The Farriers Arms, Ashford

The Farriers Arms still has its own onsite microbrewery, with about half a dozen ales in its portfolio. When we visited on Friday evening they had a couple on – Harvest Plenty (£3.45 a pint) and 1606. They also had a couple of other ales on – St Ausell Cornish Ale and Long Man Brewery Scary Man. This is a good selection. They were doing food when we visited on Friday evening. A previous reviewer suggested that the food is expensive; that may be so - I didn't see a menu - but their house ales are reasonably priced. This looks like a typical country pub, with its low ceilings, black painted beams, attractive fireplace, and rough plastered walls. But like many a country pub these days its main business is as a restaurant. This one has a seprate dining room on the right, with a lectern doing sentry duty at its entrance, and with all tables laid for diners. The bar area on the left is comfortable enough, with normal furnishings plus a few tall stools at the bar. One of the beams was adorned with numerous pump clips, which is usually a good sign in that the pub is effectively advertising its changing real ale policy. As far as I could see the dozen or so drinkers in there appeared to be local regulars. I would assess that this is usually a quietish place to enjoy a drinbk. Unfortunately a family with noisy young children came and sat at the table next to ours, which we took as a sgn to move on to the next pub.

Visited on the 7th May 2013, a sunny spring evening.My first visit here for years, and definitely my first since the pub reopened under community ownership. A rambling old building, next to a stream, and close to Hannover Mill.Timber and exposed brick. To one’s left is an L shaped bar, with the space to the right,past the chimney stack, laid up for more formal dining.To the back , a pretty garden sloping down to the trout stream, and I think access to a field across a bridge. As part of the refurbishments, the community team installed and run the Old Forge micro brewery, and their Farrier’s beers are available on the bar, alongside offerings from other Kent micros. I tried the flagship 1606 (the date of the pub), a 3.7%ABV mid brown bitter that combines malt and hops in a moreish manner:I found it most drinkable. We haven’t eaten here, but the food looked pretty good to me. Music nights, car events and seasonal fairs are organised.

Official site of the Farriers Arms, contains menu and event details - www.thefarriersarms.com

Official site of the Farriers Arms, contains menu and event details - www.thefarriersarms.com