The Huntsman in Wealden

DREADFUL SERVICE, INDIFFERENT EXPENSIVE FOOD, £150.00 FOR LUNCH FOR TWO (I had a Burger, my friend had the Lumb Shank) The barmaid/waitress was disagreeable, unwelcoming, and unfriendly. She charged us £15.20 for two glasses of rough house wine. The ambience was none existent; my friend and I were there from 12.10 until 2.40 only three other customers came in: a man for a swift half-pint & an elderly couple for a quick light bite.

You have to book to eat here, one member of staff was really rude, told we could rough it out side to eat. Not a friendly pub. Other half brought a drink before catching the next train back to Tunbridge.

Mixed meat roast was delicious, particularly the pork, roasties, and carrots. All arrived super quickly and the people were lovely. Hugely impressed by the drinks prices too

Unfortunately we had a very poor experience, we entered the pub only to be met by a very rude and abrupt employee who told us we couldn't order food as they were to busy, we advised we only wanted drinks and was met by a huge sigh We were told to go outside and they would come out to order drinks which never happened so we had to go in and order The prices of drinks was fair 2 of us decided we would eat when they had time to serve us they advised a 30 min wait which wasn't to bad, however 55 mins later they finally let us know they would take food orders which was to late as we had to catch a train and as service to even get a menu was this slow we couldn't ensure the food would be bought out in a timely manner When we finished out drinks we chatted on the way back to the train with other couples and they too had the same experience My advice to the staff if you don't like dealing with the general public it's probably best to find another career I certainly won't be going back and would not recommend the pub to anyone.

Lovely pub with a beautiful garden. Tasty food and good selection of ales . We will be back soon

Lovely place to have lunch on the spa valley trains

Attractive pub in a great location but the food was so poor. We ordered the fish and chips , the fish was overcooked in a blackened batter and the chips were barely cooked. The long man beer was excellent but don't bother with eating, there are much better places around.

Visited during the day, about 1pm. Lots of staff but not many customers so served immediately. Nice old pub with lots of character.

Surprised by these reviews as the staff were friendly and professional but more than anything the Sunday roast was delicious, tasty and well priced. Chef deserves a medal!

Good food and fantastic service 👍

The location is lovely, it has its own parking lot. I do cycle a lot in this area and I always wanted to stop for a beer. Today I dropped by with my family and I was very disappointed. The experience with the staff was a grim one, the person behind the bar was very rude to us with a passive aggressive attitude. I don't know, he probably didn't like my accent, or he had something against tourists,or maybe because I was with my kid, call it the way you like but it is still DISCRIMINATION as the people ahead of us were served very nicely. I suggest you read the other bad reviews and you will find this situation happened before. This is an issue that management should take into consideration. It is an absolute pity as the Steam Train stops in Eridge and the location has great potential.

Lovely service from the team. Had a really enjoyable evening.

Tucked away by Eridge train station, wouldn’t know it was there! Delicious Sunday roast (GF!) with mini versions for children, we were well looked after by the staff, nothing too much trouble but you can see that it’s a small pub that gets very busy! Garden is huge loads of space for kids to run around - safely. We had a lovely relaxed afternoon at the Huntsman. All in all lovely Sunday lunch and will be back.

Avoid at all costs. This a pub for locals only and if you’re not a local…you’ll soon be made aware of it. We waited patiently in line….finally got to the bar and were told they wouldn’t serve us and were told told to wait outside. Waited outside and were ignored.

Outside great inside not so good .our first time at the huntsman will go again.

The second time we’ve been to the pub and the service leaves a lot to be desired. We went over new years and the waitress couldn’t even greet us with a smile. We went yesterday and again the service was terrible, the bar lady picked and chose who she wanted to serve, no friendly smile or customer service. Twice one of the servers pushed into me whilst walking with food and no apology.

Very poor and rude staff service. I can see by the other reviews that I’m not the only one who noticed it. Bar staff seemed to look after their mates and not charge them whilst the rest of us had to just wait even when we’d been waiting a lot longer. This pub use to be so good. What a shame!

Attended the annual bike show, extremely busy but did not have to wait long for either food or drinks (well done to all the staff). We will be isiting again.

