh spring or summer's day, eating their fantastic food and getting merry.
May it never change!
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In the middle of the Ashdown Forest. Good ales and excellent but pricey food. Fabulous views over the forest and lovel garden
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