Weekends and bank holidays are the ideal time to make an escape into the country for some good hearty food and country pub gardens. We love:
The Fountain Inn – Ashurst
The Fountain Inn is a proper traditional English pub with wonky floorboards and inglenook fireplaces included. Their food is gastro pub special with choices to suit ever palate and often changeable with the season’s produce. I’m a fan of the Thai Fishcakes and Game pudding along with the generously portioned roast dinners.
They offer a great wine list, real ales and a few local brews and you can easily while away a good portion of your day either huddled inside or taking in the sunshine in their gardens.
The Fountain Inn, Ashurst, West Sussex, BN44 3AP
TEL: 01403 710219
http://www.fountainashurst.pub
The Crabtree – Lower Beeding
The family run modernised barn style pub, The Crabtree in Horsham has quite a following due to the fantastic local, seasonal food, real ales and organic wines they serve and the welcoming atmosphere. Their lunch menu changes daily, the A la Carte menu changes seasonally and the Sunday lunch menu changes every week.
Tuesday nights are the very popular Gourmet Burger nights, £12 for a delicious burger (there are a few to choose from) and a drink makes this a great value evening but be warned it gets busy and it’s best to book a table in advance.
If you like a quiz, then their quiz night every two weeks on a Sunday night is great fun. Get there for 6.30pm for food and settle down to a bit of brain flexing for 7pm. Maximum team size is six people and it’s only £7.95 for a meal and quiz!
The Crabtree, Brighton Road, Lower Beeding, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 6PT
TEL: 01403 89 666
www.crabtreesussex.co.uk
The Griffin Inn – Fletching
Where to start on this one? The Griffin Inn serves an amazing selection of food with everything from seafood, to wild boar and duck. You can choose the best to eat here and still get food envy over your friend’s choice of food!
The pub is old world comfy and the surrounding gardens get plenty of sun. A rarity for many places is that The Griffin serves twenty different types of wine by the glass. Loving a drop of vino myself this is perfect for me!
Not only can you eat and drink here you can stay here too. The thirteen bedrooms are country style pretty with a contemporary edge. A picture-perfect pace for a weekend getaway.
The Griffin Inn – Fletching, East Sussex. TN22 3SS
TEL: 01825 722890
www.thegriffininn.co.uk
The Anchor Inn – Barcombe
Picture a house that Miss Marple might have lived in and you have a rough idea of what the Anchor Inn looks like. Built in 1970 the Inn has a cottage feel to it surrounded with hanging baskets of colourful flowers and looked after gardens that have a wild feel to them.
There are two cosy bars and two restaurant rooms at The Anchor Inn. A great selection of classics are offered on the menu, such as Harveys battered cod and chips, sausage and mash, calamari and burgers. My favourite has to be the Mixed Ploughmans and pretty much all of the choices of Summer salads they do.
The added bonus to the Anchor Inn (it’s a big one) and what makes it different to other pubs is that it sits right on the bank of the River Ouse, where you can hire a boat and head off up the river for an hour or two. A sunny day must-do.
The Anchor Inn, Anchor Lane, Barcombe, Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 5EA
TEL: 01273 400414
www.anchorinnandboating.co.uk