The Bull, Hassocks

As a Young's pub these days, it's no surprise to find this old village inn refurbished in an upmarket semi-traditional style. The Vera Lynn dining room lies off to the left of the central entrance steps (although there is a more accessible entrance too), with the bar and its real fire to the right and a larger dining area beyond. Winter Warmer (£6.05), Landlord and the unavoidable Harvey's being served from three of the four handpumps.

Facebook page of The Bull - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Bull - www.facebook.com

This pub won the Great British Pub Award 2016, so I was interested to see what it would be like. Outwardly it's nothing special, with a rendered and painted front much like a thousand others. Round the back there's a car park with an entrance to the pub through a marquee-like extension, which I can't imagine making a great impression on the competition judges. (See their website for pictures of the garden, which I didn't look into, with it being the depths of winter when I was here.) Once inside, though, there's an immediate feeling that this is a proper pub. It's expected that a pub like this, out in the country, will trade mostly on its food offering, but there was also a good beer line up on the bar and plenty of space for drinkers to mingle and talk to each other. Beers available at the time of my visit were Gun Pale, Bedlam Benchmark, Firebird No.79, Timothy Taylor Landlord and 360 Degrees American Pale Ale. An interesting selection, with only one national brand among the five, and my Benchmark was in good condition. The bar itself had a plain wooden top with scroll-work wooden panels and hooks. The room had exposed beams and joists and an open fire in a brick fireplace, all of which looked genuine and original. There was a nice informal atmosphere and my only regret was having to leave to cycle back to Brighton. Date of visit: 3rd January 2017