Robertsbridge - East Sussex

Robertsbridge High Street

My friend Eric and I hadn’t intended to go to Robertsbridge, yesterday. Our original plan was to travel one stop further down the line to the town of Battle, where we had earmarked a couple of pubs to visit. Eric had been to the Bull, back in the summer, so it looked like a good option, and we also intended to visit the George as well.

The town of Battle grew up around the Abbey, which was erected on the site of the most famous battle in English history, by the victor, Duke William of Normandy. On 14th October 1066, the area witnessed the most celebrated confrontation to take place on English soil – the Battle of Hastings; an event so significant it completely changed the course of English history.

Following the battle William the Conqueror built Battle Abbey, as a penance ordered by the Pope for the loss of life incurred in the conflict. Today, Battle is a thriving market town featuring Georgian and medieval cottages amongst a host of interesting shops, restaurants, historic pubs and tea-rooms.

Battle Abbey

It seemed the ideal place to visit and with easy access by direct train from Tonbridge, we could be there in just under 40 minutes. Ideal, that is, until Network Rail placed a weekend closure on the line between nearby Robertsbridge and Hastings, in order to carry out essential engineering works. Eric had phoned me the previous day, to report the bad news so we agreed to each investigate other possibilities and then report back.

I looked at several options, but as well as somewhere with a decent pub (or pubs) serving good beer, I wanted a place which offered reasonably-priced food; something not always readily available on a Saturday evening. Quite independently we both decided on Robertsbridge; one stop nearer to home, and the place where trains would be terminating and the rail-replacement buses would be taking over.

We had noticed the village supports two pubs; with a third currently closed. The Ostrich Hotel, virtually opposite the station, looked the best bet so far as the reasonably-priced food was concerned, but the George Inn in the centre of the village, also looked worthy of closer inspection.

Robertsbridge is a large village which dates back to the 12th Century, when a Cistercian Abbey was founded there. The latter was dissolved in 1538, on the orders of that well-know Tudor vandal, Henry VIII, but the town continued to prosper and today contains some attractive half-timbered cottages and other buildings dating from the 14th and 15th Centuries. The opening of the London to Hastings Railway, in 1851, brought further prosperity to the town, and the completion of a bypass in 1992, removed much of the traffic which had been choking the town.

We caught the 16:29 train from Tonbridge, travelling down through the attractive countryside of this part of the Sussex Weald, and arrived in the village just before 17:10. After confirming the departure times for the return journey, we walked across the road to the Ostrich Hotel, which shone out like a friendly and welcoming beacon against the gathering dusk.

Ostrich - Main Bar

The Ostrich Hotel opened in 1851, following the completion of the railway from London. The name is derived from the coat of arms on its sign, which are those of the lordship of the Manor of Robertsbridge.  It is a comfortable pub with a large “L”-shaped bar and separate games room and restaurant. There is also an upstairs function room. The walls are adorned with an assortment of paintings, prints and other pieces from the landlord’s collection, and there are some rather saucy Edwardian prints in the gent’s toilets. (I gather there are some in the Ladies as well). With a number of comfortable old sitting chairs, the place had the feel of a 1920’s sitting room

Harvey’s Sussex Best and GK Old Speckled Hen were the two cask beers on offer, and I also spotted the Curious Brew lager, which I wrote about last week, available on keg. There was a group of walkers sat around one of the tables; we almost tripped over their boots which were stacked just inside the door!

Ostrich - Games Room

The Harvey’s was in excellent condition, and after quizzing the friendly barmaid about the availability of meals, the landlord, who is also the chef, came over for a chat. Fish is the speciality of the house; sourced locally from Hastings fish market, and his suggestions were either halibut or sea bass; both of which he’d procured that very morning. He particularly recommended the former, which neither of us could remember having tried before. We told him of our plans to try the George Inn up the road, but confirmed we would definitely be returning to eat later, and would make our menu choices then.

We had already decided not to dine at the George, having previously on-line at the menu options for both pubs. Prices at the George were around 50% higher than the Ostrich, but we set off anyway, just o give the pub a try. We walked up the narrow road, which leads from the station, to the High Street, and turned right towards the George, which we could just see at the end of the road.

