The White Horse, Sittingbourne

I always get a bit excited when I approach a pub with a tiled frontage as I expect a proper Victorian boozer. Alas the White Horse has been completely renovated at some point so none of the original features remain. That said, I didn’t have a thorough look around because I was accosted at the bar by a couple of locals and the landlady, who were all very friendly and genuine. The bar counter on the wall to the right supports standard and premium keg. On the left wall opposite is a dartboard and large tables run up the right to a raised area at the rear that houses two more dartboard, this is very much a darting pub. The landlady informed me that they used to have a pool table, but the dining table that replaced it makes more money on a Sunday afternoon than the pool table used to make all week. The lack of cask will turn many off, but as a paid up member of the darting fraternity I enjoyed my stay and would have stayed longer if I wasn’t mid-crawl.

The original owners are now back in the White Horse and it has been smartened up considerably. A real ale is now in place and there is only one fruit machine. The back garden has had an overhaul and flowers make this smoking area a bright feature. A new shelter with tables and chairs is also being updated in the rear garden. Most weekends now have a live band of some sort and all sky sports are being shown. I was in there this weekend and both high profile football matches were being shown sunday at 4.00pm after the singer had finished and there was also another tv showing the rugby at the same time !!. Everyones needs were catered for and the atmosphere was very friendly as were the bar staff.

The White Horse is a Victorian end-of-terrace local in the crowded residential area which used to support the paper mills. It consist of a single bar running the depth of the building, a tiny back yard and a small covered smoking area to the side. Reception was friendly, the decor is tired and the multiple gaming machines somewhat depressing. The lack of real ale means I probably won't be back in a hurry.