Westerham re-visted - Part Two

 

After a brief, but pleasant journey over from Sevenoaks rail station, the Go Coach No.1 bus service dropped me in the centre of Westerham, opposite the town green and its imposing statue of Winston Churchill.  Churchill of course was probably the town’s best-known former resident, and this impressive sculpture of Winston, first revealed to the public in 1969, depicts Churchill in a rather thoughtful pose, with the absence of his trademark cigar. Rather than standing, Britain’s wartime PM is sitting (almost reclining), on a large block of white marble, that was donated by Marshall Tito and the people of Yugoslavia – no doubt in thanks for assistance rendered by Britain, to their country, during WWII.

I originally only planned on visiting two of Westerham’s three town centre pubs, but seeing as the bus stop was just a few steps away from the King’s Arms, it seemed rude not to call in and see what the place was like. It had been more than a few years since I last set foot inside this imposing looking pub, as on a previous visit, with a group of friends, following a walk over from nearby Crookham Hil, we’d only had time to call in at the George & Dragon plus the nearby Grasshopper on the Green.

I’m pleased to report that despite my initial reservations, I found the King’s Arms to be a pleasant and stylish hotel bar, which forms part of a large, Georgian coaching inn. It is part of the Old English Inns group and has been welcoming guests since 1700. Its 17 bedrooms are handy for those wishing to spend a few days in the area, in order to visit the some of the nearby local attractions such as Chartwell, Emmetts Gardens and Quebec House. There is a courtyard terrace at the rear, which provides a peaceful environment away from the often-busy High Street, although not really appropriate in January.

Not surprisingly, the King’s Arms has a real hotel feel to it, with reception desk, plus restaurant to right of a central lobby, plus a large bar area to the left. With Greene King IPA and Abbot on tap – nice pint of Abbot btw, I soon felt at home. The food offering looked good, but as I wrote about this in the previous post, I shan’t repeat myself here. I took my pint to rear of the room, which overlooks the garden, but following my mantra of never sitting with one’s back to the action, I manoeuvred myself up on to the raised bench, designed to complement the high “posing tables.” 

From there I had a fine view of the bar. Siting parallel to me, but a couple of tables to my left, were two middle-aged women, who were definitely “ladies that lunch.” I wasn’t ear-wigging but given their loud voices, I couldn’t help hearing their conversation. This seemed to centre around breast enlargements (boob jobs), and which of their circle/close family relations had them, and which didn’t. I presume they were talking about the female members of their confidants, but who knows! I couldn’t decipher either whether they personally were in favour of them or not, but perhaps large breasts are a bit of a thing in Westerham, as there’s certainly plenty of money floating around the local area.

Time to move on, and to something rather more sedate, and less intrusive than boob jobs, I upped sticks and headed for the George & Dragon. Located just across the road, and overlooking Market Square at the town end of the green, the G&D is another pub with plenty of history. Like its counterpart across the road, the pub has a lengthy frontage, and an equally impressive heritage. Painted in a much lighter shade of grey than the King's Arms, the G&D dates from the 16^th century, but in early 2021 underwent a long period of refurbishment, before re-opening in July 2022. It is operated under the Bel & the Dragon brand, a small upmarket pub chain purchased by Fuller’s a few years previously.

I can’t really remember what it was like previously, but the pub has a long and stretched out, interior with a raised section in the centre, which is where the bar counter is situated. There are several smaller rooms and drinking areas leading off from either side of the bar, and it was to one of these secluded areas that I retired to, once I had bought my drink. London Pride, Oliver’s Island plus a guest ale from the local Westerham Brewery, in the form of 500 Miles. Billed as a Sassenach Heavy, and also as an obvious tribute to the Proclaimers, this darkish beer is brewed as a Scottish Heavy, with touches of roasted malt for both colour and body. 

The pub interior is referred to as being in a colonial style, possibly a reference to the white paint that coats much of the walls and ceilings, as well as the oak beams supporting the ceiling.  There is a conservatory restaurant, plus an attractive terraced area at the rear, and like its neighbour opposite, the G&D has a total of 13 rooms to let. Special mention ought to be made of the Gentleman’s facilities, with the orange-themed décor, garish wallpaper, and obligatory, posh hand-wash – fragrance unknown, but not unpleasant.

It’s now time to move on to the third pub, which is just a short hop away, from the G&D. Enjoying an enviable position, the Grasshopper on the Green is another inn with coaching connections, although unlike the town’s other pubs, accommodation is not available. The Grasshopper is considerably smaller than the other two as well, although somewhat unusually in this day and age, it contains three separate bars. 

