The Red Lion, Haywards Heath

Official site of The Red Lion - www.emberinns.co.uk

Official site of The Red Lion - www.emberinns.co.uk

The Red Lion has a U-shaped bar that serves a front wooden floored bar area and carpeted seating areas to the left and right. During my visit on a recent Saturday afternoon a band, that was set up in the front left corner of the pub, had just finished playing. My visit coincided with the Platinum Jubilee so the pub was very busy. There are a few televisions dotted around as this is the village pub that shows Sky Sports. The bar supports eight handpumps, two of which were unused, but were being used to advertise the CamRA discount and try before you buy. The others were drawing Fuller’s London Pride (x2) St Austell Tribute, Harvey’s Best, Black Sheep’s Twilighter Fresh IPA and Marston’s Cheers Ma’am. A standard and premium keg range was also available. Out the back is a patio area, with picnic tables and patio seating, that leads to an enormous grass covered beer garden. Here there are picnic tables and huts for covered outside seating during colder months. This Ember Inns pub is decent with friendly staff and was my favourite pub in the village.

Quite busy for lunch yesterday, to the extent that I popped over to the Stand Up Inn whilst waiting for the food rush (& small bar queue) to quieten. Returned to a good pint of Harveys, there was another handpump on offer but I don't recall what it was, sorry. Attractive rooms either side of a large central wooden bar, enormous beer garden to the rear.

Pleasant traditional pub with separate drinking areas partly opened up by the removal of the doors and the opening widened out. There were four hand pumps with three Fullers ales and Youngs Christmas Gold Tale available. the Fullers Bengal Lancer was well kept.