The Bayley Arms

My sandwich was fresh and tasty when I dropped in for lunch. There wasn’t any gluten-free bread for my friend, but she enjoyed a bowl of freshly made chunky chips. The woman who was temporarily managing was lovely and very helpful. A new manager was due to take over the following week.

We were told the food would take an hour, which was fine, so we ordered a couple of packets of crisps to tide us over. After an hour and a half, we asked what was happening and found out the food order hadn’t been put through because we’d ordered crisps. The two kids were left extremely hungry after a long walk, especially since they’d been promised a pub lunch. It wasn’t even that busy, so I’m not sure why there was an hour’s wait at 3pm. A really disappointing experience.

I popped in for a quick drink after a walk. It’s in a great spot and might be under new management. There’s a sign saying it’s for lease and due for redevelopment, and the windows and sign do need attention, so I’m sure the brewery will sort them out. No photos, as it wasn’t worth taking any yet. It’s a nice little pub inside, but overpriced in my opinion. The drinks cost two stars for me. It’s Hurst Green, not London. We paid £9 for a pint and a half of lager, about what we paid in Weybridge in the South. I know the South can be more expensive, though those prices aren’t right either. It’s not the only pub in the village, and I’m disappointed they feel they need such sky-high prices. I guess that’s what this country is coming to, consumer greed.

It’s a lovely-looking place, well presented, dog-friendly, and the staff were pleasant. After a long walk on the Tolkien Trail, we were ready for traditional pub food, but the Sunday menu was expensive: £11.95 for one course or £19.95 for three. The rest of the menu was similarly priced and mostly Italian-looking nouvelle cuisine. The only lighter option wasn’t served on Sundays, so we left hungry. We ordered a £3 pint of soda with some Pepsi mix, which was definitely weak. I went back to pay, but nobody was serving at the bar, so I gave up after a couple of minutes. I tried again as we left and found the pint of cider was £3.30, actually quite reasonable. Such a disappointment in a place that looks so nice.