Halfway House, Tonbridge

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.

Official site of Halfway House - www.halfwayhousebrenchley.co.uk

Official site of Halfway House - www.halfwayhousebrenchley.co.uk

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.