The George is an imposing red tiled fronted building which, before the coming of the railway, was formerly a coaching inn. The pub dates from the 18th-century, and as expected has plenty of low beams. The bar area occupies the far right of the building, and most of the drinkers were gathered here in front of the warming inglenook fireplace. There are views from the bar, back down the High Street with the distinctive War Memorial clock tower, erected in 1926, featuring prominently just across the green.  Most of the interior though was given over to dining, and although there were plenty of tables laid out for dinner, none were occupied.

Beer-wise Harvey’s Sussex Best and Dark Star APA were available, but unfortunately the latter had run out, just as we arrived. We went for the Harvey’s again, even though the landlord said Tonbridge Rustic was about to come on. The Sussex Best was, if anything, even better than in the Ostrich. The landlady was quite chatty, but the locals were all busy engaged in their own conversations. We both liked the George, more than we thought we would, but as we were getting hungry, we headed off back down to the Ostrich.

George Inn - interior

We had missed out on the halibut, as in our absence there had been an influx of diners. Instead we each ordered an item off the lunchtime menu, which was still available. I opted for pie of the day, whilst my companion went for an omelette. We stood chatting at the bar until our food was ready and we were ushered in to the restaurant. My steak, ale and mushroom pie was a real homemade job, and a “proper pie” at that, with the filling completely encased in pastry. With new potatoes, green peas and carrots, plus a small jug of gravy to go with it, I was well set up. Eric’s omelette looked equally good.

We returned to the bar after our meal, and continued our pre-dinner conversation with one of the pub regulars plus, when he could spare the odd moment, the landlord. The latter told us he had bought the Ostrich from the owning brewery, back in the mid 1990’s, and described the establishment as a “proper pub”. It certainly is a good, old-fashioned sort of pub, of the type both of us remember with affection from our youth. We chatted briefly about the potential re-opening of the Rother-Valley branch line up to Tenterden, and also about the Seven Stars.

The latter is a 14th Century at the opposite end of the village to the George. It is a Harvey’s tied pub, which makes its current closure all the more strange, but there was talk of high rents and equally high business rates. Perhaps in today’s changing times, there just isn’t sufficient trade in a village the size of Robertsbridge, to support three pubs.

Interestingly, the locality boasts a further pub in the nearby hamlet of Salehurst. The Salehurst Halt is a traditional family run pub, popular with walkers and locals. It is adjacent to a disused railway halt on the aforementioned Rother-Valley rail line. The local sitting at the bar, had recommended it to us earlier, and had claimed it was only a 15 minute walk. A look at the map suggests it might have been a bit further, but we were happy with the two pubs visited that night, and will save a walk out to Salehurst for the hours of daylight, and also for the warmer weather.

We caught the 21:14 train back to Tonbridge; well-fed and suitably refreshed. We were glad that Network Rail had scuppered our original plans, but we will make the trip out to Battle before too long. We will also be returning to Robertsbridge and its two excellent pubs.

TW3 -That Was the Week that Wasn't!

TW3 – That Was the Week that Was; a satirical comedy programme, first aired on the BBC. Fronted by the late Sir David Frost, TW3 broke new ground for British comedy by poking fun at politicians and establishment figures. I was only seven years old at the time, so I don’t remember it. I don’t remember my parents watching it either, although they may well have done, as I suspect the programme went out long after my sister and I were tucked up in our beds.

All this is irrelevant really apart from using the acronym to describe the past week; the exception being that instead of the week that WAS, it was the week that WASN’T!

I spent a frustrating week trying to put a trip to Germany together, on behalf of a small group of local CAMRA members; only to see it all untangle on Thursday afternoon. I don’t want to say too much here, apart from the fact that I learnt a few things, and also learnt how NOT to organise such a trip, but all is not lost and there may be the opportunity to re-schedule something for later in the year.

Having a busy work schedule didn’t help matters, and whilst there has been quite a lot to write about recently, there has not been sufficient time for any serious blogging. There are nevertheless a few things I would like to share, which I may find time to expand on later, but for now it’s worth mentioning the following:

A mid-week CAMRA Meeting, at two pubs within walking distance of my workplace is certainly worthy of a post; as will be today’s outing with my friend Eric, across the border into deepest Sussex. Continuing the Sussex theme, I am still working on my piece about the legendary Bonfire Night Celebrations which take place in the ancient town of Lewes, every November 5^th. I’ve also been making inroads into the beers left over from Christmas, discovering along the way one of the best Christmas Ales I’ve had in a long time, but also being rather disappointed with another.

