retiredmartin

September 2023. Brasted, Kent.

First things, first. Congratulations to Leon for his remarkable achievement in ticking the Spoons, ALL the Spoons. Here he is on the Wirral showing how you raise children properly.

In pints, too, the only way to tick. No wonder Simon was first to congratulate him.

There’s a Leon just up the road from my next tick “recommended” pub in Brasted. You’ll remember I started a series on “Pub Walks from Clacket Lane Services” and the Stanhope Arms could conceivably be added to that list if you can get the time down from 1hr 8 min to, say, 55 mins.

It’s all happening at Clacket Lane Services, whose recent reviews include this endorsement.

I recommend the Leon flat white.

Brasted itself is worth an hour of your time as a stop-off on the way to see Churchill’s house at Chartwell, though it suffers a bit from being on the A25.

Strong winds had arrived in Kent overnight, probably from somewhere less civilised across the sea, leaving branches strewn across a churchyard named after me.

Nice looking pub, though you never can tell what you’re getting in Kent vilages.

Gentlefolk gastro, scruffy tradesmen boozer, young folks venue…

The Stanhope is a bit of all of them, with major dog kennel vibes thrown in.

With high tables throughout it’s less Olde Worlde Kent and more New Town Essex, with ’80s soundtrack to match.

Stella still the beer of choice (though one chap had a bottle of champagne at 1pm, respect), shorts de rigueur,

but the Iron Pier is cool and fruity and chewy (NBSS 3+) and under a fiver and I can’t complain.

Actually, it’s “chewy“. Haven’t used that word for a while.

Might never again.