CAMRA National Pub of the Year Finalist 2007! See latest news page!
Gill & Martin offer a warm welcome to you, whether a local or visiting pubgoer.
Click on this picture to open the pub photo album.
The pub is a traditional single bar building, which was built in the 1820's and served as the local beer shop. It became a pub with 3 rooms in the late 19th Century, and has had various developments made over the years.
As we repair and renew the building, we gradually discover more interesting facts about the place, and we aim to refurbish as many of the original features as possible. We are in a conservation area, so the pub will not be changed dramatically, and certainly not while we are in it! We enjoy hearing from people who have family connections with the pub, and have put families in touch across the globe to help them trace family trees!
We consider that we are running and living in a community service as well as a business, hence we sell various items unusual for a pub (in the absence of a village shop) and help out our neighbours whenever possible.
We look forward to seeing you in person whenever you can visit us! Cheers.
Gill & Martin
We have 6 handpumps offering a range of ales, including changing guests. Over-sized lined glasses are available to ensure a full liquid pint for all the real ales, and many other drinks.
Our philosophy for selecting all of our products is to support smaller British businesses wherever possible, which includes micro-brewers, cider-makers and food suppliers. We do tend to avoid stocking mass produced drinks, which tend to be of lower quality and contain many adjuncts to reduce production costs and aid preservation. We would rather sell fresh!
We offer quality lagers, including imported Budvar on draught, Kaltenberg (brewed to the Reinheitsgebot purity law) as well as a good selection of wines by the glass and bottle. We are currently adding a selection of Belgian bottled beers & have real Westons Perry & Cider available all year.
Soft drinks are just as important as part of our offering, so we stock fresh fruit juices, Fentimans soft drinks and several options for children and diabetics. Quality teas and freshly made coffee are available all day, too.
We do not have a separate restaurant and therefore do not focus on meals. We do serve a variety of bar snacks all day. We are a pub first, eating house second, but will offer good food for lunch, and can cater for small groups on request, plus occasional food nights - see below...
Our philosophy, as with beers, is to support smaller quality producers of good food. We do use many local suppliers, but will buy further afield where practical.
Quality home-cooked meals are served 12.00 to 2.30 pm weekdays and Saturdays.
We do not served cooked lunches on Sundays currently, as the pub is busy with drinkers, and there is not sufficient demand, but we will have hot pasties available while stocks last.
Bar snacks such as filled rolls are usually available through the afternoon and evening.
Hot or cold buffets can also be provided for groups having a business or social event here.
We are proud to have been listed in the CAMRA Good Beer guide since we bought the pub, and we are also proud to be listed among 'Twelve of the Best' in the country in the Real Ale Guide 2007! The Good Pub guide also includes us under Hertfordshire.
Everyone is welcome in our house, as long as they respect the fact that it is our house, and everyone else is entitled to respect also. As a result, the atmosphere is always pleasant, friendly and welcoming.
We are generally a mobile free pub, meaning we would ask you to manage your mobile, not vice versa. Please use 'silent' or the off button when in the bar and take urgent calls outside.
The pub is dog friendly (with well-behaved owners!) Walkers, cyclists and horse-riders also welcome. The dog biscuits are on the front window cill! Our pub dog, Duchess, can be noisy when greeting customers, but please do not be alarmed, she is a big softie, really! Please do not offer Duchess any food, as she is well-fed by us, and knows she should not bother customers. Thank you.
Please note we do not cater for under 14's in the pub, but children are welcome in the large garden and on The Pavilion.