Other matters are also conspiring to eat into my writing, especially as I will be away for the following two weekends. The first trip will see me driving back up to Norfolk, to visit my father. I’ll also take the opportunity to catch up with my sister, who lives nearby. I strongly expect there will be one or two pubs visited over the course of the weekend, but my main objective is to see how dad is getting on now that he has settled in at the care home.

The weekend after will see me flying off to Barcelona for three days. The city will be holding its annual Beer Festival; now in its 7^th year I believe. There is a real burgeoning beer scene in the Catalonia region of Spain, and whilst we caught a brief glimpse of it during our visit in December 2014, it will be exciting to experience it at first hand, in all its full-on, in your face glory.

I haven’t a clue what the weather will be like there at the beginning of March, and it doesn’t really matter as I will be under cover most of the time. However, the city’s Maritime Museum, which hosts the event, is close to the seafront, so it would be nice to spill out into the open and enjoy some al fresco drinking.

Well that’s all until tomorrow. I must now hurry down to the station and meet my friend for a light evening’s drinking in Sussex. Cheers for now.

Curious Brew to Expand

After two posts with a somewhat negative theme running through them, this one is far more positive and upbeat, with some good news concerning a local business which is expanding its brewing operation.

The Chapel Down Winery, who are based at Tenterden, in the heart of the Kentish Weald have embarked on a crowd-funding campaign to develop further the brewing side of their off-shoot Curious Drinks division. Readers may have noticed some of their Curious Brew products, on the shelves in Waitrose. The range includes an IPA, a Porter and a cider, plus a lager, called "Curious Brew", which is re-fermented with Champagne yeast.

Now I realise I slated Meantime  in a recent post, for doing the very same thing with their strong IPA, but having tasted the Chapel Down product, I can safely say it is far cleaner tasting, and far more refreshing than the one which Meantime came up with recently.

At the moment, the beers are all contract-brewed (I don’t know about the cider), by Hepworth & Co in Horsham, but it was always the intention of Chapel Down to switch the production of these products to an “in-house” operation; hence the crowd-funding campaign.

I’ve picked up on this story quite late in the day, as the crowd-funding operation is nearing its end and approaching its target. This was initially £1 million, but in an interview in the “Index Magazine", (a glossy publication, promoting various aspects of local life in Kent and Sussex, and distributed free each month to local homes), Chapel Down Chief Executive, Frazer Thompson, expressed optimism that the final total will be around £1.5 million by the end of February, when the fundraising is due to finish.

He spoke regarding the creation of a “dedicated brewing facility” in nearby Ashford, which would be responsible for producing the full range of the company’s beers, as well as housing a visitor centre. He went on to say, “With Kent being the home of hops, it’s fantastic that we should be doing this here in the county, with our Curious Brew products. But we don’t just want people in Kent to be drinking them; we want them to be something known all over the world.”

Chapel Down have obviously got big ideas, and it will be interesting to see in what ways the Curious Brew side will expand, once the new plant has been built and is up and running. I can envisage an expanded range of beers as well as draught versions of some of them; although whether the company will want to offer cask variants remains to be seen. In the meantime, keep an eye out for some Curious Brew heading your way; and there is still a couple of weeks left if you wish to contribute to the crowd-funding.

Statement: 

 

Chapel Down produces a world-class range of sparkling and still wines, together with the award-winning range of Curious beers & cider.  Their sparkling wines are created using the Traditional Method, the same as Champagne, from fruit sourced from their own and partner vineyards across the South-East of England.

…..............................................….sourced from the company website.  

Not Cutting the Mustard

Fellow blogger The Pub Curmudgeon wrote a post a week or so ago, regarding what to do when food in a pub or restaurant isn’t quite up to scratch. The gist of the post was that it is often far easier to return an off-pint of beer than it is food; even when the latter is obviously not right. Blogger Ed Wray commented that it could be unwise to return food, owing to the risk of kitchen staff spitting on, or in it, before they bring it back to you. I backed up this concern with some horrendous stories of kitchen staff exacting their revenge in even more grotesque ways. These actions were recounted to me by a work colleague whose wife used to work in a restaurant.

