Harvey's rarely disappoints - and neither does the White Hart!

I enjoyed a pint of Harvey’s today, my first since lock-down, and boy was it good. I’d been hankering after some Sussex Best since the pubs re-opened, but all the pubs I’ve been in until today weren’t stocking the beer.

Harvey’s Sussex Best is not only one of my favourite beers; I happen to think it is one of the finest traditional ales brewed in these islands. With a base of rich, biscuity malt, complemented by just the right amount of bitterness from a blend of locally grown hop varieties, Harvey’s Best is rightly described as the embodiment of Sussex.

Despite the beer being widely distributed throughout East Sussex and West Kent, I’ve had quite a job recently in tracking it down; until today. Fancying a drive out, I’d booked a table for three, for Saturday lunchtime, at the White Hart, Newenden. The idea had been for us to do a spot of shopping at Jempson’s independent superstore at Peasmarsh, before stopping off at the pub on the way home.

Little did I realise quite how hot the weekend was going to turn out. I also ran into a spot of car trouble. The latter was easily solved by son Matthew adding me as a named driver to his insurance policy, which now allows me to drive his car. I was quite taken aback by this kind-hearted gesture, but it does now give Mrs PBT’s and I access to a second set of wheels.

The other drawback to my plan was the hot weather itself because, as my dear lady wife pointed out, there was no way in which we’d be able to leave any food shopping in the back of the car, whilst we were at the pub. We decided that the shopping wasn’t essential, and we would just go for lunch instead, until Mrs PBT’s, ever the contrary one, decided it would be just too hot for her.

She didn’t want to sit in the pub garden, but equally didn’t want to be inside – something about a virus that, providing the right precautions are taken, you’ve got very little chance of falling victim to. You and Matthew go, she said, I’m quite happy sitting at home in the cool.

So that’s what we did, but still took Matthew’s car. The air-conditioning needs re-gassing on mine and I’ve also had issues with the electric windows and indicators.  An intermittent electrical fault, which will be looked at by an auto specialist on Wednesday. The air-con will also be re-charged. 

We set off just after 12.30pm, with temperatures already in the thirties. I’ve only driven a handful of automatic cars, but I soon got the hang of Matthew’s one. In view of the record-braking temperatures, and the expected mass exodus to the coast, I took us along a more rural route, which took us through Benchley, Horsmonden and the edge of Goudhurst, before joining with the main Rye-Hastings road at Hawkhurst. 

We arrived three-quarters of an hour early at Newenden, so went and had a look at nearby Northiam station, on the opposite bank of the River Rother. Northiam is the penultimate stop on the Kent & East Sussex heritage railway, and whilst a pre-booked service was operating, we saw no signs of any trains. We drove back to the pub, thinking the management wouldn’t mind if we were early, and fortunately we were right. 

I’d already checked out the White Hart’s Corona-related safety measures online, and judged them to be more than adequate, so after the following the designated one-way system we entered via the front-door, sanitised our hands and presented ourselves at the bar. Our early arrival was no problem and we would find a table, with out name on it, in the large garden at the rear. We could order our drinks at the bar first, and then come back in, again following the one-way system to order our food. 

I’d already spotted the Harvey’s handpump on the bar, bit there were also a couple of beers from Rother Valley – highly appropriate, plus another local beer from Romney Marsh Brewery. It was a pint of Sussex Best for me, plus a pint of Estrella Dam for Matthew. 

We found our way out to the garden, and our pre-booked table, but judging by the number of empty spaces, there appeared no real need to book. This was shortly after 2pm, so perhaps the main lunchtime rush was already over. We’d already looked at the menu online and had both decided on cod and chips. Matthew had already noticed the waitress carrying some out to another table, so Moby and chips it was! 

Before ordering I took a few mouthfuls of the delectable pint of Harvey’s in front of me. It was pure nectar, and almost worth four month’s wait. Cool, refreshing and well-conditioned it was everything I’d expected, and more! As I was driving, I couldn’t have another, and had I been scoring it would have come out as a 3.0 – 3.5 NBSS. 

Our food arrived soon after, freshly fried cod in a crispy batter, with hand-cut chunky chips. This hearty fare represented our first pub meal, and indeed first hot food, served away from home, since the start of lock-down. This was fish and chips at its best, and both tasted every bit as good as they look in the photo.

Like many establishments up and down the country, the White Hart is participating in the chancellor’s “Eat Out to Help Out” scheme, as proclaimed by the “A” board outside the pub. I’m tempted to take a mid-week trip down to Newenden, this time including Mrs PBT’s, even if it does involve a fifty-mile round trip.

Matthew got a round in before we left; a small lime and soda for me, and another pint of Estrella for him. It was good to see the White Hart re-opened and starting to do OK, after four months of closure, but it’s interesting to note that this was only my second visit to the pub, despite having driven past countless times.

I informed Matthew that this was his second visit as well. “What do you mean?” he said, “I’ve never been here before.” I told him he had, but that he was unlikely to remember the occasion. The reason for this was that Eileen and I called in one autumn day, for a quick drink and look around. She was carrying Matthew at the time and was seven or eight months pregnant. Little did we think at the time, that our unborn child would be returning there 29 years later as a fully grown man!