The White Hart
Many of my London friends have questioned my reasons for living in Sussex over the years. And I always say that living in Brighton gives you the best of so many worlds: the hustle and bustle of city life, the beach, fantastic restaurants and more theatre productions than any of us has time to see.
But even better than that, after an evening at the theatre, you can be at home with a cup of tea in about 10 minutes. Now that’s impossible in London as normal folk can’t afford to live so centrally. But even the cut and thrust of Brighton gets too much from time to time and I like to discover different towns in this beautiful county as often as I can.
Last week I was given such an opportunity when one of my London friends called to say that the bridal gown she wanted to buy was only stocked in two bridal shops in the UK, one of them being in Henfield. I smiled sweetly to myself before showing mock surprise that she couldn’t find her dress in London!
We met up one Saturday morning and headed for White Mischief, a bridal wear emporium in Henfield. After three hours of browsing she settled on the dress she’d come all that way to see and paid her deposit. Dress purchased and bride happy, it was time for a spot of lunch and some much needed refreshment.
There’s a choice of a few pubs and a hotel of Henfield High Street but the one that caught my eye was the White Hart. It’s everything you want from a village local, quaint, full of history, cosy, with great food.
This classic oak-beamed pub dates back to the 17th century, a beautiful specimen of English architecture. The low beams and candlelit dining areas gives it a warmth only to be found in the country. We were frozen to the bone and appreciated the welcome from the large inglenook fireplace, with its fire burning brightly. Heaven.
The menu has certainly kept up with the times and there is a clear focus on local produce, with suppliers from Patridge Green, Henfield, Hurstpierpoint and Brighton. I went for the grilled goat’s cheese crostini on tossed salad leaves with black olives, pine nuts and sun blushed tomatoes (£5.95), which was sweet and tart as it should be and a very generous portion for a starter.
You get the impression that food is the main event here. It’s not just a pub that serves food as well. Dishes are served to diners on large white plates and there were many couples out for a relaxing weekend lunch. The sort of people that probably wouldn’t choose to spend a lazy day in the pub as many were drinking soft drinks.
For my main course, I went for the steak, ale and stilton pie served with fresh vegetables and new potatoes (£10.50). The pie was home-made but it was so fresh, I knew it had just been baked, even before the barman told me it was.
The following dishes also looked really tasty: crispy shredded aromatic duck on salad leaves drizzled with walnut oil and sprinkled with spring onions served with hoisin sauce (£5.95), char-grilled Hutchings 28 day aged rib-eye steak with a choice of béarnaise or creamy peppercorn sauce served with mixed salad leaves and chips (£16.95).
Flying the flag for local produce, there’s local Lamb Cutlets with orange, ginger and thyme sauce (£12.95), Sussex smokey - smoked haddock and prawns in a creamy cheese sauce topped with bread crumbs and melted cheese served with a mixed leaf salad and chips (£9.95), and local pork sausages and mash with a rich red wine and onion gravy (£9.25).
And if you’re not up for quite such a hearty meal, there are plenty of salad and sandwich options available: Springs smoked Salmon, black pepper and crème fraîche (£6.95), classic BLT - crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise (£5.25), tomato and fresh basil oil drizzled with balsamic dressing, topped with melted mozzarella (£5.25). The list is endless. This is a real foodie’s pub. A real find and somewhere I hope to return to very soon.
Four out of five stars.