The Woolpack Inn, Hailsham

New owners at the Woolpack Herstmonceux have made a lot of changes, very friendly staff and exciting new menu, with a Spanish twist. Paellas, Tapas as well as all the usual English favorites, Sunday Lunches, Fish and Chips, Steaks and Grills. The beers are excellent and the Harvey's best bitter perfect, draft Guinness and a good selection of Lagers. There is a pool table and Juke Box, Darts in the public bar and large screen TV showing Sports, this weekend Six Nations Rugby, a really nice Valentines Menu at just £25 per head with a red rose for the ladies.The restaurant just off the saloon bar has been refurbished and is warm and comfortable seating around 30 people. There is a function room and I am told the new tenants are looking to promote weddings with a wedding open day planned for the future.

I had a bit of trouble gaining access to this pub when I visited early on Saturday afternoon a couple of weeks ago, but I only had to walk the length of the pub twice before finding the open door that was marked restaurant. This restaurant area is the left hand side of the pub where all of the tables are set for dining, but there was a young family dining in the adjacent front bar area so food can obviously be eaten anywhere in the pub. The bar then swings around more to the right where there is room at the rear that houses a pool table and a dartboard. I didn’t spot any TVs and Sky Sports is definitely not shown, but there was some background music of the likes of the Bee gees and the Eagles. There were also a few of the day’s newspapers on a table by the bar that were available for customers to read. There are only three hand pumps and one of these was unused leaving Harveys best as the option from the other two. There was not the most extensive draught selection and I’m always weary when ordering a drink and the barman wanders off into the back and then emerges with my pint, especially when it tastes like dishwater. It probably was the first Guinness of the day, but that is still no excuse as it was undrinkable and I didn’t have time to get it changed as I had to jump on the bus that comes hourly through the village. There is a car park and there are some picnic tables outside the front of the pub, although I didn’t find the advertised beer garden, unless they meant the couple of picnics out the front. The guy working the bar was polite enough, but I didn’t find this to be the most interesting of places and I cannot see a return visit in the near future.