The Black Swan, Pease Pottage

We went to this pub to celebrate our recent anniversary, based on good reviews in our local press.
All I can say is they must have been lucky!
The overall decor and appearance of the pub is very nice, and it has not long undergone some renovation, and the staff were all helpful and friendly. The clientele were your standard Sunday lunch drinkers and diners, and not "chavvy" as has been said elsewhere, so that's all positive.
Now then the food.
Firstly the menu had a reasonable selection, not too much like many a place, and a decent specials board too, and so all looked well.
My wife and I both ordered the "famous" Steak and Tanglefoot Ale pie, which came with vegetables and buttered mash. The first alarm bell rang when the maels arrived within 5 minutes of being ordered. This smacks of microwaving to me, not freshly cooked as you would expect, especially considering the cost (more on that in a while). The mash was very far removed from it's description! Dry and lumpy would be accurate, certainly not creamy or buttery. The veg comprised mauve cabbage and carrots, which where very overcooked, if not reheated.
On to puddings then. A chocolate brownie for the wife, which was as described and actually nice! A "home made, with real curd" Lemon Meringue for myself. Problem no.1 with it. It was runny, and the base soggy. I took it straight back, saying it wasn't right. The manager brought me a replacement, and apologised that the new chef had heated the other one! I mean come on, heating a meringue!! I had to laugh. Problem 2 is that there is no way these are home made with real curd either, unless the owner is Sara Lee! Definitely a mass produced pie, and it's my favorite, so I know.
Overall then a dreadful meal, made worse by the costs involved. Main courses all over �10 (with the exception of the Sunday roast) and puddings all �4.50 each, for a small portion too. Not good value unless the descriptions offered were true and the meals were nice!
I can't recommend the pub at all to be honest, and would suggest you avoid it like the plague and go to The Cherry Tree down the road towards Horsham. Now there's some real food.

9 Mar 2008 15:32