Upon entering, I opted for the bar at the front of the pub, and to the right. There seemed to be an identical bar to the left, plus a much larger one at the rear, running across the entire width of the building. Judging by the conversation and banter coming from that area, the bulk of the pub’s customers seemed to be in that bar. I didn’t go exploring the other two bars, as there was no need, although a visit to the Gents may have been advisable before boarding the bus back to Sevenoaks.

According to the write-up on What Pub, the three bars cater for a variety of clientele with the rear room housing a log fire and the Wolfe Bar catering for customers seeking live sports TV coverage. The latter must have been the one to the left, as fortunately there was no televised sport spoiling my visit. Outdoor table seating is available for “people-watching” on the green or those desperate for a nicotine fix, whilst for those seeking solitude, the peaceful garden, at the rear provides a welcome escape away from the tourists who flock to Westerham. Late January was far too cold to be sitting outside, and I was more than happy to sat in the warmth of the cosy bar at the front. A comprehensive menu includes breakfast and light bites, and the first-floor restaurant provides additional dining space, but given the limited time-frame between bus departures, I was only there for the beer – and it wasn’t Double Diamond! 

Instead, it was a choice of the ubiquitous Harvey’s Sussex Best, or Gresham Hopper, a light and refreshing 3.4% pale ale, from the rather unfortunately named, Titsey Brewery. “Titter ye not”, as the late Frankie Howard would have said, but for those who think I am continuing with the “bosoms” theme, the brewery is named after the nearby Titsey Place, which is one of the largest surviving historic estates in Surrey. The Titsey Estate Company, now own the brewery, which was originally founded as a one-man band microbrewery in 2017 by Craig Vroom. Gresham Hopper was a nice drop of ale, and I remember, back in the summer, enjoying another Titsey beer – Leveson Buck. In common with Westerham, Titsey Brewery,  have their own taproom which, in their case, is located at the highest point of the North Downs Way, with arguably some of the best views in Surrey.

As mentioned earlier, I had a bus to catch, and it was one I didn’t want to miss, as that would mean a two hour wait until the next one. In common with most of the other local bus companies, Go Coach vehicles are engaged on the busy school run, between 3 & 5 pm, ferrying hordes of lively school kids, back from their place of learning, to points closer to home. My bus arrived on time, and dropped me off opposite Sevenoaks station, where fortunately the toilets were open, rather than locked. These points are important, once one reaches a certain age. Westerham, is well worth exploring further, and come the summer, I intend combining a bus trip, with a walk across the fields, in order to take in a visit to Westerham Brewery.

 

Westerham, revisited - Part One

Westerham is an attractive town in the Sevenoaks District of Kent and is located 3.5 miles east of Oxted and 6 miles west of Sevenoaks. It borders both Greater London and Surrey and has roots dating back to before the Norman conquest. In 1227 Henry III granted Westerham a market charter, making the settlement a major player in the buying and selling of cattle in Kent; a tradition that survived to 1961 when the last cattle market was held.

Westerham’s two most famous former residents were, General James Wolfe, and Sir Winston Churchill. Wolfe was a British Army major general, remembered chiefly for his victory in 1759, over the French at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in Quebec. An engagement which ended French domination over much of Canada and handed control of the province to the British. Unfortunately, the battle for Quebec, cost the lives of both Wolfe, plus the commander of the French garrison, the Marquis de Montcalm.

Sir Winston Churchill needs little in the way of introduction and is best remembered for his leadership in guiding Britain and its allies to victory over Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Churchill made his home at Chartwell, just outside Westerham, and apart from the war years, spent 40 years of his life living, and also improving this attractive, country house. Although I have walked through the grounds, at the rear of the property, I have never visited the house itself. It’s one of those situations where you never fully appreciate that which is literally on your own doorstep. One day, though!

Westerham was also home to the Black Eagle Brewery, which stood on the western edge of the town. Known as Bushell, Watkins & Smith, the company controlled 102 pubs, centred mainly on the Kent-Surrey border. It was taken over by London brewers Taylor Walker & Co in 1948, before becoming part of Ind Coope in 1959. Brewing ceased in 1965, and the site continued as a distribution depot. The brewery buildings were demolished in 1989, although the Brewer’s House remains. Yeast from the brewery was preserved at the National Collection of Yeast Cultures and is now used by the present day Westerham Brewery, which was established in 2004.

