I visited a couple of rural pubs recently, they were quite
contradictory in nature, despite being relatively close to one another. The
main difference between them is is that one is independent, and family owned,
whilst the other is part of a chain of decidedly upmarket public houses. The
one thing they have in common is their relative proximity to the
River Medway,
Kent’s major river, which runs roughly south to north bisecting the county in
two. My son and I enjoyed a meal, along with a quick pint in the first of these
two hostelries, whist I just happened to stop off for a quick drink at the
other one. Mind you, the world and his wife seemed to be dining out there.
Let’s start with the
Chequers, an attractive oak-beamed 15th-century pub, situated
in the small settlement of Laddingford, in the midst of the English hop growing
countryside. The Chequers sits at the very heart of the village
and is a cornerstone of village life. A true family village pub. Good quality, value for money food, including
daily specials, Sunday Roast and a children's menu. The pub
frontage is a sea of flowers in summer and has a covered seating area. Whilst in
winter, a roaring log fire keeps customers warm.
The pub hosts a variety of events, including an annual
beer
festival, held to mark
St George’s Day. The event takes place in the pub
itself and also in the extensive garden behind. The majority of the beers are racked
up in an old oast house, at the side of the pub, which looked as if it may have
been a stable block, back in the day. In true festival fashion, the beers are dispensed
straight from the cask.
For those who prefer vertical drinking and standing
at the bar, there are usually three more cask ales were available inside the
pub.
A couple of weeks ago,
Mrs PBT’s had gone out for a meal,
with a group of her girly friends, so left to our own devices, it was boys
night out as well! Matthew and I drove over to
Laddingford and parked a short distance
up the road from the
Chequers. Matthew particularly likes this pub, and with
good reason. It was a balmy summer’s evening, so we chose to sit outside, on the
comfy chairs, situated beneath a canvas canopy. I didn’t take a photo of the
pump clips, but I’m reasonably certain that the beer I ordered was
Tim Taylor’s
Golden Best. This light mild is a beer that we rarely, if ever, see in the
south-east, as it seems as if the brewery is content to flood the market with
its flagship,
Landlord. I’m pleased to report the
Golden Best was on good form,
but I’m not sure what
Matthew’s lager was like – I told you that I wasn’t
really paying attention!
For some reason, pub seemed popular with cyclists. A small group
pulled up outside the pub, and then one or two of them would head off for a
short ride, only to reappear
15 minutes or so later. After a few mouthfuls of
beer, some more of them would ride off, before eventually returning again. All very strange, but the terrain
in this part of the county, is dead flat, as it forms part of the
River Medway
floodplain, and this might explain its appeal to those on two wheels. As far as
the food was concerned, our meal choices were pretty conservative –
cheeseburger & chips, for the lad, plus fish - variety not specified, chips
& mushy peas for me.
Five days later, and on a blisteringly hot
Sunday afternoon,
I stopped off in
Tudeley, at the
Poacher
& Partridge. The latter is a large and sprawling pub that boasts a large,
open-plan restaurant, bar, terrace and garden area, with uninhabited views
across open farmlands. Like the previous pub,
the Poacher lies on the same floodplain, although is sited a bit further upstream
from the Chequers. The Poacher & Partridge, started life as the Red Cow
– and then went through several name changes. It was known as the Hartlake for
a while, because it is situated in Hartlake Road, and an entry in 1993
Real Ale Drinker’s Guide to Kent Pubs lists the pub as the Pig in
Hiding. Fortunately, that daft name didn’t hang around too long, and
the pub then became the
Poacher. The pub underwent f
urther enlargement in 2006, along with another makeover, plus the
addition of “Partridge” to the pub’s name.
Today the Poacher & Partridge is owned by Elite Pubs, a chain of 11 up-market pubs, occupying
a relatively narrow area of West Kent and East Sussex. With its
mix of traditional farmhouse decor with a modern, contemporary twist,
The
Poacher & Partridge is perfect for alfresco dining, especially when the
weather is as good as it’s been recently. The place was absolutely rammed on
Sunday,
and I was lucky to find a parking place, despite the recently enlarged car-park occupying three small fields.
Given the fine weather, I was keen to sit outside, although
not in direct sunlight, but first a beer was in order. The cask offerings were
a choice between the ubiquitous
Harvey’s Best, plus
India Pale Ale, from
Tonbridge Brewery. I opted for the
Harvey’s, as I’ve never been a massive fan
of the more local beer. I’m sure it’s just me being over fussy, because I was
talking to a work colleague earlier today, and she really rates
Tonbridge
beers. Horses for courses, I suppose, and possible proof that I perhaps need to
approach
Tonbridge Brewery with more of an open mind. Also,
Tonbridge Coppernob
is the only non-rotating cask beer, sold in both branches of
Fuggles. By that I
mean that particular beer is always available, regardless of what other cask
ales are on sale.
After ordering my pint of
Sussex Best, I headed out, through
the dining area, to the extensive garden at the rear. That too was packed, with
the best tables being those with parasols providing welcome shade. I was lucky
to find an empty table, and whilst it was one without any shade, my wide-brim
sunhat, protected me from the worst of the sun’s rays.
I sat at the table, enjoying
an excellent glass of
Harvey’s whilst watching the punters soaking up the sun,
the beer and the food in equal quantities. With a separate outside bar, serving
wine, lager and cocktails, plus numerous members of the
Poacher’s team in their
distinctive black and yellow, corporate attire, the place had the appearance and
feel of a well-oiled, military encampment. Everyone seemed to be having a good
time, even the couple I noted earlier, who’d managed to find some shade for their
two hounds.
As I was driving, I
limited myself to a single pint – although that might be too much if the government carry
out their treat to reduce the drink-drive limit! Later that afternoon, I saw a
local news update about the Hilden Manor, a
Beefeater restaurant on
the edge of
Tonbridge. Owners
Whitbread have already announce the closure of
this imposing
Grade II-listed building, which dates back to the
14th &
15th centuries. The breaking news is the site will be reopening
under the name of the
Never-Say-Never, in
December this year. It will be a part
of the
Elite Pubs group, the same chain that own and operate the
Poacher, (see above). I’m
not sure about the name, but I shall look forward to seeing what the new owners have
planned for this rambling old building.
