A great location makes this pub, at the end of a footpath which rises over Ditchling Beacon - though if you park at the top its a shame you have to do the uphill after your lunch. It is really warm and pubby inside, perfect for drying out after a walk.
However I think a great location has made them a bit complacent - the roast we had would have to have been something special to justify the £15 price tag (not including pudding extra at £5!). However, it wasn't. I went for the (well-cooked, though waver thin) beef, which came with a tiny amount of each of 7 different vegetables (why so many?), all boiled and a bit bland. From someone who works in the catering industry I suspect the roast potatoes were the frozen roast potatoes you can microwave.
Another party had fish and chips which actually looked a lot better, but I'm just going on what I saw.
Its hard to have roasts ready for customers at a moments notice (ahem . . . a week), but cmon, give it a decent try, or halve the price. Bit of a rip. read more