I first became aware of Westerham, after stopping off at a pub there, in the summer of 1974. I was with my father, and we were on our way back from Southampton, after dropping my sister and her friend off at the  airport. The pair were embarking on a girly holiday in the Channel Isles – possibly Jersey, although after 50 years, I can’t remember which island the girls were staying at. Our route back from Southampton, took us along the A25 from Guildford, and although not a drinker, dad fancied stopping off somewhere, for a drop of refreshment, on the way back.

I had with me, a copy of the first CAMRA Good Beer Guide, which was hot off the press that year, and dad asked me to choose a pub, near to, or preferably on our route. The General Wolfe in Westerham, seemed the obvious candidate, as this pleasant little, white-painted weatherboard pub, was right on the busy A25, a road which, back in days before the construction of M25, formed the main east-west route, to the south of London. The pub also acted as the brewery tap, for the adjoining Westerham Brewery.  After parking the car, dad and I sat in the quiet, wood-panelled front bar of the General Wolfe. I had a pint of Ind Coope Bitter which, even then, was quite rare in cask form, whilst my father had an orange juice.

In the intervening years, I made the odd visit to the General Wolfe, initially as a destination pub on cycle rides out from south London, but later as a stop off. during walks in the nearby Surrey Hills. By that time, the pub had passed to Greene King, when Ind Coope’s successors, Allied Brewers, sold off parts of their less profitable tied estate. I always had a soft spot for the place, probably because it brought back memories of enjoying that pint, with my father. In 2017 the General Wolfe sadly closed, joining another former Westerham Brewery pub, the Old House at Home, that ceased trading in 2000.

The Old House at Home, was situated on a bend, at the bottom of a hill leading into the town, as you approach from the east along the A25. I imagine financial reasons were responsible for the closure of both these pubs, highlighting the unfortunate, but continuing decline of the licensed trade. I have vague memories of enjoying a pint or two at the pub when, mainly as a result of CAMRA outings to the town, I became acquainted with some of Westerham’s other pubs.

The Friday before last, I took a bus trip over to Westerham, using the No. 1 Go Coach service, which runs daily between the town and Sevenoaks, on an hourly basis. The journey takes just under 30 minutes, and runs via Riverhead, Bessel’s Green, Sundridge and Brasted. Before reaching Westerham, the bus turns off the A25, and does a loop via the A233, into the northern part of the town. 

On the way, it passes the entrance to the present day Westerham Brewery, which revived brewing in the town, back in 2004. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a bus stop in the vicinity, which is a shame, as the newish venture features a well-stocked, brewery tap. I still haven’t visited the premises but had been banking on reaching it using public transport, rather than getting behind the wheel and driving there.

Returning to Westerham itself, I visited all three of the remaining pubs in the town centre and seeing as there’s still quite a lot to write about, I’m going to bring this post to a close, and tell you about a trio of excellent pubs, all with plenty to say, in a subsequent article.

Still pursuing that elusive pub lunch

It’s back to that old chestnut of the cheap pub lunch, or rather the lack of it! Boak & Bailey have written on the subject recently and reached pretty much the same conclusion as the rest of us - decent and affordable pub grub is no longer a given, at least in areas of the country. As regular readers will know, I have made my own thoughts about food in pubs, quite clear over the years, see “Is a cheap and cheerful pub lunch too much to ask for?” Unfortunately, it is, especially in London and the south east, where cheap, decent and honest lunches have almost vanished from the region’s pubs and bars, although this isn’t the case in other parts of the country.

Visits over the past few years to Bath, Birmingham, Burton, the Black Country, Manchester and Sheffield have demonstrated that what the rest of the country enjoys, those who live in this corner of the kingdom, lack. Unless you know where to look, that is. However, that can be difficult, at times, although the best option here is to look out for special offers, such as reductions on certain days of the week, rather than at peak times.

On Friday, for example, I spent a couple of hours in the small, and attractive west Kent town of Westerham. I visited all three pubs in the town centre, and in due course will be writing a post about my visit. For now, it’s worth mentioning a couple of promotional offers that I noticed in the Greene King run King’s Arms, a former coaching inn situated in the heart of the town. For details, see the attached photos, although being of a certain age, it’s worth highlighting the “Senior’s Menu” menu offering that runs Monday to Friday 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm allowing diners to choose from a selection of smaller portion main courses. Two courses for £10, or three courses for £12.50.

