The Ram Inn, Firle

Located in the supremely pretty and unspoilt village of West Firle, at the foot of the South Downs, a couple of miles from Charleston Farmhouse (of Bloomsbury Group fame). Food is interestingly different, although somewhat bucolic. Staff are friendly, and try their best, but get overwhelmed by weekend crush, which means that both food and bar service are mind-numbingly slow. If you enjoy taking at least two and a half hours over lunch, waiting three quarters of an hour for your starters, another half an hour between each course, and queuing for half an hour for a drink at the bar, then you�ll love the Ram. You�ll have to book, though. I�m told it�s much quieter in the evening, but that�s probably because it�s the nearby South Downs, Firle village, Firle Place and Charleston Farmhouse that attract visitors, not the pub.

12 Jan 2010 14:52

The Huntsman, Eridge Green

Refurbished, but still with an air vaguely reminiscent of a cross between a 1900�s station waiting room and a village schoolroom � Victorian fluted glass ceiling lamps, cream/ochre walls, black scrubbed wood panelling and bare floorboards.
When we arrived, the bar was surrounded by what appeared to be an amiably eccentric gathering of steam train preservationists, real ale worshippers and whole food gurus, replete with grey beards, comfortable tums and bobbly jumpers. They�d probably parked their Morgan motor cars out of sight around the corner.
Simon runs the front of house, while partner Nikki prepares the food, using vegetables and herbs fresh from their garden. The bar offers Cask Marque Ales from the Badger Brewery, along with Hofbrau Premium Lager and Hofbrau German Weissbier. Wines are decent quality and fairly priced. The Huntsman�s lunchtime menu is relatively short, but changes daily. The food is interesting, flavoursome, wholesome and well presented. Portions are generous and prices are good value (�9.95 for my chicken).
In cooking my wife�s shoulder of lamb, Nikki had succeeded in combining melt-in-the-mouth tenderness with a blush of pink at the heart of the meat. The lamb was served with a dish of organic �tacklements� (if, like me, you�ve never come across the word before, it means �accompaniments�) � organic redcurrant jelly and organic mint jelly. Delicious and refreshingly different.
My breast of chicken stuffed with St George cheese, �sun-blushed� tomatoes and basil, and wrapped in bacon, was a treat of fresh flavours. Roast potatoes were light and crispy, and soft-cooked celery was dusted with crispy, golden cheese and breadcrumbs.
In winter, when the gardens are out of use, there is limited space inside. If there are more than two of you, and you�d like a meal on the weekend, then you�ll need to book two or three weeks in advance.
If your normal scene is Harvester or Beefeater, then you may find the d�cor of The Huntsman a tad spartan. But I�d thoroughly recommend giving it a try � even if only for the opportunity of escaping from the palate-numbing sameness of chain food and trying some really good home cooking.
Service is friendly, polite and - as is only right and proper with freshly prepared home cooking � unhurried. Allow 30 minutes for your food to arrive.

One last point: access to The Huntsman is by way of a small turning off the A26 at the bottom of the valley between Crowborough and Frant, signposted �Frant Station�. If approaching from the North (ie from Tunbridge Wells), there is a wickedly dangerous right turn across two lanes of manic traffic with no central reservation. If you�re 25 years old with nerves of steel and the reflexes of a gazelle, you�ll probably think nothing of it. If, however, passing years have dulled your appetite for danger and tempered your belief in your own immortality, you may prefer to drive another mile south, turn round the roundabout, and approach the Frant Station turnoff from the south � when it will be on your left. It may add five minutes to your journey, but at least you�ll live to enjoy your meal.
The Huntsman is closed on Mondays.

6 Nov 2006 20:24

The Curlew, Bodiam

The Curlew does indeed serve beer in the evening, but, if that is all you want, then the Curlew is probably not for you.
If, on the other hand, you enjoy exquisite food, with silver, crystal, linen, log fire and a background murmur of civilised conversation, then the Curlew is hard to beat.
Expensive, certainly, but a culinary experience in reassuringly comfortable surroundings.
Book in advance, avoid peak times, and allow at least two - preferably three - hours for the occasion.

5 Nov 2006 18:34