Dover Castle Inn, Sittingbourne

The village of Teynham is a large village stretched out alongside a main A road, that must pre-date the motorway network in Kent. Surprisingly for a trip to Kent, it was our only planned Shepherd Neame pub of the day and I wasn't quite sure what to expect of a pub that has not been in the Good Beer Guide since 2004. Nevertheless, staff donning face masks were friendly and efficient and the place had a decent atmosphere with many people in for lunch, all spread across the various rooms. So, we grabbed a small table in the window of the bar area at the front of the pub. Master Brew & Spitfire were the areal ales. There is a large car park at the rear, with an orchard beyond that. The local birds have purple diarrhoea! A better pub than I had anticipated, but still fairly run of the mill.

Venerable old inn, seemingly comprised of three adjoining buildings of different styles and ages, once upon a time being on the original Dover Road, and located halfway between the cathedral cities of Rochester and Canterbury as noted in large lettering on the end wall. Remodelled and thoroughly refurbished in a semi-traditional style across the various seating and dining areas, with outdoor seating also available in a modernised, split-level beer garden at the back (although I could have done without the piped music). As a Shepherd Neame house, I found Master Brew (£3.90) and Spitfire available from two of the three handpumps.

Official site of Dover Castle Inn - www.thedovercastle.co.uk

Official site of Dover Castle Inn - www.thedovercastle.co.uk

A very busy roadside Shepherd and Neame pub with a lively local clientele. There are 2 large bars at the front and a large extension at the side serving formulaic pub menu food, which is the business's main effort. Both bars have open gas fuelled fireplaces, there is a redundant dartboard, gamings machines and a tv screen. Service was very inefficient, and it was clear that locals got priority, which I found a bit rude. Four ales on, I eventually managed to get a pint of Canterbury Jack which was in very good condition. Worth stopping for s snack and a pint if passing and you aren't in a hurry.