Now, the King’s Arms is an imposing 17 room hotel, with a contingent of kitchen, waiting and bar staff taking care of guests’ needs. It is therefore good commercial sense to make full use of their set-up to sell a few extra meals, at lunchtimes. Not so for your town centre local though, or perhaps not even for your idyllic country pub. Last year’s post attracted a significant number of comments, including several from people in the licensed trade, which laid bare some of the problems faced by pub owners when it comes to providing food for their customers.

Apart from the obvious requirement to maintain high standards of food hygiene, the biggest issue seems to be finding, and then being able to afford, a decent and reliable chef. If you are sensible, and don’t want all that hassle, then stick to the pre-prepared stack of cheese rolls, baps, cobs or whichever bakery term is appropriate for the region. Wrapped in clingfilm, and displayed on the bar, in a basic, transparent cabinet, what could be more welcoming for punters in search of a bit of “blotting paper” to soak up some of that beer.

Alternatively, if you wish to be a little more, up-market, then why not go down the charcuterie option, as the Fuggle’s beer cafés in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells have done?  Although mainly offering a selection of cheeses and cold meats, both outlets have facilities for limited hot snacks such as toasted sandwiches and hot dogs. On Thursdays, the latter are on offer at just £6.00 each and given that the “dogs” inside the rolls are proper German Bratwursts, this is a good offer, and one I have taken advantage of several times over the past year.

Last Thursday was no exception, but what made the offer even better on that occasion, was a free pint of Larkin’s Best Bitter – itself a rare find, as I shall explain later. Fuggle’s operate a "loyalty card" scheme in both their outlets, which is exclusively for cask ale lovers. Participants are given a card, containing 10 spaces - one for each pint of cask ordered. The bar person will stamp the holder’s card, at time of purchase. Once all 10 spaces are stamped the card holder is entitled to a free point of cask. The scheme only applies to cask ale and a full pint must be ordered to acquire a stamp. There are no time limits involved, but the free pint awarded at completion of the card, must also be cask, rather than keg.

To my mind, this is an excellent way of promoting cask beer, and a nice gesture on behalf of Alex Gregg, the owner and founder of Fuggle’s. Last Thursday, Larkin’s Best was one of the cask ales gracing the bar at the Tonbridge outlet. I knew this in advance, as Fuggle’s list all their draught beers – both cask and keg, on their joint website. 

I said earlier that Larkin’s Best Bitter was a rare find, and I say this because this excellent, full-bodied beer is hardly ever seen in local pubs. Most of them prefer to stock the weaker, and to my mind, inferior Traditional, which at 3.4%, is a full percentage point lower in strength than the Best, a feature that is reflected in both the body and the taste of the beer.

Larkin’s founder, the sadly deceased Bob Dockerty, always claimed that “Trad”, as it is known in the trade, was popular in rural pubs, due to its low strength. Drinkers could enjoy a couple of pints of this beer, and then drive home, safe in the knowledge they were unlikely to fail the breathalyser. This may well have been the case, but for those times when you are NOT driving, Trad fails to satisfy and is not really the beer for those who like a bit of body in their beer. Imagine my sense of anticipation then as the barman pulled my rich, foaming, and full-bodied pint of Larkin’s Best, and I’m pleased to report it tasted every bit as good as it looked.

The hot dog too was enjoyable (see photo above), and I went for the German option which came with Sauerkraut, crispy onions, curry ketchup, and mustard. I gave the curry ketchup a miss, as I’m not a fan of tomato sauce. With that excellent pint of Larkin’s Best, it was the perfect combination for an early lunch. I’m sure that other landlords, could put on a similar offering, especially as there’s little in the way of additional expenditure, such as expensive cooking equipment, extraction and separate preparation areas required.

 

It's a perfect five!

I had an exceedingly rare experience the other day, when I awarded a beer on Untappd, with a score of 5.0. Those of you that are familiar with this beer ticking app will know that a 5.0 is the highest score possible, and as with CAMRA’s beer scoring option (for members only), on its What Pub app, five is a score that is rarely given. The lucky beer was one that I’d been keeping in my stash for some time, and was a bottle-conditioned barley wine, called A Over T, brewed by Hog’s Back Brewery at their plant in Tongham, Surrey.

 I’m not quite sure how or where I acquired this bottle, but it was a 2021 vintage. Described as a multi award winning barley wine, the Best Before Date, on the bottle neck wasn’t really legible, but 3-4 years on from its brew-date, the beer was certainly very drinkable. Actually, that is an understatement, as that 330 ml bottle of A Over T was more than just drinkable, it was absolutely amazing and definitely worthy of an Untappd score of 5.0!

