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From the
https://www.kentonline.co.uk Secret Drinker, 9 May 2025.
Secret Drinker reviews the Chequers Inn on the Green, Ashford Road, High Halden.
It looked fantastic, the quintessential old English ale house,
sitting pretty on the village green to serve weary travellers just as it
has done for centuries.
Yes, the Chequers on the Green at High Halden looked the perfect place
to treat Mrs SD and The Apprentice to a well-earned drink and a bite to
eat. But, just as we were walking in The Apprentice, who like all young
‘uns is never off a screen, informed me the interweb thing says this is
a gastro pub.
Over the years, I’ve become wary of this term as all too often it’s
meant inflated prices, mini portions and misplaced over-confidence in
the staff.
But we were in now and I already had an excellent pint of Harvey’s
Sussex Best in my hand, having thrust a large Zensa Fiano organic
(whatever that is) into the hand of she who must be obeyed, so we were
committed.
There are tables galore in a whole host of different spots around the
pub, one or two are even in nooks and crannies where only a loving
couple will fit – we selected one in the window of the restaurant
overlooking the village green.
I'm not sure whether ancient beams count as room dividers so perhaps
this part of the pub can still be described as open plan.
We entered through this side door and I only found the front door after
we'd already made it to the bar and ordered.
Our three-burger order was reasonably straightforward, but I was still
impressed that the young waitress decided not to write anything down
either electronically or even in old-school pen and paper form. My
burger was topped with blue cheese and bacon and came with fries, Mrs
SD’s was blue cheese, without the bacon, but upgraded to sweet potato
fries and the lad had his as naked as the day it was born without
toppings, salad or sauce of any kind.
When Mrs SD then added extra confusion into the mix to ask if she could
have the empty wine bottle she’d taken a fancy to, I feared the worst
for our order.
But, fair play, everything arrived exactly as requested, it was all
wonderfully tasty and fresh and they were all only £10.95 apiece – I
clearly need to have more faith in the memories of young people, and she
was very smiley too.
The window seat was great and there are no fruit machines, dartboards,
pool tables or anything like that to distract you. The background music
was mellow and played low, though it got a bit eclectic jazz at one
stage.
Mrs SD, who’d received a couple of empty wine bottles by now (one red,
one white) said she felt like she was being watched but closer
inspection revealed it was just a giant bull and a well-dressed hare,
part of the pub’s varied artwork.
The pub is arranged like a maze and, having weaved myself through to the
toilets at the back, I found myself in an area which looks as if this
spot must usually host a giant carvery on a Sunday.
There was a further dining area towards the back of The Chequers,
complete with an inglenook-style fireplace.
There is a good deal more seating out front and some folks were taking
advantage of the weather and enjoying the view of the green opposite. I
also spotted a fenced off section at the back of the car park which
contained a pond and a trampoline, which looked as if it had seen better
days – there were picnic tables in here, as well as an area that looked
like a failed allotment, but it wasn’t clear if this was open to the
public.
I assume the sign saying only Jags are allowed in the car park was
tongue-in-cheek but you never know round here and there was a Jaguar
dutifully parked alongside it.
There are some beautiful touches around the place, not least the
well-tended, free-standing window boxes which will look an absolute
picture in a few weeks. I noticed one was emblazoned Shepherd Neame and
it’s clear this place was once run by the famous Kent brewery, though I
assume now the building is just leased from them.
Much of the pub is fairly open plan but there are also nooks and
crannies for those seeking a quieter meal, this table for two sits just
through the side door and there's certainly no room for anyone else!
I'm sure the Chequers was once a full-on Shepherd Neame establishment
but I suspect the brewery now just owns the building, which is leased to
the licensee.
The pub's official address is Ashford Road in High Halden, but it's
immediately clear to see why its full name is the Chequers on the Green.
The toilets, like everywhere else, were carefully maintained and, whilst
I don’t make a habit of gazing upwards in the gents, I was particularly
taken with the wild animal wallpaper on the ceiling.
By the time I returned to the table, the other two had already ordered
puds, a delicate lemon tartelette with raspberry coulis for her and a
Baileys meringue for him. Having missed out on the ordering, I insisted
on tasting both, without letting on I would never have had enough room
to order one for myself. They were both good but the meringue, in
high-stacked format, is a thing of wonder and everyone should sample it.
I’m delighted to say my original shudder caused by The Apprentice’s
‘gastro pub’ uttering proved completely unfounded and none of the trio
of possible pitfalls I mentioned at the start of this review manifested
themselves. This is a wonderful village pub serving great food and drink
at half-sensible prices.
Décor: Plenty of history has been retained everywhere you look but it’s
also perfectly modernised as required. A great example of a quality Kent
pub where you’d want to spend a relaxing lunchtime. ****Drink: When it’s kept properly, a Harvey’s Sussex Best can be great and
this was a good example. The wine, too, received high praise and the
Cruzcampo was exactly what you’d expect. ****
Price: Burgers priced at £10.95 is pretty good these days and puds of
this quality for around the £7/8 mark isn’t bad either. The Sussex Best
was £5.55, the Cruzcampo £6.20 and a large wine £8.35. ***
Food: It might be described as gastro and the food is certainly good
quality but the prices are reassuringly sensible and the portions very
reasonable. I only sampled a spoonful of each dessert but both were
excellent. ****
Staff: Spot on, attentive, friendly and fun. Our waitress could not have
been better and when the landlady kindly delivered Mrs SD the empty wine
bottles she requested, you could see the staff are set a good example.
*****
This area at the back of the pub, with seating around the pond, wasn't
open when we visited, maybe it will open later in the summer.
This area at the back of the pub, with seating around the pond, wasn't
open when we visited, maybe it will open later in the summer.
It wasn't in use when we were in but I assume this area is opened up
when the pub is serving its carvery.
Impeccably maintained, the gents were clean and fresh - Mrs SD confirmed
the ladies' loos were equally well presented.
Perhaps not the ideal place to be looking up, but I couldn't help
spotting the elephant-based wallpaper on the ceiling of the toilets. |
