The Ounce & Ivy Bush (JD Wetherspoon), East Grinstead

As noted below this is a retail unit in a modern cinema complex so as a building is very dull. There is a raised area on the right which is about as interesting as it gets. The bar has two sets of five hand pumps one with the usual GK IPA & Abbot, a cider, Doom Bore and Adnam's Broadside. The other five had Langham's Halfway To Heaven, Abbot (again), Brain's SA, Hambledon Nightmare and Evan Evans Golden Hop. I went for the Langham beer (£2.50) which was in reasonably good nick. This is GBG 2015 listed but I'm not sure why on the basis of my Saturday morning visit. I thought it was a fairly below par Spoons.

Although this is a pub with a fairly modern feel there was a good range of guest beers on with the Long Man Long blonde being very good. The staff were very friendly and efficient and seemed to have a good knowledge of real ales. Unfortunately I was too early for the mini Oakham fest that was coming up.

Part of a modern building forming a small entertainment complex, which you can reach either via the building's main entrance or through an inconspicuous side door. Nearly all the exterior signage just says Wetherspoons rather than Ounce & Ivy Bush. Particularly anonymous furniture and decor. Ten handpumps on the bar counter, but three of these had the dreaded 'available soon' badges, with the local Westerham BB and Marstons seasonal Sweet Chariot (£2.40) being of much interest. Overall, rather dull.

A Wetherspoons housed in the ground floor of a modern cinema complex isn't the most endearing image and to be honest, this isn't one of the chains more appealing branches. The pub name is one of the more interesting aspects, an Ounce apparently being a Wild Cat and and the Ivy Bush being the symbol of (don't laugh at this point) a high class Inn. Throw in a few bits about an old pub and the Sackville Coat of Arms and you get probably the most convoluted pub name in the country. Who said a trip to Wetherspoons wasn't educational! The interior feels very closed in and a mass of ugly air conditioning pipes hovering below the lowish ceilings hardly adds to the aesthetics. Despite having areas of raised seating and lounge bits in from of bookcases it all feels very open and lacking any intimacy. The only draw is the usual run of beers, ales and food which are all trademark Wetherspoons but the lack of ambience and such dull surroundings probably aren't enough to warrant any second visits from me in the near future.

Official page of the Ounce & Ivy Bush - www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk

Official page of the Ounce & Ivy Bush - www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk