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Submitted on Sunday, 5^th May 2019
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Halfway House, Tonbridge

Horsmonden Road
Brenchley
Postal town: Tonbridge
TN12 7AX

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Brenchley

Reviews of Halfway House (Average Rating: 9½ of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Halfway House

Been here many times over the years, and it has always been a great place for quality beer as well as meals. Haven't been able to get inside the very attractive, traditional, multi-room interior on our last couple of visits due to coronavirus restrictions, but the pub benefits from a huge beer garden that now has plenty of tables under cover as well out in the open. Other facilities include two outside bar counters, an external kitchen and servery for some of the food options and a barbers! In this visit, we found six real ales being served by gravity - the 'house' Brenchley Bitter and Horsmonden Pale, Goachers Fine Light, Kent Session Pale, Long Man Best and Tonbridge Rustic (all priced at £3.80) - with six local ciders also available. Remains a destination pub, always worth seeking out.

On 5^th May 2021 - rating: 9
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Will Larter left this review about Halfway House

Now this is a country pub that is well worth seeking out and it gets a rare 10 from me. A seemingly unspoilt traditional building (or two buildings?), it features wood in many aspects: beams, pillars, floors, tables. The beer is served directly from several barrels on a stillage immediately behind the bar, by a barman who clearly knows his regular customers well. Beers are listed on a blackboard above the bar, and all are priced at £3.40 a pint. My pint of Tonbridge Rustic was absolutely gorgeous, a beautifully dark traditional bitter in superb condition - I was glad that I had asked for a pint rather than the half I would normally have when cycling. This was my beer of the week, by a fair distance. And my pub of the year, so far.

On 12^th May 2019 - rating: 10
[User has posted 4273 recommendations about 3935 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

. Wittenden left this review about Halfway House

A pleasant old brick built pub, set at an angle to the road in a suntrap in the Isle of Wight area of Brenchley in the Weald of Kent.The entrance to the bar is to the side,through a door vaguely reminiscent of a 1950’s village hall.Inside, tables and chairs, a fine fireplace and the finest stillage imaginable,holding casks of, on our visit at the start of April a good selection of beers from Kent and further afield. The main body of the pub is comprised of little rooms and cubby holes, mostly laid up for dining,on different levels.Brick floors,exposed studwork.
Early on a sunny Sunday, most tables were reserved or taken, so we sat outside in the Adults Garden,at a remove from the family area.This area is home to the regular beer exhibitions hosted by the pub. The food was good,pleasantly served,though we mainly had starters, as I recall. Being part of my Goacher’s weekend, I stuck with their Fine Light and Goldstar,served by gravity,in my opinion the only way to serve Kentish beer. The Fine Light wasn’t as crisp and nettley as I’ve drunk it in the past, but the Goldstar was a revelation:stone fruit, biscuit malt and the undying grasp of Kent Goldings.
For a pub so near home, I don’t know why we hadn’t been there before:plans are already being laid for a return match.

On 14^th May 2012 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 290 pubs]

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