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From the
https://www.kentonline.co.uk By the Secret Drinker, 4 April 2025.
Secret Drinker reviews Shepherd Neame’s The Alma pub in Painters Forstal,
near Faversham.
Sitting on the corner of a triangular plot, it was a good job there
was a Shepherd Neame pub sign standing above the fence or I might have
missed The Alma altogether.
But round at the front, the neatly weather-boarded white façade looks
every inch the quaint village hostelry we were seeking for a quiet
Friday afternoon drink.
Situated on a triangular plot of land in the centre of Painters Forstal,
if it hadn't been for the pub sign above the fence I might have missed
The Alma altogether.
And once inside this Painters Forstal pub it’s equally apparent this is
somewhere with a long history of providing thirsty travellers with a
convenient stopping off point.
But before Mrs SD and I could get through the door, a guy pulled up in a
Land Rover and limped in ahead of us before going straight into the
kitchen to have a chat with the staff.
When a second person, this time a lady, also walked in with a pronounced
limp it looked like a real coincidence, but when the very next punter
came in dragging one leg I began to wonder if everyone in the village
was afflicted or maybe some sort of bizarre prank was being played?
From this angle it still wasn't very clear we'd discovered the country
pub we were seeking.
Once you find the front of The Alma it's clear you've arrived at a
picturesque, traditional country pub.
Unsurprisingly for this time of day, apart from a few limpers, the pub
was fairly empty and the barman seemed genuinely pleased to have
something to do. His co-working barmaid kept herself busy polishing the
brass pumps while he poured a Whitstable Bay Pale Ale for me and a large
Malbec for her. Facing a host so keen to chat, I asked how old the pub
was and my new found friend said: “It’s been here for ages”.
It’s an L-shaped building with low wood-panelled ceilings and appears as
if it has been decorated throughout fairly recently and, looking at the
structure, I reckon it could easily be 150-years-old.
There is no pool table, no jukebox and certainly no fruit machine,
although there is an interesting-looking dartboard at the far end near
to the toilets, with its rope and wooden backboard, it looked like an
extra decoration.
Whilst I’m on the subject, the loos are incredibly small but, as Mrs SD
maintains, size is not important and the gents’ facilities, with a
single urinal, are beautifully formed with everything fully stocked and
excellent two-tone tiling on display. Mrs SD reported the ladies’ toilet
is equally well appointed.
Fresh daffodils had been carefully placed in the centre of each table
and long strings of fairy lights were slung across every available free
space. The rest of the staff were hidden away in the kitchen busy
prepping for the evening shift but at one point we were joined in the
bar by a trio of pub bosses who proceeded to hold a business meeting and
discuss everything from upcoming menus, to staffing lists and the wines
to be stocked – all interesting stuff.
They seemed to be covering a fair few subjects and, with my lack of
qualifications, far be it from me to make comment in any of these areas
they were discussing.
Like the lower half of the walls, the ceilings have also been
wood-panelled.
It was a reasonably bright afternoon in The Alma but the fairy lights
were still on.
However, if I was to pass on one small suggestion, I would recommend
investing just a little time talking to staff about the rich history of
The Alma. None of the bar staff had any idea about the heritage of the
pub that I’m sure has been an important part of the local community for
many years.
And, when I noticed a hatch at the top of the wall in the bar and
questioned its purpose they again had no idea – I took a picture in case
a knowledgeable reader may be able to offer a suggestion.
To be fair, key tasks were being performed well – we were served in a
timely fashion and the bar staff were all very friendly. Equally, there
can be no doubt there’s an effective regime of cleaning in place and the
pub is in immaculate condition, but arming the staff with even a little
of the background behind the place they’re working would surely be a
good idea.
We were fascinated by what appeared to be some sort of hatch high up in
the wall of the bar but unfortunately the staff were unable to shed any
light on its purpose.
We enjoyed our visit to this classic Kentish country pub and, given all
the kitchen prep we witnessed, slightly regretted our decision to eat
before we visited.
Finally, it wasn’t until we left that I spotted the garden, which is
separated from the pub by the car park at the front.
Like the rest of The Alma it looked extremely well kept and presented
though, at the time, it wasn’t set up for use with tables and chairs
still stacked up and protected from the weather.
Just over the hedge, the garden is separated from the pub by the car
park at the front.
Carefully designed - what the gents' toilet lacked in size it more than
made up for in presentation.
Décor: Looking as if it’s been recently decorated, the whole place is
beautifully presented with a number of interesting historical items
dotted about – special mention for the tiling in the gents. *****
Drink: The pale ale was well kept and well served and Mrs SD said both
glasses of wine were decent examples. The choice of drinks is somewhat
restricted for obvious reasons. ***
Price: A pint of Whitstable Pale Ale will set you back £5.20 and a
Hurlimann 30p more at £5.50. The large glass of Malbec and Esk Valley
Sauvignon Blanc clocked in at the same cost, £9.40. A packet of crisps
is £1.40. ***
Staff: Obviously, the staff will be a great deal busier at other times,
but while we were in, the barman and barmaid were happy to divide and
rule – he pulled the pints, she concentrated her efforts on getting
everything gleaming. ****
The dartboard, with its rope and wooden backboard, is almost a design
feature itself.
Spotlessly clean and fresh, with some great tiling work and polished
stainless steel accessories, the facilities were impeccable.
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