The Farm, Eastbourne

A new addition to the Good Beer Guide, this pub and restaurant can be found out to the north east of Eastbourne in the suburb of Langney. It's a bit of a trek to get here, if using public transport. However, I suspect most of the customers in had arrived by car and made use of the large car park to the rear. Most of the customers present were wearing black. They were all talking about their lives and their past pursuits. I got the feeling that they had been to a funeral, but there I heard no mention of anybody deceased. Entrance to the pub is through a small garden area to the side, where two other customers were sat with a dog. The lack of an entrance to the front of the pub again pointed to most people arriving from the car park. Entering into the low ceiling bar, there is a room off to the left-hand side set out for dining. In fact, if you continue beyond the bar, there is a vast area of seating for diners, spread across a number of different levels. I couldn't see any customers in this area, but it was almost 3pm by this stage. Music was playing in the background throughout the pub and at an acceptable level. At the bar, the barman didn't quite seem with it. Despite clearly asking for a half, he proceeded to use a pint glass and I had to repeat my request for a half. Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter & Timothy Taylor Landlord are the regular beers. The guest beer was Three Acre Blood Orange Pale, which I had ordered. Although, I can't say that too much of a blood orange taste was apparent. In fact, the beer was fairly characterless. I went into better pubs in Eastbourne that didn't make it into the latest Good Beer Guide. I wouldn't say that this one is worth the trip out of town to visit, but perhaps it takes on a different guise at more lively times of the week.

Official site of The Farm At Friday Street - www.farmfridaystreet.co.uk

Official site of The Farm At Friday Street - www.farmfridaystreet.co.uk

The Farm @ Friday Street (not to be confused with Friday Street Farm, like this muppet did) is a pub and brasserie so there is a leaning towards serving food, but the beamed bar area dotted with sofas is separate from the barn like split level dining area that is known as the Farm. If there is a large brasserie and bar in Emmerdale it will probably look like this one. The bar is stocked with standard and premium draught products and there are also five hand pumps that were drawing Pride, Landlord, Doom Bar and Harveys Best with one being off. I found the one of the barmaids to be on another planet as she served people either side of me that had arrived after and I then took offence as she then walked off to clean some glasses. I was finally served a decent pint of Guinness by another member of staff that was also a tad dismissive. I didn’t spot any TVs, but there was some Jack Johnson style back music playing that suited the crowd in attendance. On the way to the toilet I walked passed some bookshelves that were well stocked and I imagined sitting in here by the fireplace reading a book one cold winter’s evening – Nah, I’d rather be in a proper pub watching the football! There are some picnic tables on the lawn outside the splits the pub from the ample car park. This place seems to be a step up from the other carvery pubs that litter this part of the country and the bar area is nice enough, but I still cannot see myself hurrying back.