BITE user comments - fabian
Comments by fabian
Most pubs you have to pay to acquire the lease.This place the brewery gives the lease away to those with so few other employment opportunities they are prepared to give it a go.
7 Jan 2008 18:00
These reviews are very out of date and refer to a management now well gone. A very different place now. Food for the easily pleased. The empty car park says it all.
21 Dec 2007 17:36
What a change! Someone has really thought about all this.Design cool contemporary, unobtrusively tastelful. Stone floors, paintings leather sofas. Very different to the standard british village pub. Food novel, in that the responsibility for cooking it is yours. I enjoyed it as the ingredients (i.e.steak) are good quality. The food was consumed after a skittles match which was enjoyable too.
21 Dec 2007 17:07
Agree with last comments. Sadly was an excellent place, driven by talent and enthusiasm, buried by corporatism, so food now at the Harvester/Beefeater level. No longer a 'destination' pub.
21 Dec 2007 16:59
The Village House Hotel, Findon
Agree with richardcouerdelion, much needed change of management.Tony Hills and his crew have the midas touch.Have eaten there since Silverthorne took over the catering and look forward to eating there again.
21 Dec 2007 16:53
The Smugglers Return, Worthing
Sadly,appears to be on its last legs (at least with current management). Often runs out of beer entirely as presumably cash flow problems restrict supply. Has the appearance of a kindergarten at times. This is unfortunate as the decor is much improved on the old configuration. Could be a lively community pub, but seems to be empty a good deal of the time and sometimes does not even open.Great place to go and read on your own. Will presumably be purchased in the not too distant future.
17 Dec 2007 18:17
The Ball Tree Inn, Sompting
I do know the trade, having owned the freehold of a successful bar in a prime spot in the area since the very early nineties. And given current market valuations would gladly take half a mill from anyone! So no job centre for the forseeable future!! I do know a number of people in the trade who have been given leases in local pubs which have essentially become valueless and difgicult to let in the traditional manner you describe. The pubcos would rather take a chance, discount any ingoing premium to get someone in place who has a strong track record in the trade and thus where there is a chance of continued rental stream. The word was this place was not quite the toxic pub/ asset the Half Brick became but was not going to attract an ingoing premium.
I also understand the difference between the possessive article and the verb to be, as well as the rules of correct apostrophe usage!!!
26 Aug 2009 01:50