The Highlands Inn, Ridgewood, Uckfield

Set back from the main roads on each side with a large car park (also serving a small Co-op store) in the angle opposite a Y-shaped junction. Basic bar to the left, and a separate entrance to the more decorated and much bigger bar and dining room on the right-hand side (and a snug in the bit in between). Also has a popular terraced patio garden at the front. Harvey's (£5.40) and Tribute available from the bank of three handpumps on each counter.

Official site of The Highlands Inn - highlandsinn.co.uk

Official site of The Highlands Inn - highlandsinn.co.uk

The Highlands is set behind a large car park and a lawn that is strewn with picnic tables. There is also a covered decked area that was being used by a couple of smokers who were sheltering from the rain during my recent Saturday afternoon visit. The interior of the pub consists of a ‘sports bar’ to the left and a much larger dining area to the right. The kitchen is open for lunch between midday and 14:30 and dinner between 18:00 and 21:30. On Sundays roast dinners are available from midday until 18:00. A typical main dish is Sussex pork & herb sausages with mash, seasonal greens and onion gravy. These pub classic mains are available for around £9.50 to £12. The aforementioned dining area was seemingly closed during my visit, but the sports bar was quite busy with young and old. Sky and BT Sports are shown and Euro 2016 was airing via BBC on the two plasma screens. The bar area is decked out with a mix of furniture with a leaning towards high tables and stools. At the rear is a pool table. The bar supports Becks Vier, Amstel, Heineken, Birra Moretti, Hop House 13, Stowford Press Cider and Guinness. I also counted four hand pumps that were drawing Harvey’s Best, an offering from Hogs Back brewery and Gun Brewery’s Extra Pale alongside Seacider’s Medium Dry Sussex Cider. This Ridley Inns pub has normal opening hours apart from an hour extension on Friday and Saturday nights and an early start of 11am on Sundays, apparently. I found the staff to be polite and I would have no problem popping in for another pint of Hop House.