The George Hotel (JD Wetherspoon), Hailsham

George Hotel page at the Wetherspoon site - www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk

George Hotel page at the Wetherspoon site - www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk

Plodding in here to get a cheap beer after getting off the 1A, I wasn’t necessarily expecting much from a town centre Wetherspoons but this one was a pleasant surprise. I gather this place has been open just over a year but even so the standard of interior furnishings and décor was remarkably high, one of the few JDW’s to have some genuine character. The pub has two distinct sections; the front has dark wood panelling, booths and a raised area with some expensive-looking seating. The bar end at the rear has a larger, open effect, enhanced by a skylight. This end leads out onto a pleasant courtyard area where a number of people were enjoying the sunshine. Perhaps a let-down for me was the small guest ale range – only Dark Star Hophead, with the Adnams Bitter unavailable. My Hophead and the Ruddles County drunk by a co-crawlee came out well, no complaints. A couple of ciders also on the go on the pump (one being Mr Whiteheads), slightly unusual for a Spoons who usually only ever have Westons. Service was pretty good too, the staff looked reasonably happy to be there - no attempt to flog me extra nuts or crisps! Perhaps I look cheap. One of the better ‘Spoons experiences, shame about the paucity of guest ales.