Swan at West Peckham off to a good start

Regular readers may remember a post I wrote at the beginning of November, concerning the Swan, in the village of West Peckham. The post describes how a buyout, by the local community, successfully raised the sum necessary to ensure the future of the pub. This followed the retirement of the previous owner, and licensee and his decision to offer first refusal on the property, to a potential purchase by local residents, and other interested parties.

I reported that I’d purchased a minimum shareholding, consisting of 250 shares in the Swan Community Project Limited.  A couple of weeks later I received an e-mail thanking me for my contribution along with confirmation that the sum necessary to secure the pub's future had been reached. There was money left over as well, and this would be used, in the first instance, for improvements to the kitchen, as well as the pub’s toilets.

Now, on a rather dull, dank and chilly mid-December Sunday, I thought it would be worth calling in at the Swan, to see how things are going. Matthew came with me, as I wanted to stop off at the local car wash to give my vehicle a much clean, before it goes in for a service at the end of the week. I wouldn't normally bother but I think it helps those who are carrying out the work, if you present a clean vehicle. It creates the right impression and prevents those who are carrying out the work from getting too dirty. Matthew did the donkey-work with the high-pressure lances, that apply soap, before blasting it all off with clean water. I stood by and watched, although I did pay for the time used by the machine.

Afterwards, we drove along to West Peckham, a tiny settlement sandwiched between Dunk's Green and Mereworth. With a population of around 350 people, it’s not really large enough to be called a village, but with a large, central green, overlooked by the medieval church of St Dunstan, plus of course the Swan public hall, West Peckham punches above its weight. The local shop might have closed, but the settlement has its own village hall, and judging by the amount of parked cars, there was an event taking place there.

I don't think Matthew had been there before, although he recognised some of the buildings from that dreadful, PC remake of the "Darling Buds of May", featuring Bradley Walsh and Peter Davidson, amongst others. As you drive into the village, the vista of church, pub, village green, and surrounding houses opens up in front of you. Keen to see what was happening with the Swan, a couple of months on from my purchase, we just managed to squeeze into one of the two remaining spaces in the admittedly rather cramped, pub car park. I made a mental note that providing additional parking spaces, should feature high on the list of necessary improvements.

On the plus side, it was encouraging to see so many vehicles parked there, even though it meant standing room only, inside the pub. The area to the left of the bar is given over to diners, and it was definitely a full house there. The same applied to the section at the opposite end, although we managed to squeeze in immediately in front of the bar. My eyes lit up when I noticed a pump clip for Larkin's Porter, alongside a couple of Tonbridge Brewery beers. Larkin's Porter isn't exactly a session beer, and I was playing it safe by only having a half. To tell the truth it wasn’t the finest pint off this particular porter anyway, even if it represented the first time this winter that I’ve come across it. I imagine it was probably a case of slow turnover, as there was a definite tang to it, although I have heard reports that Larkin’s Porter isn't as good this season, as it has it been in previous years.

Another observation about the Swan, was that as well as practically bursting at the seams with people, the same applied to the number of dogs there. You might think this signified that the majority of customers were proper country folk, although I suspect that most of them had arrived by car, rather than on foot. This is a shame because the pub is situated on the Weald Way – a north-south route which runs from the River Thames at Gravesend, down to Eastbourne on the South Coast. Crossing this path at right angles, is the rather better known, and also longer, Greensand Way.

Despite the crush, I managed a brief chat with one of the people behind the bar. I assumed he was the manager, so much to Matthew’s embarrassment, I mentioned that I had bought a few shares in the place, and was happy to see that things were going well. I noticed from the opening hours displayed, that the pub is closed all day on Monday, which probably makes sense, especially during the winter months, and I think the same hours applied under the previous management.

So, after popping in to check on my investment, I shall definitely be making return visits to the Swan, although next time I plan to take the bus to Mereworth, and then walk along the lanes, the mile and a half so through to West Peckham.

 

 

 

Shuffling around at the Shuffle House

Last Friday saw my company holding its annual Christmas party, and it was a change of both venue and style. During the course of the past 18 years that I’ve been employed, the Christmas party has invariably followed the traditional pattern of a sit-down Christmas meal, normally at a local pub. That honour has traditionally fallen to the Little Brown Jug, a large, single-storey pub in the village of Chiddingstone Causeway, just five minutes’ walk from our factory.

The Jug, as it is universally known, is owned by Whiting & Hamond, a small pub chain based primarily in the west of Kent. W&H operate a similar business model to that of the better-known Brunning & Price but are smaller and much more localised. Over the years the Jug has looked after the company, catering for our Christmas needs, either in the form of an evening meal or, in more recent times, a mid-afternoon Christmas dinner.