We had a lovely time with friends but, the fun was OKish....kinda basic pub food. the atmosphere was runied by some man chainsawing in the background and the smell of the drains.....ukkkkk Great Location, spoilt by the smell of drains, tired furniture and sometimes sullen service....

the pub was so fun the walls and tables and ceilings are full of history

We had a really lovely lunch with Friends. My food was excellent

Absolutely lovely place, sadly they don’t serve food until 6 and we arrived a few hours too early to enjoy it.

Great time in plesent charming pub food was lovely and fair price will be returning very soon

Been going to this pub since the late 80's and it has really changed from then but really like what has been done and hope the current landlords stay as long as possible.

Can always guarantee a great meal here. Always welcomed with a friendly face. Great service and great food.

Only stopped for a drink after arriving via the Spa Valley Railway. Nice beer garden and a decent pint.

Just popped in for a beer with an old mate so didn’t eat or stay long. The place has a good “Proper old pub” feel about it and had a nice bubbling atmosphere. I’ll definitely be back.

First visit, staff very welcoming, food well presented, plenty of it. Just a nice country pub, will definitely go there again.

Wonderful service apart from the fact I never got a response to my complaint. The food was basic, bland and extremely underwhelming, I had the pork belly which was the best, bland. Fat wasn’t rendered what so ever and a pathetic portion when belly is extremely cheap. Mash was lumpy, no seasoning and primitive with just some parsley in it. Cabbage was the only thing that was cooked right but still had no butter. Why !?!. My friend had this frozen scampi, cheap chips and peas that have been through the microwave. They were wrinkled and looked appalling. Why bother being a chef when you really don’t care about your food. It doesn’t take a Gordon Ramsay to know what seasoning is.

Made to feel very welcome. Staff all very friendly. My friend and I just had something from the starter menu. We stayed all afternoon and the staff put up with our merriment. Will be back if they let us. Quite a few customers had dogs but not an issue.

Had a really nice roast here on Christmas Eve. Pleasantly surprised at how good it was for a reasonable price. Attentive young staff were very pleasant.

Met a friend for a long pre Christmas lunch/afternoon. Great Food and friendly service.

The food was very good and generous size portions. The staff were very friendly and chatty. All in all, a lovely meal out.

Simply Superb A wonderful Country Pub right beside Eridge Station (direct services from London Bridge & Uckfield. We booked a table, and just as well for strangely today was popular but not full. Great welcome and super service from the two ladies running front of house. James, the Guvnor, was busy behind the scenes turning out perfectly fabulous meals. We had four different starters & four different mains. Everyone enjoyed each dish, perfectly cooked and served. Larkins Pale was perfectly cellared, choice of wines was wide enough and not expensive considering. Two log fires and rustic furniture made it ever so cosy on a cool early winters day. Truly highly recommended for lunch or dinner. A great treat. Thanks James

The roast dinner was great. One criticism would be the veg was just boiled. I think the chef could be a bit more creative with the veg. Biggest criticism is the poor selection of beers. No modern pale ales on tap which a lot of people want nowadays.

Excellent service and lunch for the 10 of us

Just popped in for a drink and a packet of crisps with our dogs after a long walk, they were very welcoming and hospitable. Lovely old pub 🍻

The perfect place for the best Sunday roast.

Really good service, Sunday roast was excellent. Local real ales well served also. Friendly staff and really big garden.

A rare little gem of a venue and without doubt, the best pub in the area: a terrific atmosphere often forms with friends at this venue due to the hospitality and consistency of the food and service. Well done the Huntsman team

Was recommended by a friend who comes here often. Glad we rook his advice. The food was outstanding! Even catered for my very fussy son!! We are planning our next trip back here for more food 👍

Sat outside and enjoyed delicious food. Atmosphere only 4 as sewage lorry was in action which made the smell unpleasant but not The Huntsman's fault!