Leaving these particularly unpleasant stories to one side for a while, Curmudgeon went on to recount how he’d had to return food in various pubs when things weren’t to his liking. He admitted to being a fussy eater; something which I certainly am not. With one or two exceptions, I will eat most things, but the article did  prompt me to think back to a couple of occasions where I had cause to either return my food, or had ended up leaving most of it on the plate.

Fortunately these instances have been quite rare, but oddly enough they both took place last year. The first "food fail" happened just over a year ago, whilst on a CAMRA bus trip in which we visited a few pubs in the Edenbridge area. I haven’t named the pub where the event took place; especially as it was over a year ago. If you are desperate to know which one it was though, I suggest you take a look back to a post I made last February.

Not as good as it looks

To recap we stopped for lunch at a pub in Edenbridge itself, where unfortunately the liver and bacon I ordered was definitely not up to scratch. Not only was the bacon tough chewy and rather fatty, but the liver was undercooked; in-fact it still looked bloody in the middle. Needless to say I didn’t eat it, but I brought it to the attention of the bar staff who weren’t at all sure what to do about it.

It turned out that the licensees were away, and I suspect that had they been present this incident would either not have occurred, or it would have been rectified to the satisfaction of both parties. For my part, I haven’t been back to the pub, and if I do return I will definitely not be eating there.

The other incident, where I was unable to eat what was put in front of me, was in no way the fault of the restaurant concerned; but rather my not liking the manner in which the food has been prepared. This particular "food fail" occurred last August on the evening of the first day of the European Beer Bloggers & Writers Conference in Brussels. It took place in the sumptuous surroundings of the Belga Queen, which is one of the Belgian capital’s finest restaurants.

Posh plates

Our hosts for the evening were the Belgium Family Brewers;  the elite sponsors of the conference, so after the day’s proceedings had finished we all walked the short distance from the conference hotel to the Belga Queen. Here we were to enjoy a three-course dinner, with an impressive selection of Belgian beers to accompany, in the opulent surroundings of this renowned restaurant.

Now this was all happening courtesy of the Belgium Family Brewers, so it seems rather churlish of me to criticise. The meal was a set course, although had I known what was going to be served up I would have gone for the vegetarian option! Roast rack of veal, was the main course – bloody, fatty and far too underdone, for my liking.  Unfortunately for me, this is how the Belgians like their meat! As stated earlier, I am not a fussy eater, but I am not a fan of meat which is rare, bloody or otherwise undercooked. Leaving health issues aside, I find rare meat more an exercise in chewing than enjoyment, and fail totally to see the attraction.

Posh nosh - rather too rare for my liking

I ended up leaving most of the barely-cooked veal, but the potatoes, vegetables and gravy were good, and were sufficient to “fill a hole”. I wasn’t overly concerned, especially as someone else was picking up the tab, and by way of compensation, the company at my table was very good; as was the conversation. In addition, the Belgian beers presented to us were all top-notch and helped increase our appreciation, enjoyment and knowledge of the country’s brewing traditions. We later moved on to the nearby Delirium Bar, where yet more strong beer was consumed.

It seemed however, that I was not alone in my distain of the main dish, as on the walk back to the hotel, I joined several other delegates in popping into a nearby kebab shop for some chips. Posh nosh is not always what it’s cracked up to be, and when you’ve had a belly full of beer you need some real “comfort food” to help soak it up!

A typical Japanese meal

I had some rather strange and exotic food placed in front of me on a business trip I made to Japan, back in 2013, but with the exception of the raw octopus, I managed to eat virtually everything which our hosts offered. The saving grace with Japanese meals is that a range of several dishes are presented to the diner, and you then help yourself; in theory to a portion of everything, but in practice just those items you think will be the most satisfying and least off-putting! The other saving grace is that copious amounts of beer are normally served at mealtimes. This certainly helps wash down food which might not quite be to your tastes, as well as helping to cleanse the palate and mask strong or unfamiliar flavours.

I have digressed somewhat from the question of whether or not to return food which isn’t to one’s liking. As mentioned earlier, my colleague’s wife worked in several restaurant kitchens, and had some horrendous tales to tell about what happened to customers foolish enough to return their food.