In the early days, other halves/significant others were also invited, but as the company grew in size and became larger and larger, this became impractical from a logistical point of view, as well as stretching the budget. In between, the firm tried several other venues, with varying degrees of success. 

Places that spring to mind, include the Bottle House at Smarts Hill, the Plough at Leigh, the Camden Arms at Pembury and the now closed, Edward’s Brasserie at Sevenoaks Weald.  There might have been a couple of other venues, but the above establishments stick in the memory, although not always for the right reasons. It was with no surprise then that we gravitated back to the Little Brown Jug.  

 After a year out due to the pandemic, we returned to the Jug for the next couple of years before, in a bit of experimentation, the boss was persuaded to give
somewhere else a try, and in 2023 the Elizabethan Barn, in the centre of Tunbridge Wells was the venue for our Christmas meal. We were allocated seats upstairs, and if I was to say it was that little bit too cosy and comfortable, you’ll know what I mean.

This year, determined to do something better, our General Manager decided to think outside of the box, and picked what some might describe as a left field venue, in the form of the Shuffle House. The latter is a South American/Latin tapas and stone-baked pizza restaurant, situated in the St John’s area of Tunbridge Wells. The establishment is named after its two 14-foot-long shuffleboards, a game similar to shove ha’penny, which has its origins in 15^th century England, where it began as a leisurely after-dinner activity. I shall explain more about the game, later on, but for now I’m pleased to say that it proved a great hit with everyone who had a go – which was most of us.

Spread across two floors, with rooms leading off from each level, the informal nature of the Shuffle House allowed ample opportunity for guests to mingle and interact with each other. This was exactly what our GM wanted, as it is the direct opposite to the more traditional, sit down to eat set up of the majority of pubs and restaurants, where there is little opportunity to converse with staff members that weren’t on one’s immediate table. The food arrived in stages, and as mentioned above, had a Latin- South American theme. This meant there was a good selection of stone-baked pizzas, combined with an equally tempting range of Tapas. Finally, there were bowls of freshly cooked, curly-skinny fries.

As is normally the case at staff Christmas parties, there was a free bar, but unlike the food I’m afraid the choice of draught beer was disappointing. Continuing the South American theme, the beer at the Shuffle House was sourced from Chile. Stratus South Pacific Lager 4.0% from Rothhammer Brewery was the sole offering, the accompanying BHB Juicy Pale from Big Hug Brewing, having run out. Research reveals that this particular beer is a collaboration brew, between Big Hug and Portobello, but that is academic, seeing as it was unavailable. Call me a Phillistine for dissing free beer, but I found the Stratus South Pacific Lager too sweet, too fizzy and far too cold. I struggled to finish my third pint, and I know that many of my colleagues had a similar experience.

So, what about the game which gives its name to this interesting Tunbridge Wells bar and restaurant? Despite its 15^th century origins, Shuffleboard today is played on a lengthy wooden slabs, 14-feet at the Shuffle House, where there are two such tables. Steel pucks glide with impressive smoothness towards the board’s end, the aim being to rack up high scores by getting ones pucks into zones located close to the end of the board, while avoiding letting them fall off. The pucks are coloured either red or blue, and there are four of each. Two players compete against one another in each game, and to give a better idea of the tactics and the scoring, take a look at the rules, which are reproduced here from the Shuffle House website.

Going back for a moment, to the games origin, shuffleboard evolved into shove-penny, often using a silver penny, so to witness this modern, recreation of the much older original game, was an interesting experience. It is said that the game was once considered a distraction by Henry VIII, who banned it to keep his troops focused on archery practice, but that’s nothing compared to some of the horrors perpetuated by that hideous tyrant, during his reign.

The modern version though, proved a great way to end an evening with colleagues, combining good food, drinks, and a bit of competitive fun. It might be a cliché, but a good time was had by all, and it certainly turned out to be one of the best Christmas parties the company has held, for a long time.

 

Pre-loading at Fuggles, prior to the firm's Christmas bash, results in an unexpected encounter

 

I had one of those rare chance encounters in a pub on Friday evening, which apart from being a surprise was one of those experiences when you start questioning did that really happen? So, what exactly is all this about? Well Friday evening was the night of my company’s Christmas party, which this year, took place at a venue in the St John’s area of Tunbridge Wells, called the Shuffle House.  It was an unusual setting for our festivities but as it happened it worked out really well, but you will have to wait for the appearance of the still to be drafted article, to discover exactly what made our party at the Shuffle House, so good.

