The Lockhart Tavern, Haywards Heath

Two visits, and took an age to get served first time around, but the eventual arrival of my Hairy Dog Pale was worth it. Second visit was prompt though and it seems that table service is preferred. Still half a dozen cask, most at £5, and mostly local, with the exception of a couple from Asahi (Hophead and Revelation). Also still 10 keg taps, at up to £7.50 (so nothing too insane on) and these, too, were mostly sourced from Sussex breweries. Food is obviously a big thing here and there were a couple of tables occupied on the lower level. Remains a must visit in the unlikely event you've travelled to an unremarkable commuter town in search of good beer. Wrap up warm though- while it was undeniably a cold day outside, the little heater on the bar really wasn't taking much of an edge off the temperatures, though my return visit seemed warmer - possibly due to more punters by then, or possibly I was more acclimatised to the cold by then.

Official site of The Lockhart Tavern - www.thelockharttavern.co.uk

Official site of The Lockhart Tavern - www.thelockharttavern.co.uk

Prior to the Lockhart Tavern opening in November 2016 this place was Bijou Bar and Restaurant, it is much improved. There are some picnic tables out the front under a large marquee roof panel. A menu on a stand by the entrance reveals that food is available, the cheeseburger is priced at £17 so top end for the area. Through the entrance there is a bar on the left wall that supports six hand pumps that were drawing Gun Brewery’s Milk Stout, Wild Card Brewing’s Pale, Hairy Dog Brewery’s Far Fetched, 360’s Pavillion ESB, Burning Sky’s Aurora and Lakedown Jubilee Ale. There are also around ten craft fonts mounted in back bar. Seating is found in the bar area at the front and at the rear is a restaurant area. Table service is in operation here so if there are no tables free you cannot stay. Therefore it is advisable to book at busy times. I found the staff to be very friendly, but I like sitting at the bar so I’ll not be returning here just for a beer, even though the choice is very good.

This is a smart little pub with a narrow but deep interior, on a street with several other bars and restaurants. You enter via a small paved front garden with a row of picnic benches either side of the central walkway, all under a large gazebo- style structure with a glass roof, which I assumed had been added during the period when drinking was only allowed to take place outdoors. Bifold doors lead you into a compact room with a bright coloured tile floor around the entrance and parquet flooring elsewhere. Two long marble topped tables run through the centre of the room with high stools in support and four shorter versions of the same tables down the right-hand wall. The servery is over to the left and has a smart panelled frontage topped with a stone counter. A metal framed shelving unit suffices as the bar back, with some grey tongue and groove panels behind, which go on to cover much of the wall space throughout the pub. Steps take you down to a rear seating space with a mix of chair and padded bench seating in a similarly styled area with a nice gabled ceiling above. The walls have been decorated with many mirrors, some plain, some promoting various old breweries and one set formed into a long row so as to spell out the pub’s name. Some beer boards have been positioned above the steps leading down to the rear area, but there were also printed menus on each table detailing the full range on draught. Music was playing in the background, but this was mostly lost under the hubbub created by a full house and a rather echoey interior devoid of soft furnishings. The pub has a good reputation for its cask ale and there was a wide selection available on this visit. The full range on handpull comprised Downlands Highlander and Day Tripper. Dark Star Revelation, Firebird Heritage, Pig & Porter Blackbird Stout and Surrey Hills Gilt Complex, and this was further supplemented by nine craft keg options from the likes of Hairy Dog, Howling Hops, Unbarred, Siren and Time & Tide, plus a Wobblegate cider. My pint of Day Tripper set me back a hefty £5.10, but was in great shape and I was sad I couldn’t stay and try a few other the other cask options. A quick look at the food menu suggested some quite creative and upmarket meals might be available compared to your average pub, with mains ranging in price from £14-20. The staff were all really friendly and helped us get a table after we arrived to find all of them taken (standing was not permitted due to the pub’s Covid rules at the time of our visit) – without their assistance, we would’ve gone elsewhere. I though this was a great little pub and a very strong asset in an area not really known for its pub scene. A fine selection of ales and craft keg beers, some comfortable seating in a smart room with cheerful and attentive staff made for a very enjoyable visit and I’ll most definitely look forward to stopping by here again sometime soon.

Well-appointed inside and laid out on 2 levels. On entering, the bar's on the left and, on the lintel half-way in, a beer board listing the day's offerings (you can also pick up a sheet of A4 to peruse). Up here, seating's at high tables. There's a step down to a lower level which is more for diners. 6 cask ales are available, along with 10 keg beers. Siren Craft's "Suspended In Cascade" was excellent and bought at what these days seems a reasonable £4.25. The January limited-edition Hophead was a little cheaper. Craft keg, as usual, follows it's own pricing rules. I liked it here: a good pub.