The Hastings Arms — Restaurant in England

Sunday lunch out is a huge treat. We walked with several adults and two children in the pouring rain. The pub was empty when we arrived and we were soaked through, however it had only gone 12. The decor felt a little sparse, however the atmosphere improves. The landlord kindly turned the heating higher so we could dry out. We were greeted by a young helpful waitress and although a little less confident, she was obviously new to the pub. We could sit anywhere and chose a large comfortable seat with big table, plenty of room for us all. Drinks on draft were limited, however the new owner explained it was going through a changeover. We chose roast belly pork, beef brisket and the kids had chicken nuggets and chips. The food took a little while to arrive however when it did, we were happily surprised as the selection and quality as it shone through. The owner came over and explained what we had, which was a nice touch.

My roast pork belly was a thick piece of slow cooked meat, which just fell apart with a fork. The chef had cleverly used aromatics to add even more flavour to the pork. The crackling was a soft crunch and deliciously seasoned. Roast potatoes with herbs, broccoli puree, roast golden beetroot, red cabbage and the most delicious pork sausage stuffing laced with lemon zest and sultanas. Gravy was tasty and not flooding the plate. The light Yorkshire pudding was fluffy, a little cold (as was the plate, hot plates keep the food piping) but I'm being picky and this certainly didnt distract from this sublime lunch. The Beef brisket was generous, lightly pink in the middle and incredibly tender. All accompaniments were offered. The chef clearly understands how to create tasty, well executed food.

Draft cider, lager and coffee.

The kids chicken nuggets were freshly made, hand cooked chips. Not your normal out the freezer cheap rubbish. They were happy, few left so a doggy bag home .

Homemade ice-cream was rich, lemon sorbet was excellent. Be nice to see chocolate ice-cream on the menu.

The white chocolate cheesecake was good however needed a little extra finesse. However the texture was very enjoyable.

Everything is made from scratch at The Hastings Arms and great pride clearly shows in their efforts. It's only been newly taken over so like all new business it takes time to bed in, get accustomed to surroundings and know your clientele.

By the time we left the restaurant was very busy. We never felt rushed and the walk home in dryer coats with happy bellies is what great Sundays are all about. Support this new venture, give them a chance as they are nice people wishing to rebuild the reputation. Prices are...

Party of 5 called in on a Thursday, originally for the "curry night special" but on seeing the menu and specials board we ended up choosing a couple of the curries, fish and chips and 2 pie dishes followed by 2 cheese cakes, 2 sticky toffee puddings and apple and blackberry crumble, all came with a choice of custard, cream or ice cream. Some of our party don't eat meat, but there was plenty of vegetarian and meat free options on offer. No complaints with food or drinks, decent price and service with a smile, the staff are friendly, pleasant and attentive. Some good offers on food including 3 tapas for £9.95 on a Wednesday and 2-4-1 pizza deals on a Monday. Worth calling in if your after nice "pub" food, value for money and service with a smile. We will...

Good food an ok ale selection.

Had a steak, which came on a board, peas in a small bowl and chips in a basket; I hate this; Honestly what's wrong with a plate! It's impossible to tip your peas out without them rolling all over the place, the board wasn't really big enough to tip the chips out either. I'll ask for a plate next time.

The food however was great, the steak was well cooked (medium), the chips were good.

The other 2 in the party had the Chicken Diane off the special board, which turned up with a dish of veg and a dish of chips, we were unsure if the default was half chips and half veg for each meal, but they shared it happily enough anyway.

Overall a great pub which is under new management, but still knocking...