I left the house early and set off for Fuggles to enjoy a pre-party drink - a quick “one for the road” so to speak. It was interesting seeing the different Christmas lights sparkling on people’s houses, and shining out through their windows, as I walked down into the town. Tonbridge’s medieval castle was also lit up and looking suitably festive. I had two interconnected reasons for calling in at Fuggles, the first being to tick off a new beer on Untappd, whilst the second was to get another stamp on my Fuggles loyalty card. 

This is a promotion run by both beer cafés specifically to promote cask beer, the idea being each time you buy a pint of cask you receive a stamp on your loyalty card. Collect 10 stamps and you can then exchange your completed card for a free pint. The offer is not applicable to lager, keg beer or foreign beers and is only applicable to cask. As such the scheme lends a helping hand in raising the profile of cask ale. So, by treating myself to a pint of Northern Monk Festive Star Porter, I effectively killed two birds with one stone.

There would still be plenty of time to catch a bus over to Tunbridge Wells and my rendezvous with work colleagues at the Shuffle House. Fuggles wasn't too crowded when I arrived, although it was still humming with the atmosphere that only comes with the end of the working week, but almost as soon as I'd walked into the pub, my glasses misted over following the change in temperature. I approached the bar and couldn't see whether the beer that I wanted was still on. The attentive staff asked me what I wanted, so I had to say, “you're going to have to read them out to m,e or wait until my glasses have cleared.” The young man was quite understanding, and when I mentioned the words Northern Monk, and the fact there was cinnamon and chocolate in the beer, he knew exactly which beer I was after.

Pint duly pulled and paid for, I stood at the bar savouring this excellent, winter porter, when someone I didn’t recognise at first, walked in behind me, before making his way to the bar. He turned towards me and said, “Hello Paul.” Wondering at first, who the hell he was, I suddenly recognised him as a former regular, customer at the Cask & Glass off license, that my wife and I used to run. I’m still not 100% sure, but I think his name is Ian, so that’s what I shall call him for the duration of this article. Ian would call in, a couple of times in the week, to pick up a four-pint jug of whichever of the 3-4 cask ales that we had on tap.

I remember him as a tenant farmer, running a small farm that I think was centered around fruit growing. He was always pleasant to chat with, and we would often talk about local pubs and what beers they were selling. I had actually seen him a year or so previously, and he told me then that he has given up the farm and taken a job with Royal Mail. This new job was less stressful and more secure than farming, although I'm sure he misses, at times, being his own boss. Much like farming, being outdoors, in all weathers delivering letters kept him fit, particularly now as we approach the busiest time of the year, for the postal service.

He also told me that the tenancy agreement he had with the landowner, allowed him to remain in the rented cottage, that went with the farm. I guessed this was because the land belongs to the Hadlow Estate, although locally the landowners are referred to as “Teachers”, following the marriage into the D’Avigdor- Goldsmid family (owners of the estate), by James Teacher, a member of the family that founded Teacher's Whisky. The estate owns large areas of land locally, centered around the villages of Capel, East Peckham, Five Oak Green and Tudeley. Mrs PBT’s used to work with a lady whose husband managed one of the larger fruit farms, and they have a similar arrangement regarding rented accommodation. Rachel, was renowned for hosting summer parties, held in a large marquee next to the farmhouse, and Mrs PBT’s and I attended several of these, back in the days before COVID.

Ian confirmed my guesses about Teachers Whisky and their ownership of his former farm, so we moved on to rumours circulating locally, about the possible sale of parts of the Hadlow Estate. There is a lot of apprehension locally about plans to construct large numbers of houses in the area. A large housing development is already underway at nearby Paddock Wood, and there are campaigns locally to fight similar developments at Capel. Ian’s thoughts were that the landowners wanted to construct a new development, similar to that at Poundbury, in Dorset, championed by King Charles, when he was Prince of Wales. With the new government’s plans for 1.5 million new homes to be built, across the UK, things aren’t looking too good for lovers of the countryside.

Moving on to happier things, the Festive Star Porter was exceptionally good, with the cinnamon and chocolate flavours going well with the solid malt base of the beer. Ian and I shared a further pint of it between us, after one of the other barman had inadvertently poured him a second pint, without realising that his colleague had already pulled one. The “extra” pint was on the house, so it seemed rude not to help out by assisting with its “disposal.” There was a nice atmosphere in Fuggles that evening, one made all the nicer by that chance encounter, and had it not been for the lure of the firm’s party, I could quite happily have stayed there for the rest of the evening.