As I am sure you can imagine, many chefs have vastly over-inflated egos; just think of certain so-called “celebrity chefs" and you will know what I mean. They tend to take any criticism of their cooking, however well intended, as a personal affront. My kitchen informant recounted horror stories of bogies being mixed into food which had been sent back, as well as spit, but the worst one involved a returned steak. This was unceremoniously wiped around the inside of the toilet pan before being returned to the unfortunate and clueless customer.

I would like to think that most kitchen staff wouldn’t dream of acting in such a disgusting, and potentially heath-threatening manner; if they did, then they should never be allowed to work in catering again. But as it is difficult to know what exactly goes on behind the closed doors of a pub restaurant or kitchen, and hard to predict just how widespread such practices are, I would ere on the side of caution. So if you are served with a meal which isn’t quite right, don’t be too hasty in sending it back.

You may be better off just leaving the food, but if you feel sufficiently strongly about its poor quality, bring it to the pub or restaurant management’s attention. At the very least you should be entitled to a reduction in your bill. In the light of what I have described above, be wary of offers of vouchers or a free meal next time, as you may find the staff remember you, and not in a nice way!

However, most people out for a meal are not looking for confrontation, especially as this can further sour what should be an enjoyable occasion. If this is the case you may just prefer to never eat in that place again. Spread the word amongst your friends and family, if you feel that put out by your experience.

It’s a tricky thing, as we Brits don’t like to complain and cause a fuss, but if we wish to see high standards maintained in our pubs and restaurants, we really should say something; even if it is after the event.

Sorry Meantime!

I am a big fan of Meantime Brewery, with an appreciation of the company and its beers which goes back many years; so when their PR people sent me a bottle of  IPA 2000 to review, from their “Brewers’ Collection”, I was both flattered and delighted.

IPA 2000 is a limited edition brew of just 1,200 bottles, with each one individually numbered. It is also a big beer in several ways, not least of which is its presentation in a wired corked, 750ml bottle. The other “big” selling point is its 8.0% ABV. 

According to the bottle the beer was brewed to celebrate their 2,000^th beer tap; although initially I wasn’t sure what exactly is meant by this rather American sounding term. Apparently it refers to the brewery achieving its 2,000th beer tap listing, although I’m not quite sure how they keep such close tabs on what must be an ever changing market.

So what about the beer itself?  Well unfortunately, in spite of my  high initial expectations, this particular brew doesn’t do it for me at all. The clue lies with the rest of the write up on the back label, as the brewery claim they have combined one of their most traditional styles of beer (Meantime IPA), with Champagne yeast to infuse the beer with a delicate carbonation.

And there in lies the rub, as the label goes on to say that “The complex and fruity flavours of the IPA are allowed to develop and work with the Champagne yeast to give bready notes typically associated with sparkling wines.” Personally, I think the Champagne yeast has worked against the flavours of the IPA and smothered them. So sorry Meantime, this beer really doesn’t do anything for me, and whilst this might have been considered an interesting experiment, it hasn’t worked for me.

I am sure there are many out there who will really rave over this beer, but unfortunately I’m not one of them. This may sound rather churlish, seeing as I was given the beer for free, but I speak as I find, and whilst the beer has obviously been brewed according to the best traditions of Meantime, I am not at all keen on it.

I realise there are all sorts of strange fusions going on at present between the worlds of brewing and wine-making, and I saw plenty of evidence of this in Belgium last year with strong beer being matured in oak barrels formerly used to hold Burgundy wines. To me, these are novelty beers; interesting to try on the odd occasion, especially alongside certain foods, but I know what I like in a beer and feel that using Champagne yeast to ferment this beer muddies the water and detracts from the flavours and aromas one would expect from the malt and the hops.

Sorry Meantime, especially as I’m certain you were expecting a more positive review. That’s probably me off the Christmas card list, or worse and no more invites to new beer launches, but despite this I’ll continue looking out for your more “normal” beers, and more traditional styles, in both the on, as well as the off-trade.

The Compass Alehouse - Gravesend

Earlier today, I visited the Compass Alehouse in Gravesend, in the company of my brother-in-law, David who lives in the town. It was only a fleeting visit, but I was impressed with this clean, bright and airy micro-pub, which has only been open for 15 months.