A short visit (just for a drink) so can not review food. The Gun Brewery services The Huntsman and the beer is kept & served well here. Other good range of lagers, wines, spirits etc. Outdoors is lovely in good weather. Small courtyard in front of main entrance but nicer to walk down stairs to large garden & enclosed area. Barbecue area with the enclosed area. Lovely staff at The Huntsman The Huntsman is good for transport access (though public transport can be slightly problematic. A26 main road very close to The Huntsman at Eridge. A railway station (on the Uckfield-London line) is 5' minutes walk from Eridge Station. Brighton&Hove buses (route 28/29) between Brighton/Lewes/Uckfield-Tunbridge Wells) stops close by & operates upto every 30' minutes. The restored Heritage railway (Spa Valley between Tunbridge Wells/Groombridge-Eridge) operates on selected dates but check their website.

Lovely pub,great atmosphere. Great food. Staff are wonderful. Amazing beer garden.

Great real ale pub that serves good quality food. The very friendly local motorcycle club meets here on Wednesday evenings on an assortment of vintage, classic and modern machines. Recommended venue especially during the summer as there is an extensive garden to the rear.

Gorgeous pub and garden in the depths of the English countryside

Lovely afternoon spent in the garden.

First ever Wake we've been to at the "Huntsman", and the staff did a great job despite having to host over 100 plus mourners. The buffet food catered for more conventional tastes. Various Sandwiches, Pastries and nibbles were tasty. My wife particularly enjoyed the Sausage Rolls 😋

Great pub. Visited after some local climbing.

Love this pub. Great food. Lovely decor. Laid-back atmosphere from attentive friendly staff. Dog friendly. Regularly travel from far away to be here.

Just the best pub in the area ! A proper local country pub. Staff are welcoming & helpful. Service is friendly & efficient whether we go there to eat or just drink. Food is really good and way better than many pubs that claim to be gastropubs but actually serve up microwaved catering food. A great atmosphere however busy & whatever the weather...

Lovely pub with honest good food and friendly staff. Added bonus that it is also dog friendly.

Ticks all the boxes for me. Free house, adjacent to a heritage railway and plenty of outdoor areas. Oh and also dog friendly and plenty of parking. I was originally attracted by the location next to the Spa Valley Railway. My wife and adult daughter joined me for lunch, which i pre booked. Larkin bitter, Stowford Press cider and Chenin Blanc satisfied our thirsts. Interesting food menu with plenty of fish alternatives so my wife was happy. Side salad too. My venison burger was different and very tasty; served with coleslaw and fries. Daughter enjoyed her scampi which was also served with coleslaw and fries. Loads of atmosphere and such helpful staff. Yes I will be back.

We all (13 of us) enjoyed our Sunday lunch at the long table next to the fire and were looked after very professionally by Abbi and her team. We've eaten and drunk here several times over the winter months and love the fact that it remains a pub, where it's OK to drop by for a simple drink and a bag of crisps, as well as a great place to scoff a full Sunday roast with all the trimmings (book to avoid disappointment). Here's to warmer months in the pub garden!

Our favourite pub . Friendly and casual atmosphere. Service is always excellent. The food is constantly good , the price range is average . It’s a dog friendly pub .

We visited the Huntsman on a fine day, witha view to having a late lunch . (2.00pm) There were 8 of us and we took seats in the garden. I went to the bar to see what beers were on offer, only to be told (quite abruptly) that it was table service only. Eventually we got our drinks and ordered our food. It tooke a while to arrive, but as we had a lot to catch upon, it didn't really matter. However, 2 of us had ordered the BBQ spare ribs, which from all other experiences, usually consisted of either a half or full rack of ribs. We received 2, yes two ribs, which were about 7/8inches long! The meat at the end of the rib can only be described as belly pork and was not what was expected. As for the BBQ sauce, it was almost non existant. However other members of my party were ok with their meals although some portions were considered to be small. When the bill arrived, it included a 10% surcharge. I do not consider that a country pub should place any surcharge on the bill, which should be at the discretion of the customer. This is expected in good hotels and restaurants, but not for pub grub. I did not want to have a confrontation with the staff member (or in front of my party) so I duly paid the bill. Unfortunately, I will not be returning in a hurry to the Huntsman as there are many more local pubs which offer beter value. AVOID!

Very nice pub food and good value for money. Will definitely return.

I've missed The Huntsman. Good beer, friendly team. Look forward to popping back to eat.