As things turned out, the party was a roaring success with the new venue, and its South American food offering (and drink), proving a hit with all who attended. I got the timings just right, by catching the No. 7 bus, from the stop just down the road from Fuggles, and arrived at the Shuffle House almost on the dot of seven o’clock. You can read about this relatively new addition to the drinking (and dining) scene in Tunbridge Wells, next time.

Sceptered Southborough

Just a short post here, but last Sunday, in our search for new places to enjoy a decent cooked breakfast, Matthew and I visited the Hand & Sceptre at Southborough. Standing on a ridge, overlooking the Common and the cricket ground, the Sceptre is a pub we have driven past many times when driving between Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells. But as far as pub visits are concerned, I can count on one hand the number of times I have set foot in the place.

One such occasion, was back in the early days of West Kent CAMRA, when a small group of us called in at the Hand & Sceptre, to check it out. I’ve a feeling that one or two of us walked over from Tonbridge – we were obviously much younger and fitter in those days, but even so, it’s not that far on foot (2.5 miles), and if you ignore the traffic, there is a pavement running the entire distance between the two towns. I say town, because despite coming under the governance of Tunbridge Wells, Southborough still has its own Town Council, a resource that Tonbridge could certainly do with.

Situated within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Southborough offers plenty of scenic walks for all to enjoy. Southborough Common is an attractive and secluded area of 75 acres of woodland and greenery, where its possible to detach oneself from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. It’s also a place where it’s easy to get lost, as I have done on a number of occasions, although you will never really be that far from civilisation! Other walks in the area include the Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk, and Southborough Common provided the finish line for my recent completion of this varied, and attractive walk, back in August.

The Common also formed my starting point, for the TWCW, some 18 months previously. Cricket has been played on the common since the beginning of the 19^th century, and possibly from before that time. It is certainly one of the oldest cricket clubs locally. Standing on the far side of the common is the graceful steeple of St Peter’s church, whilst on the other side of the cricket pitch is the Hand & Sceptre pub, with the A26 road running in between. This vista of church, cricket pitch and pub, forms the quintessential English scene.

The Hand & Sceptre describes itself as a premium pub, bar, and restaurant, but it is also a small hotel, boasting 14 en-suite bedrooms. The building dates from 1728, although today with its modernised interior, it is hard to get a handle on the pub’s true age. The Hand & Sceptre is owned by pub group, Mitchell & Butlers, and ale wise stocks Fuller’s London Pride, plus the ubiquitous Doom Bar. It was a little too early for a drink, when we stopped by on Sunday morning, but it certainly seemed popular with people like us looking for a good start to the day. We sat in the bar, but there is also a restaurant area to the left of the bar counter, for those who prefer something a little more formal.

We inquired about breakfast, were given a menu each, asked to find a table and then return to place our order. We both went for a traditional full English, with a couple of variations apiece. Tea and coffee were available from a separate drinks station, on a help yourself basis. Priced at £10.50, the full English consisted of good quality ingredients – bacon, sausages and free-range eggs, all with plenty of taste. The photos give a hint of what was available. 

We sat at one of several high, “posing" tables rather than the arm chair option, purely because the latter seats were difficult to get up from – and I’m talking about Matthew here, as well as me. Our table looked out across the extensive outside terrace, which overlooks the common. This would be a good in summer to watch the cricket whilst enjoying a beer or two, but on a cold and windswept Sunday, in the wake of storm Darragh, the gentle knock of leather on willow seemed an eternity away.

So, will we return? The answer is a definite affirmative, given the location, setting, closeness to Bailey Towers and overall ambience. The other bonus was being able to turn up on spec, rather than having to book in advance (Ivy House, Chaser). It’s surprising sometimes when you find a place like the Hand Sceptre almost on your own doorstep, and whilst it might not be somewhere to spend an evening drinking cask ale, it certainly features high on the good breakfast list.

All change for the night-time economy?

Looking back, for a moment, at my recent posts about the Kent village of Lenham, and its two pubs, I mentioned the difficulties I experienced in trying to source a suitable venue, for a lunchtime meet-up, with my friend, John. The brief I set myself was to locate a pub, on or close to the A20 road, between Ashford and Maidstone. It is a highway that holds special memories for me as, until the opening of the M20 “missing link” between the two towns, it formed the principle route for motorists wishing to travel between Ashford and Kent’s county town.