David calls in at the Compass most Thursday lunchtimes, so he knows quite a few of the regulars, as well as the owners. We arrived shortly before 2pm, and whilst there were a few seats left around some of the high tables, we decided to stand. On tap were Dark Star Hophead, Gadds No. 5, Goachers Gold Star and RCH Old Slug Porter. All beers are on gravity dispense, and are served from an impressive array of casks kept in a temperature-controlled room at the rear of the pub.

I stuck with the Dark Star, as I was driving, but David said the Goachers was also good. Not long after we got there, more people began arriving, but everyone moved up and all those who wanted to sit down were able to do so. There was a good atmosphere in the pub, and being in such close proximity we all ended up talking to one another.

From what my brother-in-law was saying, the Compass has attracted a fair bit of local trade, and certainly makes a welcome change from the nearby Wetherspoon’s . I am certainly tempted to make a return visit, although next time I will make sure I arrive by public transport!

Footnote: no interior shots, I’m afraid as not only was the pub rather full, but the use of mobile phones is actively discouraged.

TJ's Winter Beer Festival Report

The strong ale end of the bar

I popped along to Tonbridge Juddians’ Winter Beer Festival yesterday evening, and spent a very pleasant two and a half hours sampling some of the excellent ales on sale. I bumped into several neighbours and friends; all like-minded souls out to enjoy something a bit different on the beer front and keen to see what the rugby club had on offer.

Like the much larger summer festival, which the club hold in conjunction with SIBA, the winter event has now become a firm fixture on the Tonbridge calendar, with many of the townsfolk looking forward to an occasion which helps chase the winter blues away. There was just the right amount of people in the clubhouse, with enough tables and chairs for those, like myself, who wanted to sit and chat, but with also ample space for those who prefer to do their drinking standing up.

With 24 beers on the programme there was something to suit everyone, ranging from light pale ales and ordinary bitters around the 3.8% ABV level, up to a couple of strong beers at 6.0% ABV. All beers were priced at £3.20 a pint, with purchase being by means of tokens.

I kicked off in the time honoured fashion of starting with something light and low strength, an the form of Redemption Trinity 3.0%, and worked my way on to the dark stuff, finishing with a couple of excellent porters – Brew Buddies Kent Hop Porter, and Five Points Railway Porter, both 4.8% ABV. In between I enjoyed a couple of stronger pale ales, from the same two breweries.

Some of the beers on sale

All the beers were sourced from London brewers, and a chat with TJ’s bar manager, Chris Hardwick, revealed this was quite deliberate. Chris told me that whilst in recent years he had looked to brewers based either in Kent or Sussex, this year he cast his net slightly further afield, towards the big city which encroaches on Kent’s north-western corner. Tonbridge is actually closer, in terms of mileage, to the metropolis, than it is to brewers in places such as Thanet, the far east of the county. Five Points Brewing came out tops for me, with both their 4.4% Pale and the aforementioned Railway Porter proving excellent examples of their respective styles.

This was a good choice so far as I am concerned, and most of the people I spoke to seemed in agreement. What was interesting was that three of the breweries Big Smoke, Brew Buddies and Five Points), had supplied beer which was unfined and unfiltered. Mention of this was made in the tasting notes, and there were also signs, plus a picture of a cloud, on the front of each unfined cask reiterating this and stating that the beer might be slightly hazy.

I remarked to both Chris and fellow organiser, Gary that this was a good idea, and from what I could see this extra piece of information was well-received, with few, if any complaints about cloudy beer. Both stated that the cloud pictures were there to help the bar staff as well as the punters, so full marks to all concerned. I will say though that there is a world of difference between a beer which is slightly hazy, because it contains no finings, and a pint of cloudy, yeast-laden beer common in many of the capital’s craft-beer bars, and famously described by fellow blogger, Tandleman as “London Murky”!

 

As mentioned in my previous post I had things to do on the domestic front today, so was unable to get back down to the festival this afternoon. Reports on social media, from friends who did manage to get along, suggest the festival was busy, but with a good selection of beers still left.

This is all very encouraging, as events like these help bring people together and, as I said earlier, give the townsfolk something to look forward to. Roll on July and the big SIBA Festival!