Eating out: The Whyte Harte Hotel, Bletchingley

By dmorris

Since the reign of Richard II The Whyte Harte Hotel has offered fine foods, real ales and comfort to passing travellers.

Situated in the historic village of Bletchingley, The Whyte Harte Hotel is one of the few surviving Medieval inns in Britain and is enveloped in history.

Said to date back to 1388, it possesses wooden beams, which are believed to be from ships of the era.

Many of the original features of the pub are still visible today. The original fire grate dates back to 1613 and there is even a baker's oven in a recess. The three fireplaces are still working, with the main one being the focal point in the bar.

Now under the ownership of a pub company run by Steve Hall and Roland Couch – they only reopened it in September after a major refurbishment – the management team on site is Sharon and Peter Latham, who have years of experience in the industry.

While Sharon tends to meet and greet patrons and is the front of office person, Peter runs the food side of the business, leading the restaurant team.

My wife and I dropped into The Whyte Harte Hotel for lunch one recent Sunday. With spaces outside all taken, we found one directly opposite (we had booked ahead, wisely it seemed, given the fact that the restaurant was virtually full).

While taking in the warm and cosy atmosphere, we looked through the menu. We decided not to have Sunday roast – a choice from two joints with all the trimmings for £9.95 – but ordered from the a la carte menu instead. It soon became evident that we were spoilt for choice – a lot of the starters and mains appealed to both us. While my wife finally chose sauteed tiger prawns, with a drizzle of chilli oil, and chorizo (£6.50), I went for crab and salmon fishcakes (£5.50), with tartar sauce on a bed of salad. We munched on an assortment of breads while we awaited the arrival of our starters.

While both starters were described as "small plate" helpings, they turned out to be rather a lot. We then moved onto the mains, my wife ordering a char grilled 10oz sirloin steak and I opting for grilled fillet of sea bass, with lemon scented rice and curried mussel broth (both £15.95).

Her steak came complete with all the trimmings: croutons, red onion relish, sauteed mushrooms, chips and the all important green peppercorn sauce. I truly enjoyed my dish – my wife even more so (she had requested some greens to go with her steak and was given portions of mange tout and broccoli).

Our choice of pudding was, once more, made all the more difficult because they all were rather tempting. My wife ordered creme brulee and I asked for a bowl of ice cream (vanilla and chocolate scoops).

The Whyte Harte Hotel – its 11 well-equipped rooms are comfortable, with modern fixtures yet in a traditional setting – has a child friendly policy, with children's menu featuring various items, each £4.95. Kids' puddings are £3.

All meats are locally sourced from Onsey Lodge Farm in nearby South Godstone. It boasts a fine selection of whiskies and its wines are all sourced from Bibendum, an acclaimed wines supplier from London. The pub rotates its real ales on a regular basis.

The establishment is open from 11am Monday to Saturday, and noon on Sunday. Food is available Monday to Friday from noon to 2.30pm and 6pm to 10pm, and all day Saturday and Sunday.

The Lathams, to their credit, have risen to the challenge of running a high profile pub, restaurant and hotel and delivering a high level of service and customer satisfaction.

Given their superb efforts and performance in the first months of their tenure – they report that the number of covers is increasing almost by the day as word gets out – they seem the appropriate custodians of this enchanting establishment steeped in history.

Alf De Araujo

ataglance

Reviewer's rating: Four stars

Cost for two: £54.90 (including deserts but not drinks )

Service charge: At discretion of diner

Wine: Varied and impressive selection

Vegetarian: Plenty of choice

Parking: Spaces directly outside and opposite

Disabled access: Yes

Service: Prompt and efficient

Value for money: Yes

The Whyte Harte Hotel

11-21 High Street

Bletchingley

Surrey

RH1 4PB

01883 743231