This beer represents only the third time I've ever given a score of five on Untappd, a fact I know to be true, as the app has feature where you can look back and search though all the scores you’ve given over the years (it’s easy with a score of 5.0, but something of a nightmare when there are umpteen 4.0’s, or 3.5’s). So before moving on to describe A Over T in more detail, what were those other two top-scoring beers?

Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche Dopplebock, brewed in Bamberg, Franconia, by the legendary Schlenkerla Brewery, is one of them, and it was on sale at Tonbridge Fuggle’s, over the Christmas and New Year period. I enjoyed a glass of this rich, and warming 8.0% abv, oak-smoked beer, on New Year’s Eve, and the reason for giving it top marks was its tremendous depth of flavour. A beer to savour, and one which brought back pleasant memories of drinking in Bamberg’s legendary Schlenkerla Tavern.

I stumbled cross the third top scoring beer in July 2019 when, at the end of a three-day walk along a stretch of the North Downs Way, I stopped off in Canterbury, for a well-earned pint. The pub I chose was the Old Buttermarket, an historic pub, right in the centre of the city, which overlooks a small pedestrianised square, right opposite the cathedral gate. The tables and chairs set outside always look inviting, especially in summer, and after a tiring 10 mile walk into the city that pint of Pilsner Urquell at the Old Buttermarket, was one of the finest pints of beer it has been my privilege to drink – and I don’t say that lightly!

Before taking my glass outside, I took another mouthful of the beer, just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I wasn’t, the beer was absolutely brilliant, and I couldn’t believe my good fortune. I sat down at one of the tables facing the cathedral gate, feeling totally relaxed and at one with the world. This wasn’t just down to the smugness of having completed my walk, but much more to the excellence of the beer.

The strange thing is that I’ve put away many glasses of Pilsner Urquell, including on two separate visits to the brewery in Plzeň itself. During a visit to what was then Czechoslovakia, back in 1984 when the country was still firmly behind the Iron Curtain, the Pilsner Urquell brewery was still pretty much low-tech. With fermentation in wooden vats, and maturation in large pitch-lined, oak casks, the beer should have tasted amazing, and quite possibly it did. Forty years on, and it’s impossible to remember, especially following a visit to a part of the world where everything was noticeably different.

Back to Hog’s Back plus that amazing bottle of A Over T, and this is what the brewery have to say about it. “Brewed in small batches and matured in the brewery cellar, like a fine wine. A Over T is made from high quality English malted barley Kent Golding hops are added for bitterness, plus aroma whilst Bramling Cross hops further enhance the character, resulting in deep rich and complex flavours of sultanas orange peel and plums.”

“Enjoy it like you would fortified wine in a wine glass or Brandy balloon, which will concentrate its wonderful aroma. It goes particularly well with full flavoured mature cheeses, rich cakes and puddings, and can also be savoured on its own at the end of an evening.”

If you ever come across a bottle, then buy it, or alternatively call in at the well-stocked shop, next to the brewery. Open seven days a week, it’s an obvious, beer lover’s paradise, but if you live outside a 30-mile radius of the brewery, then delivery by a local courier is another option. Whilst on the subject of Hog’s Back Brewery, back in the dim and distant past history of West Kent CAMRA, I organised a coach trip to the brewery, where our group was given a guided tour of the plant. There was also plenty of samples to try, and in a novel approach the samples were different, depending on which part of the brewery we were in.

To explain, at the start of the tour we were each given a clean, half-pint, badged Hog’s Back glass. The idea was, there were pre-poured jugs of beer at various key points of the brewery, and the beer dished out became progressively stronger as we made our way around the plant. So, to start off, we were given TEA (Traditional English Ale), then Hop Garden Gold, Rip Snorter and then OTT (Old Tongham Tasty). I don’t think A Over T featured on the lineup, but it was a good idea to start off on the weaker stuff, before ending up with one of the stronger brews.

Hog’s Back cask and bottled beers were regular stock items at the “Cask & Glass” off-licence, in Tonbridge, when it was under our ownership. Sadly, the business is no more, and whilst the building still stands, it now houses an osteopath. As for A Over T, it isn't the most subtle of abbreviations, but it stands for "Aromas Over Tongham."

