The White Hart, Uckfield

Upmarket pub / restaurant with prices to match. Quite a plain brick facade, but the interior has been refurbished with a mix of traditional and modern elements. The front part has been opened out to leave a single, elongated room with a lounge area to the left of the counter opposite the entrance and a larger space on the other side with tables laid up for those eating (with a further dining room behind that). Just the expected Harvey's (£5.50) available from the pair of handpumps.

Large roadside pub with a large car park to the left-hand side. On arrival, it smelt as though the pub was on fire, or we thought that perhaps there was a barbecue. Although it soon became apparent that the burning smell was coming from an open kitchen door. I can only assume that somebody had ordered their steak very well done! Once inside, the assumption was that we were there to eat, which is seemingly the done thing here. As it happened, we'd just had a curry in Uckfield and weren't interested in eating. With the vast majority of tables laid out for dining, this limited us to a small area near the bar. With just the single real ale - the ubiquitous Surrey staple from Harvey's, we didn't need too long before departing from here. This pub may assume a different guise during the daytime. But of an evening, it is more of a restaurant serving well cooked (or possibly cremated) food!

The location of the White Hart dictates that it has gone down the dry sales route to become a ‘Country Dining and Free House’ pub. The interior consists of a thin bar that faces the entrance at the front of the pub. To the left is seating overlooked by a large inglenook and a larger seating area is found to the right where another inglenook can be found. At the rear is a conservatory that can be used for private functions. Available from the bar during my recent Friday evening visit were Longman Brewery’s Best Bitter and Harvey’s IPA alongside a premium keg range. This pub is closed on Mondays and during the rest of the week opens for lunch (12:00 – 15:00) and dinner (18:00 – 23:00). The pub is open all day Saturdays (12:00 – 23:00) and Sunday (12:00 – 22:00). I saw people being turned away for food, so I would book in advance if eating. Out the back is a beer garden and to the left of the pub is a large car park. I found the staff to be very polite and friendly, but this isn’t a pub I would visit again just for a beer.

Official site of The White Hart - www.thewhitehartbuxted.co.uk

Official site of The White Hart - www.thewhitehartbuxted.co.uk