The Hatch, Redhill

We paid a visit here on a Bank Holiday Monday. The pub is normally closed on Monday's, but its website stated it would be open. However as we approached on foot, there didn't seem much sign of life. An advertisement board lying flat on the floor suggested that nobody had been around to put it upright and we feared the worst. However, a light inside gave us some hope. The pub did happen to be open, but with just the barmaid to keep us company, it did not seem that Bank Holiday Monday opening times were too clear to others. Throughout our visit, the barmaid was struggling to get some music on, but she was quite talkative. She finally succeeded not long before we departed. Whatever happened to the simple wireless with an on/off button? The drinking space is an L-shaped room with a kitchen at one end. There are bare boards near the entrance with slate tiles around. A couple of stand-alone lamps could be found in the corners, but otherwise there was very little in the way of soft furnishings. As Quinno has alluded to below, the charcoal grey painted walls and ceiling makes it feel quite austere. To the front is a small outdoor yard, but it is adjacent to a busy traffic junction. There are plenty of plants to detract from the traffic and there were also some patio heaters. With the pub belonging to Pilgrim Brewery from nearby Dorking, the 4 cask ales on were Quench, Surrey, Weald & 40 Years of Progress Bitter. I assume the latter was simply a re-badged version of their main bitter Progress. Craft beers on were Pilgrim Saxon, Phoenix, Saracen, South Island, Maine State & Pioneer and Pilgrim/Crumbs Un-Wasted. All beers are listed above the bar. The draught cider was from Sheppy's. Cans and bottles could be purchased from a fridge to the side of the bar, whilst wines and cocktails were also being promoted. Under-16's are allowed into the pub until 8pm and it is also dog friendly. A wifi password is provided and we noticed signs for quiz nights on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. This particular trip to Surrey left me finding very few cask ales that I'd not previously tried. So, I'll at least give the pub credit for being one of just two pubs I visited where I could sample a different real ale. But the pub lacked any kind of atmosphere. The decor was uninspiring, but it was probably the lack of any other customers on a bank holiday afternoon that was slightly concerning.

Reigate's Pilgrim Brewery are now running The Hatch and they're doing a mighty fine job. Approaching the pub, you'll first encounter a few seats outside the front while inside its been smartly refurbished; the floor is part wooden boarded and partly dark grey flagstones. There's more outside seating in the garden at the back of the house. The bar offers an impressive 14 taps, supported by 5 handpumps. There's even a fridge with a few more options in can and bottle. The host brewery obviously predominate with styles both modern and traditional, plus a couple of interesting continental options. A blackboard above the bar struggles to keep up with the range. Service is some of the best, being friendly and informative, and the barkeep will keep you posted on current beer availability. An absolute must if you've decided to visit either Redhill or Reigate in search of good beer.

Official site of The Hatch - pilgrimbrewery.co.uk

Official site of The Hatch - pilgrimbrewery.co.uk

Facebook page of The Hatch - www.facebook.com