An unexpected meeting, and some unexpected news, at the Nelson

My first visit to the Nelson Arms since before Christmas followed a late start, last Friday morning. The delayed start was the result of the type of misunderstanding that sometimes occurs between couples, and this one, involving Mrs PBT’s and me was definitely a communication issue. As I’m sure many of you know by now, I have been working part time, since the autumn of 2021, and for me this means a three-day week at the factory (Monday- Wednesday), and then Thursday and Friday at home.

Mrs PBT’s keeps herself occupied, and her pension topped up, by looking after peoples’ books. By this I mean, she keeps a check on accounts kept those who are self-employed. The majority of her clients are tradesman, and in particular builders and other craftsmen. The work Eileen does is mainly checking client’s accounts are in order, and advising them of when the next income tax, and VAT payments are due. I’ve written before about the haphazard record keeping of some of these characters and how she sometimes has to create order out of the chaos of a carrier bag full of invoices and receipts, all liberally sprinkled with brick or plaster dust.

She’d originally pencilled in Friday, to sort out the paperwork of one of these characters, which would have left me free to head off somewhere, in search of a pub. By Thursday afternoon the situation had changed, as the carrier bag containing the necessary paperwork and not turned up, so a joint decision was made to go out, somewhere together. With no buses or trains to catch, we both overslept the following morning, although unbeknown to me, the elusive carrier bag had turned up, on the front step!

By the time I’d showered, grabbed some breakfast, it was too late to take the bus anywhere and more importantly, return on the same afternoon. Plans to visit Westerham, Chipstead, or Hook Green were abandoned, and instead I headed down into Tonbridge, leaving Mrs PBT’s to her bookkeeping. Not long after leaving the house, I realised that I was overdressed for the slightly milder weather we experienced that weekend. A few degrees Celsius can make a significant difference to the warmth provided by a light fleece compared to a heavy one, and as I’d pulled on the latter, I ended up being warmer than I wanted to be.

As mentioned at the start of this piece, I was aiming for the Nelson Arms, Tonbridge’s multi award-winning, and carefully restored, back street local. This would be my first visit since before Christmas, and I was looking forward to trying something a little different. I wasn’t disappointed as there were two interesting beers that took my fancy. These were, Rother Valley Blue, a porter with a rather bitter aftertaste, plus Ripper, an 8.4% draught barley wine from Lowestoft-based Green Jack Brewing. Given its high octane, the latter beer was only sold in halves – although there was nothing stopping customers ordering multiple halves.

The pub was fairly quiet, although there were some diners in the snug. I managed a short conversation with Matt the landlord, who seemed quite surprised when I told him I was no longer a CAMRA member, and even more surprised when I revealed that I’d resigned at the tail end of 2019. I told him that despite 45 years of unbroken membership, I had no regrets about leaving - quit whilst you're ahead, as the saying goes! Talking about leaving, I was just drinking up, when my friend Eric popped his head around the door. I hadn’t seen him for a long time and had asked Matt earlier whether or not he’d been in recently. It turned out that both Eric and his wife had been poorly during the run up to Christmas, so forgetting Mrs PBT’s instruction not to get too close to people I threw caution to the wind and enjoyed a bit of a catch up with this old drinking buddy and walking companion.

Eric informed me that the Punch & Judy – a slightly labyrinthine back street pub, behind Tonbridge Police Station, is now serving a first-class pint of Harvey’s Sussex Best.  My friend said that the landlady of the Punch had taken the eminently sensible decision to just stock two draught beers. So, alongside the Sussex Best, the PJ serves Foster’s Lager, and that’s it. What’s more the pub is selling the Sussex at £4.75 a pint - cheaper than you’d expect to pay in a Harvey’s tied house. With just two draft lines to worry about, both beers are in tip-top condition, although Eric didn’t actually try the Foster’s. So, food for thought, and welcome news that there is another Tonbridge pub offering a decent pint of cask, and at a decent price as well.

The following day, I drove Eileen over to the large Tesco superstore at Riverhead. She didn’t have a lot of shopping to get, so there wasn’t really time for me to nip for a crafty pint, although I did carry out a brief reconnaissance trip. Instead of heading south from Tesco’s carpark, I set off in the opposite direction, towards Dunton Green. Just five minutes’ walk away, and on the other side of the road, is the Miner’s Arms, a 19^th century pub, originally built for navvies working to construct the nearby railway. The Miners is now a family-friendly village local pub with a strong sense of community. Given its proximity to Tesco’s, I can see myself nipping in to the Miner’s for a crafty pint, the next time my wife is doing the grocery shopping.