It's a route I would have travelled along numerous times as a youngster, as my parents often visited Maidstone for shopping, or just a look around. As a family, we probably visited Canterbury more, but Maidstone is a town that sticks in my memory. I remember being there, on a bitterly cold, February day, and my parents being drawn to a television, in the window of a shop selling electrical appliances. Day time TV didn’t really exist, back in the mid-1960’s, but on that particular day the state funeral of Sir Winston Churchill took place, and the event was being televised. I expect, Richard Dimbleby was providing the commentary, but we couldn’t hear what was being said, and it was far too cold to be standing around, with noses pressed to the shop window.

Leaving such matters to one side, I carried out my research using a combination of What Pub, and a suitable map from Google. There were several places I was keen to try, and these included a number of pubs situated slightly further away from that A20 guideline.  Unfortunately, as I discovered many of these establishments have turned into upmarket gastropubs, with fancy, and overpriced dishes, dressed up to impress (visually), in order to demonstrate the prowess of a chef that no one has really heard of. The other problem, and one I considered rather more serious, was pubs not opening at lunchtime, even on a Friday; a day where you would think there would be sufficient trade. I was particularly disappointed to find that the Bowl Inn, at Hastingleigh – close to the village where I spent my teenage years, was indicating evening opening only.

The same situation applied to the Blacksmith’s Arms, at Wormshill, high up on the North Downs above Hollingbourne. The neighbouring Ringlestone Inn, whilst open all day, is now a gastropub, under the ownership of Shepherd Neame. This conversion is a real loss to those who love traditional pubs, as when I first moved to Maidstone, it was a simple country pub, albeit with a small restaurant attached. Gravity served, Fremlin’s beers (bitter and Tusker), were the principle attractions, along with the irreplaceable atmosphere that goes with a centuries old inn.

Obviously, times change, and I accept that pubs have to adapt to new situations in order to survive. It is also a given, that providing food is a prerequisite for a successful pub these days, particularly those in isolated rural areas, but why not offer, an alternative, less fussy, and less overblown menu for those who hanker after something simpler, and more down to earth? There are plenty of walkers in the area, and I know from personal experience that the North Downs Way passes through, or close to many of these settlements. 

Despite the doom and gloom, I shall end this section on an upbeat note by reporting that when re-examining this part of the county on What Pub, I was surprised, and also delighted, that only a handful of pubs, in this mid-Kent section of the county have actually closed. A fact that bears witness to the resilience of the licensed trade, despite the many threats it continues to face. Moving away now from the issue of pubs becoming increasingly upmarket, there is another underlining problem that if not addressed could severely curtail or even spell the end of the nighttime economy in its present form.  It was something that my friend John remarked on, during our recent meeting, although it is not a scenario, I have noticed myself - seeing as most of my pub visits are at lunchtime, rather than during the evening. We are talking here about pubs closing early in the evening, sometimes with very little warning. This is something that has become far more common since the pub trade opened back up, following the pandemic.

I can understand this, when a pub persistently suffers from lack of trade after say, 9pm, but when early closing happens as a matter of routine, then the thing becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. There can also be a knock-on effect associated with early closing, although it’s perhaps difficult to know whether there is a deeper underlying cause. The example that John used the other day, was the increasing difficulty of getting a taxi home, following a night out. This isn’t something I’ve noticed personally, as I’m an infrequent user of taxis anyway, and even when I have arrived back in Tonbridge on one of the last trains of the evening, there are normally several taxicabs waiting at the rank.

I also imagine that the absence of taxis is much more an issue in isolated rural areas, even when those communities are served by a regular and reliable train service. It also depends on whether there’s a genuine shortage of properly licensed taxi drivers in a given area. It might just be they aren’t turning up on the rank because they know there will be little or no demand for their services. A classic example of supply and demand. Independently of each other, both John and I placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of the pandemic, where COVID has continued to play a major role in determining people’s behaviour, and indeed altering it. This still seems the case almost two years after the pandemic was officially declared to be over. It’s understandable that after almost three years of changing, and at times conflicting restrictions, many didn’t know where they stood with regard to Coronavirus, so no wonder there was such an adverse effect on the licensed trade.

A woman whom Eileen and I met on a cruise last year, claimed that those three years were effectively stolen from us, without our consent, and they are three years of our lives that we shall never get back. She was right of course, although there was little, we could do about that at the time, and not much since. The upshot is that as well as turning many people into recluses, the pandemic has had a lasting, and in many cases, quite devastating effect on the licensed trade, and the entire hospitality sector as a whole.

Despite this gloomy picture, there does seem to be some signs of recovery in the nighttime economy, and long may this process continue. So, when it comes to your cherished local pub, café or indeed favourite restaurant, please remember the maxim of “Use it, or lose it!”