Brewers Fayre The Drove, Newhaven

Very dull Brewers Fayre beside a Premier Inn with the expected mix of seating / dining areas and the usual bland furniture and decoration. It does at least do cask beer, albeit just Doom Bar from a solitary handpump.

Knowing that the Drove was part of a Premier Inn complex there were no surprises when I visited on Tuesday evening. This is a large establishment and the vast majority of the pub is set up for diners to sample the cheap Brewers Fayre menu complete with carvery and breakfast bar. The bar that I was interested in is located on the right hand side and comprises some seating, a plasma screen that was off during a Premier League game so I gather no Sky Sports, a quiz machine and a fruit machine. Standard draught products are available and the lone hand pump was drawing London Pride. There was some background music playing, but the only time I’ll ever voluntarily listen to Dido is when I’ve lost everything, had a mental breakdown and find myself standing on a rickety stool with six foot of rope around my neck. The staff were polite, but I felt that my 22:30 visit on Tuesday night was interfering with their cleaning regime. Access is gained after a hefty walk through the massive car park or via the adjacent petrol garage. There is a children’s play area enclosed within a waist high fence and there are some picnic tables for those that like spotting cars. Nobody other than guests at the hotel would drink here, but maybe some local residents eat here as it is cheap. Then again the other pubs in the area are pretty cheap as well as Newhaven isn’t the most affluent part of East Sussex. Would I visit here again? … Probably not.