The Hatch Inn — Restaurant in Wealden

After coming here for years I had an appalling experience on my latest visit. I popped in with my wife and baby following a walk in Ashdown Forest. My wife and I both opted for the roast as we knew they had served a good one a couple of years ago. While most of what was served on today’s visit was okay, the ‘roast’ potatoes were really not. They had a strange pale yellow colour, fishy taste and a chewy thick skin. We mentioned to the waiting staff, who politely brought some fresher ones, which were served from the kitchen, piping hot and with bubbling yellow skin moments later. It was obvious they had been deep-fried. While they were a slight improvement on the previous batch, the strange taste remained.. the unmistakable flavour of fish & batter. Normally one of my favourites but a rogue and unwelcome accompaniment to my beef and horseradish.

We gave the fishy feedback to the waiter when we requested the bill, who was sympathetic and professional in his response. Unfortunately, his colleague, the partner of the owner approached the table aggressively and stated that she had received the feedback and had tried a potato herself and they were absolutely fine and she had a severe fish allergy so would be on the floor if they tasted of fish. She then went on to ask if we had done a lateral flow test recently as it could be covid that was affecting our sense of taste and smell. We explained that we hadn’t expected to be told there was something wrong with us if we didn’t like the food, to which she replied that we were sounding like “professional complainers and we would not be getting a discount on our bill”. We actually hadn’t said anything about a discount up until this point we had simply given polite feedback when offered the chance. However following this aggressive onslaught we said that we would actually like a discount. She then stormed off to get her partner who approached the table in an aggressive manner. We explained the situation to him and suggested politely that it was inappropriate to treat honest customer feedback in such a way and that whether they agreed potatoes tasted of fish or not they were soggy and not roasted and inadequate for a £18 roast. He then said that he would discount the potatoes to a sum of £5.

Underwhelmed by the food but DISGUSTED by the behaviour of management. I will not...

I came here today after visiting Ashdown Forest home of Winnie the Pooh on day one of my trip I was craving some good pub food after a long walk and found the Hatch inn on my way back to the busstop I was served by Gabby and Tommy around 7pm it was a quiet night and everyone was very welcoming and friendly I ordered a cheeseburger which came with chips and it was delicious one of the best I have ever tasted! It hit the spot and was so filling I didnt manage to finish it all The service was amazing the staff were super friendly and gave me information about the local area of Hartfield After I was finished with my food, Gabby was kind enough to offer me a lift back to East Grinstead as her shift ended, rather than waiting around in the dark for the last bus to turn up, I accepted and thanked her for her generosity It was a lovely evening and both Tommy and Gabby's great service and kindness was greatly appreciated The prices are good, service is quick and food is fab I will be returning again and recommending to family and friends if they ever come this way for a holiday Thankyou very much...

A lovely little country pub, hidden away near Ashdown Forst.

The place itself is quite cosy inside. A handful of tables for 4 people, all quite close together, and a few larger tables. It was busy when we went, but we still managed to find a table. There are a few seats out the front, and a sizable beer garden out the back, too.

There's no dedicated car park, so lots of cars parked along the narrow roar outside.

The menu options were more on the cheffy side: duck confit, calves' liver, and so on. All moderately priced, but not a huge variety. I had the liver, and it was excellent. There's a variety of sandwiches available too, and they'll do those in smaller portions for children. High chairs were available.

Deserts were standard gasto-pub faire. The toffee pudding and the cheese board were both really good.

The staff were friendly and helpful, but seemed quite busy. They were constantly rushing to and from the kitchen with plates of food, and both our main course and deserts took a long time to arrive.

Overall, an enjoyable meal. I'd...