The Star Inn, Horsham

The Star Inn is a 16th century coaching inn on a fork in the main road through Rusper which is a village on the West Sussex and Surrey borders. The entrance opens into a wooden floored bar with a serving counter across the rear that extends into the red carpeted Barrell Bar to the left where some tables run along the front windows to the toilets in the left-hand side of the building. There are four hand pumps on each bar, Atlantic Pale, London Pride and Doom Bar were the cask options alongside premium keg and Stella. The seating in the right-hand side of the pub sits under a low ceiling with fairy light lined beams. In the front right is a large central chimney breast with tables around and in the right rear is a room with some dining tables next to the busy kitchen door. I was moaning to my wife earlier in the day that you never see lunch menus anymore with sandwiches with chips options, and then low and behold what do we find in here! It was busy during our Sunday afternoon visit, but they slipped us onto a table where we received some excellent value food. The Pride was nearing the end of the barrel, but it wasn’t yet at a point where I would send it back. All of the staff were friendly and we enjoyed our stay, I just wish this pub and its sandwich & chips menu were a bit closer to East Sussex.

This is a two bar, rural pub with a prominent location on the main road that runs through the centre of Rusper. The pub is split into two very distinct separate sections, with the right-hand side being set-aside for diners and the more spartan left hand room used more as a public bar. The front door takes you into the right-hand room with the servery directly opposite as you enter. The bar has a dark wood counter, simple bar back and a canopy decorated with some pretty ancient looking carpentry tools. Standard tables and chairs have been dotted through the room, which is broken up by a couple of very aged looking timber posts. The walls are whitewashed stone and dark beams run across the ceiling, combining with the low-level lighting to create a very authentic feeling rural pub scene, further augmented by a lot of horse brasses and some old black and white photos on the walls. The left-hand room is carpeted and has its own separate servery to the rear right which sports a similar counter and bar back to that in the other room. Pew and low stool seating, including one pew with a high, decorative back, runs along the front wall, offering the bulk of the room’s seating options, with a few bar stools rounding things out. A partitioning wall and a couple of disused former doorways with humorous ‘Duck or Grouse’ signs above them, suggest this rather small room was previously further subdivided. There’s not much in the way of décor on show in this room, but it still manages to remain characterful enough and I was happy enough sipping my pint over the paper in here. Contemporary folk music played quietly in the background and signs indicated a patio garden, which I failed to explore in the darkness. Similarly, there appeared to be additional rooms to the rear of the building which were not being used on this visit, so I may not have seen the pub in all its glory. Four handpulls greeted me upon entering, although one of these turned out to be out of action, leaving a choice of Fullers London Pride, Greene King Abbot Ale and Sharps Doom Bar. The London Pride was decent enough and the barman seemed like a friendly bloke, helping a confused customer figure out what they wanted from the menu. I didn’t eat here, but a good deal of food was being brought out and if it tasted half as good as it smelt, I’m sure everyone would have left happy. I thought this was quite a nice, characterful village pub that, despite clearly having a strong focus on food, still offers a nice environment for the drinker to spend some time. The rather pedestrian ale range was a bit of a shame, but it seemed to be well kept which suggests a wider focus on quality. I enjoyed stopping off here for a brief visit and thought it was a good asset for this pleasant little village.

Very pleasant, large, rambling village local dating back, it says, to the fifteenth century. Unlike the premises across the road it has resisted the depredations of the gastrofiers: little has change for years and it remains a traditional English country pub and a welcoming sight for those of a certain age who wonder where all the 'proper' pubs went. Pleasant locals and friendly service too, it's only let down is the mundane beer choice. Well worth a visit, but there's a couple of alternatives near by if beer selection is top of your agenda.

Official site of the Star Inn - www.thestarinnrusper.co.uk