The Merry Harriers, Hambledon

Good evening everyone, I am the landlord of the above pub and I have just logged on to see a battle has broken out. I don't want to get involved in it but I would like to state some facts:

1. Neither I nor my wife are marinaman, paulywossname, mrsalehouse or anybody else. I would suggest that a lot of people have logged on for the first time because the pub has invited a lot of interest, most favourable, some not, having changed hands for the first time in 41 years. The idea, however, that any landlord or landlady has the time (or will) to check what people may have written on here immediately they finish serving, is laughable.

2. It is inevitable that some people will like the pub/the food/the drinks on offer. Everyone has a choice. Most people seem to like it - we sell twice as much beer as when we took over; infinitely more wine and average 50 covers a day in 8 weeks from a standing start. We also have a lot of repeat business.

3. Gospel Green is a limited edition cider produced in a farm 4 miles from here and we sell a case of it every week to customers across the social spectrum. It is expensive for us to buy and therefore expensive to the customer but it's popular, local and made by a little farmer. In what way does that make it fancy crap?

4. My wife has a Food Hygiene certificate; the tables are wiped with kitchen cleaner after each customer; the mushroom soup was part of the menu that earned her a Distinction when she qualified as a chef and is certainly not cuppa soup. Most customers rave about it - one has it three times a week without fail. Some people obviously don't like it but that's life.

5. It's a mistake that the bar menu and full menu prices differ. It will be rectified. Apologies and thank-you for pointing it out.

6. The wiring under the bar has been checked by a professional and is perfectly safe. I agree it's not pretty but it pre-dates us and, like many things, will have to wait until we can afford to improve it. We are not a brewing giant, just a couple with a million pound mortgage.

7. I have never told anyone to F--- off out of my pub and never would. I would like the person who said I did to come in here and identify himself so we can discuss the matter.

I shan't be looging on again and have no wish to enter into further discussion. When we took over, we knew some people would like it, some not. Fortunately, business would suggest that we've gone some way to getting it right - still a long way to go though - in most people's eyes but everyone is entitled to their opinion.

16 Sep 2008 21:09