The Eight Bells — Restaurant in Wealden

There's no denying the garden renovations, complete with outside bar, are excellent. The food is very special indeed. This pub will be extremely popular. However, from a recent visit it appears that this success may come at a cost to the customer experience for some.

If you don't like people lingering behind you watching you finish your last mouthful so they can grab your table, perhaps consider dining elsewhere.

Clearly the beautiful renovation came at a considerable cost, but the staff need to be taught to turn people away when the outdoor 'restaurant' - which is what this pub now is - is fully booked. Allowing people to sit on the floor beside our table, whilst enabling children to run around the table itself, does not provide a good customer experience for which a premium price is paid (family table in our case). To be clear, this is no longer a traditional pub garden with the freedom that comes with this format, it is a booked outdoor restaurant. A beautiful one.

Another strange decision which may also affect the enjoyment of your visit, is that if you are a 'walk in' i.e. not booked - you will be told you will not receive the waiting service which the booked table beside you will, which is frankly a shocking business decision in the world of hospitality. A clear but unfathomable two tier service delivery, which is very strange.

Hopefully the pub will take some learnings, or maybe they don't need to. Either way, sadly our many years of journeying to grab a bite and a pint in Jevington now come to an end as we seek the authentic pub experience elsewhere. All the best, the pub will be a huge success for sure. Thank you for the years of welcomes which...

Not been to 8 Bells for many years, but lots of walking on the South Downs and a commercial interest as part of walking holidays for past 30 years. Lunch was booked for table of 3. On arrival shown to garden and pick of tables in the shade or under a tree. Then handed over to someone for drinks orders after 5-10 minute wait. Asked to be moved to more comfortable table inside, all good. White wine order was sat on the bar for 10 minutes, warming up whilst it waited for others, sadly very hot day. Food order taken. Mix of mains and apps to come at same time across the table. Before mains arrived ordered further drinks, and commented about too much salt (not celery salt sadly) added to tomato juice, unfortunately the comments about my 'complaint' to other colleagues at the bar where audible to us and unexpected.

Food arrived and was without exception delicious, mussels, soup, scotch egg and various sides we very very good.

Bill paid, service charge included. In hindsight might have asked for it to be removed, but didnt want the confrontation. Felt as if we were an irritation and not as welcomed as others. Table next to us received a very different welcome and indeed told about the specials which we were not appraised of, the steak or indeed choice of sandwiches might have been nice... A shame as the service on day was a way off the food levels. Hopefully just a bad day...

We came here on a recommendation on a Thursday 2.00 pm lunch treat. Unfortunately it wasn’t great from the start, there wasn’t any heating apart from a struggling log burner and an electric portable, which by the way we managed to sit at the table two feet away and still debated about putting our coats back on. I ordered the roast turkey , which I was told straight away that it was turkey roll not slices of breast but I was fine with that. When it arrived it was two slices of turkey, four parsnips and a small sweet potato, hardly enough for a child, it was tasty but disappointing. So on to desert… we were both going to order the banoffee pie as it’s one of our favourites but after discussing it with the waitress and hearing that it actually came what she called “ deconstructed “ crushed biscuit in one area ice cream on another and a caremelised banana to one side.. hardly banoffee pie as I know and love we opted out and went for the crumble.. can’t go wrong with crumble we thought.. oh dear got that wrong .. who leaves the skins on the pears when making a crumble.. it’s as if the chef is changing the recipe just for the sake of it when not necessary.its a pub not fu fu restaurant.sorry didn’t take any photos.wont be returning but after this review I expect they won’t...