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It was my birthday on Saturday. It wasn't a significantbirthday but it's not far off being one, although for the time being at least,that's as far as I’m prepared to go on the subject. The Bailey family decidedit would be nice to celebrate the old man’s special day, but where to go? Beingthe name in the frame, I of course got to choose, but I was determined that we shouldgo somewhere different, and some where we hadn’t been before.
After quite a bit of searching both online and asking aroundamongst work colleagues, we settled on a pub called the Vineyard at LamberhurstDown. Nestled in the Kent countryside and close to the vineyards of Lamberhurst,the Vineyard is a cosy country pub, formerly known as the Swan. It is an attractive pub which dates from the1700's, and originally started life as three thatched cottages. Today, the pub is largely given over to dining,but according to What Pub, it retains a comfortable bar area for drinkers. I didn’t get to see the bar, as after checking in with thefront of house, we were immediately shown to our table, located at the rear ofthe building, and close to a door leading to the outdoor drinking/dining areaand terraced garden. It was all very pleasant, with a bright airy feel to the place,but the thing that caught my eye, and kept me entertained was the large pizzaoven and pizza preparation station, to the right of out table. I don’t knowwhat you call the person in charge of cooking pizzas, but the chap looking afterthis side of things, was certainly kept very busy.
I can't remember the last time I visited the Vineyard, andit may even have been back in the day (early 90’s) when I worked in Lamberhurstat Crown Chemicals, a small privately owned pharmaceutical company that specialisedin veterinary products. I'm not sure either when or indeed why, the pub changedits name, but today it is one of 15 upmarket family dining outlets, scatteredacross mid Kent and extending down into East Sussex. The company behind thischain is Elite Pubs, even though not all the group’s outlets startedlife originally as pubs.Son Matthew visited another Elite Pub a month or so ago,when he dined out with his cousin and her fiancé at the Lazy Fox, just over theSussex border, at Mark Cross. He enjoyed his meal but in typical Matthewfashion was very understated about the place, so we didn't get much in the way offeedback about the pub, or the food. However, a colleague with connections to thatpart of the world, and who has dined several times at the Lazy Fox, thoughtthat the Vineyard would be a good bet, so after running my decision passed MrsPBT's, I went online and made a reservation.
Yes, I booked a table, and yes, I know that one or twopeople (mainly one), aren't going to like that, but turning up at Saturdaylunchtime on the off chance that the pub “might” have a vacant table was alwaysgoing to end in disappointment, even more so when the Met Office was promisingthe first decent spell of weather this spring. Booking online was a lot easierthan phoning the pub and waiting for a harassed member of staff to answer, findthe diary, and a pen, in order to take down my details. I even received an e-mailconfirmation sent to my phone.We drove over to Lamberhurst, which is a reasonably sizedvillage, which straddles the River Teise. The latter is a tributary of the Medway,and whilst it looks quite benign, it can occasionally flood and burst itsbanks, during times of heavy rainfall. Lamberhurstis much quieter now than it was during my days working at Crown Chemicals, andit’s hard to believe that the A21 – the main, London-Hastings trunk road ran throughthe heart of the village. Fortunately, a newish by-pass runs to the east, andLamberhurst is now a peaceful settlement, and a pleasant place to live.
When we arrived at the Vineyard, the car park nearest to thepub was already full, and the overspill parking area, which is larger than themain one, was beginning to fill up as well. I doubt we would have secured a tablehad we not booked one. Our reservationwas for 1 pm and were probably about 10 minutes ahead of that time, so after parkingwe climbed the steps past a series of attractive looking terraces, overlooking thegarden at the rear of the pub, and entered, as described earlier.Apart from the location, plus the recommendation from colleaguesand family members, my main reason for choosing the Vineyard was the homemadepie which featured on the menu. Many readers of this blog will be well awarethat I really love a pie, especially a proper homemade one where the meat andthe rest of the filling is all encased in pastry. Fortunately, the practice ofcalling, what is in effect a casserole with a pastry lid, seems to be seems tobe waning, and more and more places are going the extra mile and producing properpies.
The featured pie at the Vineyard, had a filling of gammon,chicken and leeks, and was served with new potatoes, broccoli spears plus greenbeans all smothered in butter, not especially healthy, but it was a treat abirthday treat. The dish came with a small pot of gravy, but as the veg and thenew potatoes tasted so good on their own, I was reluctant to smother them ingravy, although I did put a small dollop on the side of my plate, to soak up thepastry part of the pie. Drink wise, I knew the pub stocked Harvey’s, so I ordered a pintof Best, and when Matthew was asking about the lagers, I heard the name Curious Brewmentioned. This was confirmed afterwards by a member on the family WhatsAppgroup, who also claimed the pub sold Cellar Head beers. I mentioned this breweryin a previous post, stating whilst there was nothing wrong with Cellar Headbeers, I just wasn't overly keen on them. The Sussex Best was excellent,although as I was driving, I only had the one pint.
After the main course, we decided to push the boat out and gofor a dessert. Eileen and I both wentfor a election of different-flavoured, Cornish dairy ice creams from Callestick Farm – wherever thatis, in Cornwall? Matthew chose sticky toffee pudding. With coffee to follow, it was the perfectbirthday blow-out. I also have to say that the service at the Vineyard wasexemplary, and the girls who took our order and brought the food over, werepleasant, friendly, well briefed, and a pleasure to engage with. My only gripe was not getting the chance for a proper look aroundthe pub itself. That wouldn’t have been very practical, given the number of peopleinside, and it certainly wouldn’t have been appropriate to go round takingphotos – something my family like to remind me of, whenever the chance arises.I’m tempted to take a drive over there, during an off-peak moment, and enjoy thatmore detailed look around.
We drove home, via Tunbridge Wells, taking the B2169 Bayham Roadthrough Hook Green and Bells Yew Green. Both settlements have their own tiedHarvey’s pubs, the Elephant’s Head in the first instance, and the Brecknock Armsat the latter. All these places (and pubs), can be reached by bus, as can the Vineyard,so for those with a bus pass, this forms an enjoyable way of spending a day inthe attractive, Kent-Sussex border area.



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