West Sussex

The Malt Shovel, 15 Springfield Road, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 2PG

The Malt Shovel, 15 Springfield Road, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 2PG

15 Springfield Road, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 2PG

It’s been a long time since we’ve been to The Malt Shovel in Horsham. We had plenty of reason to patronise this venue in the past due to the landlords generous sponsorship of our team. Unfortunately Steve passed away recently (incidentally so did our hockey team) and work committments have kept me away. However, last sunday (15th July 2007) a visit from an old team mate prompted a return. When we got there there was a 2 piece band playing laid back jazz and the effects of the smoking ban were evident. I wasn’t immediately sure what was different but I’m pretty sure it was a lack of cigarette smoke, a very welcome lack of cigarette smoke. I’m not a zealot, but after 2 years without a cigarette I have to say that I prefer my life to be that way; smoke free.

The Black Jug, 31 North Street, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1RJ

The Black Jug, 31 North Street, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1RJ

31 North Street, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1RJ

We came here to eat, by chance,not choice, recently; the food was not at all good - the potted prawns contained a jumble of things, including peas and did not taste of prawns! The soup was awful; a faint taste of parsnips, with crushed hazelnuts to the fore, a truly horrible combination. The omelette was OK, but the "chips" turned out to be overdone potato wedges. The pork was dry, with semi-cooked haricots and no potatoes - how mean, you had to pay £3-00p to get a smallish portion of mash on top of the £9 charged for two small pieces of pork. With two large glasses of house wine and a Broadside, well over £40 - outrageous, for very average, meanly presented and overpriced food. The service was patchy as well, some, to be fair, friendly and willing, but forgetting to offer salt or any dressing with the meal, which was served on dirty wooden place mats, and some chap who stood out and appears to match the description by "Rihadan", the "blonde sneerer", who was put out whenever approached for any service and had to be asked to bring a glass of wine to table.

The Black Jug, 31, North St, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1RJ


31, North St Horsham West Sussex RH12 1RJ

There's a feeling you get when you walk into some pubs, a feeling that re-assures and says everything is alright. The Black Jug in Horsham is one of those places. A mighty wooden square of a pub with assorted plants and shelves of battered books, there are four distinct areas for drinking or eating (or both), and one of these - a "conservatory" area yawns out into a magnificent courtyard garden at the back. It's a friendly pub too - both the staff and clientele feel comfortable there and the mixed nature of the customers means that anyone can feel at home. There were some "hairies" in the corner debating the merits of the variety of house ales - Bombardier, Horsham Best and the like, - two old ladies chatting over a salad and a variety of office workers and day-trippers scattered round.

Punchbowl (The Old Punch Bowl), 101, High St Crawley West Sussex RH10 1DD


101, High St Crawley West Sussex RH10 1DD

A trendy and apparently new-ish Greene King pub situated in (and around) an ancient Nat West Bank building, the Old Punchbowl Inn - or Punchbowl as it likes to list itself in the yellow pages - is a hangout for groups of office workers during the day and assorted young adults in the evening. The entrance of the pub is the small group of offices that used to hold the bank, but behind is a larger area attached to the old building by bits of corrugated plastic.

Black Horse Inn, Nuthurst St, Nuthurst, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 6LH


Nuthurst St Nuthurst Horsham West Sussex RH13 6LH

A fantastic little wooden bridge chaining two parts of a dreamy secluded pub garden, suspended above a babbling brook, is the main feature of this friendly pub near Horsham. An exhaustive menu covers all the main suspects, often with a spicy twist. My cajun chicken salad was deliciously spicy although a little greasy, and Q's chilli had huge chunks of beef on a plate big enough to feed five. Kids meals are cut down versions of the adult ones and as a result of consistently good quality.

Pavilion Restaurant, Nymans Garden, Handcross, West Sussex RH17 6EB


Nymans Garden Handcross West Sussex RH17 6EB

The National Trust is one of the few remaining British institutions that values and invests in quality. Its publicity , its cleverly designed range of paints, its garden and house signage, its plant tags, and even its staff, all are of the highest quality. The National Trust is an essay in superb brand strategy, attention to detail, high quality , and customer targeting. Until you get to its restaurants.
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