A thirst-quenching pint at the end of a long walk

There are three things I want to blog about. They all happened yesterday, they’re all firsts and they’re all interlinked but, as is often the way of things, I want to start with the last of these three items, first.

OK, the three firsts are, I used public transport for the first time since March (my trip to Burton with members from the Beer & Pubs Forum). I walked a further section of the North Downs Way; through countryside I’d never stet foot in until today. Finally, I called in at a well-known Tonbridge pub for the first time since it reopened for business, following its enforced closure.

I’m starting with the pub chiefly because it served up a really memorable pint, which was just what I needed after a lengthy, and very dry walk. There were no pubs on, or even near the stretch of NDW that I’d decided to follow today. The route from the top of Vigo Hill along to Cuxton took me through plenty of attractive and quite varied countryside, but with no villages or even small settlements close by, there wasn’t a public house anywhere in site.

So, after a train journey home, along the scenic Medway Valley Line, I was gagging for a pint by the time I arrived back in Tonbridge.  It’s worth mentioning that my intention had been to call in at the White Hart, just along from Cuxton station, but the timings weren’t right, and there was insufficient time before the departure of my train.

So, Tonbridge it was, and the most convenient pub on my route home was the Forester’s Arms in Quarry Hill. After a walk of over 11 miles, my legs had stiffened up considerably during the train journey home, so it was a slow amble, rather than a brisk march up from the station to the awaiting pub.

The Forester’s is a Shepherd Neame pub that I have known for a long time. Before we moved to our current property, it was our nearest pub and in pre-child days, Mrs PBT’s and I would sometimes enjoy an evening there. The pub went through a rough patch and had a reputation as a place to avoid, but all that changed in 2015 when Tyson Marshall took over as landlord. I’d known Tyson from his time as manager of the Little Brown Jug in Chiddingstone Causeway – the village where I work, so it was good to see him taking charge at the Forester’s.

He transformed the place, adding in a touch of Australia – his home country, whilst at the same time turning the Forester’s into a pleasant and laid-back drinking environment. I’d enjoyed several pre-lockdown visits, and found the beer, the atmosphere and the food – homemade pizza, to be first class, so I was delighted to see that the pub had reopened.

Mrs PBT’s had been watching developments on the pub’s Facebook page, so I knew a little of what to expect when I rocked up, shortly after 4pm. There were a couple of girls sat outside, but before making my way into the pub, I stopped at the door next to the table with the obligatory hand-sanitiser and record-keeping book. 

I was approached by the barman who invited me in, explaining that it was table-service only. I kind of expected this, so after showing me to a vacant table, next to the window, I was asked what I wanted to drink.  I’d already scanned the hand pulls on entry and noted the presence of Whitstable Bay Pale Ale. This is definitely one of Shepherd Neame’s better ales, by a long shot, so for me it was the obvious choice. After asking if I wanted a straight or a jug (straight, of course), the barman brought my pint over, along with the card machine for contact-less payment.

The price was the only real shock, coming in at £4.30, but I have noticed all post-lockdown pints coming in at around this level. I was so thirsty, that didn’t really care, especially as my pint was so good. I would gladly have paid more, for this cool, clear refreshing pint that slipped down a treat. If I was still able to submit beer scores, I would have given it a 4.0 NBSS. I was sorely tempted to have another, but I’d promised to collect Matthew from work and would therefore be driving later on.

Before leaving, I looked around at the other customers enjoying the pub. They included a group of women, who seemed to be from the same family, along with a handful of smaller groups, all enjoying the pub’s relaxed atmosphere. Tyson popped over to say hello, and in answer to my question told me things were going well.

I said it was good to see the Forester’s open again, and told him that I’d be back – which of course I will. So, I found my third post-lockdown pub performing well, having adapted almost seamlessly to the new system. With this in mind I am keen to explore a few more!