A busy little pub with a quaint ambiance, and great food.

First rate. A proper country pub. Fire place. Well kept beer. Very good food. No music. No football. Just tables filled with happy people chatting, drinking and eating. We were delighted to find this place after a trip on the Spa Valley Railway and immediately booked for a return visit. Highly recommended.

Fantastic family lunch in a charming country pub after a trip on the steam railway next door. Staff were friendly and accommodating. Just a proper pub - lovey open fire, tables filled with happy, chatting, eating and drinking people. We’ll keep beer. Great food. No music or sport. Just what we needed.

Incredibly patient friendly staff! The pub is next to the train station and I messed them about with a lunch booking as our train was late. The pub were really kind and helpful. Thank you!

Very cute, cosy pub that does a decent Sunday roast

Great Pub great food and staff friendly I have been several times over the last couple of months and always feel like you’re made to feel welcome. Went to the annual bike show during the summer and sat in the garden when on a sunny day was lovely. Keep up the good work guys and girl’s

Great food, quick and very friendly service. Would go back in a heart beat.

Good food, quality Ale and comfortable.

Amazing food and very warm atmosphere

Great food, nice atmosphere & really friendly staff! Will definitely be back soon, highly recommend a visit!

Great food. Lovely country pub. 😊

Spot on little country pub - open fire , lovely food , friendly staff

The fish pie is absolutely amazing! The staff are wonderful Well worth a visit.

A wonderful pub located in Eridge close walk from the Spa Valley (and mainline) railway stations... This is a lovely country pub set over two floors with a lovely big garden on the lower floor round the back... The pub atmosphere is warm and welcoming with lovely attentive staff... The menu is varied ranging homemade meaty pies, bangers and mash with gravy to die for, locally sourced fish dishes, and amazing Sunday roasts! Well worth a visit if you're in the area!

One of the best roasts I've ever had! Friendly staff and lovely decor, would recommend to anyone visiting Eridge

Real open fire, fine ales, v cosy pub.

7 of us booked for Sunday lunch after a lovely country walk. From start to finish this was a brilliant experience. Pleasantly surprised to receive table service in the garden, the staff could not have done more to make us welcome. All 7 of our lunches were exceptional and not only did they allow us to have a birthday cake they served it and sang happy birthday. This was one of the best Front of House teams we have come across. Highly recommend.

Great pub, friendly staff. Highly recommended

Really beautiful! Such a lovely pub, I never even knew it was there it’s so tucked away. The outside area is perfect when the weathers good, and inside was lovely and warm and welcoming too. A perfect country pub, I can’t wait to come in winter and sit by the fire. The food was brilliant, and such a reasonably price too. We had padron peppers, prawn cocktail, fish and chips, tuna steak and a whole dressed crab- and the best calamari I’ve ever tasted. Thanks so much! Can’t wait to come back!

Absolutely beautiful! We visited on a rainy day which was a shame because the setting is lovely. However this did not detract in anyway our review. We had a ploughman’s and a bowl of chips really impressive and very tasty! The service from the staff was really friendly and helpful throughly recommend a visit! Thank you

I would give lower if I could, but it was awful. My mum called ahead (twice over the course of a month) as me and my partner have some minor intolerances and are vegan. They assured us we would be catered for. We arrive, optimistic as the summary said vegan options available and they’d assured us there would be something. Only to be bitterly let down. Despite the advance notice, there had been nothing put together. We were told we could have anything on the menu made vegan - we were excited as felt this meant they had maybe bought a vegan burger so we could have those or had some vegan cheese so we could have a risotto or sandwich etc. This was not the case. What they meant was, we will charge you full price for a dish where we just remove the animal products and say we’ve accommodated you. This meant the burgers they offered became lettuce in a bun. I don’t know about you but that’s not a suitable vegan option in this day and age? We were then offered risotto (see below) and two salads that was literally just lettuce with no satisfying protein additions like beans or vegan substitutes. Would it have been so hard to go to the sainsburys down the road or to keep a few ready made vegan burgers in the fridge to whip out for moments like this? I’m sure there are many vegans and vegetarians who could visit you (given the proximity to the heritage steam train station) but won’t because you don’t offer any options. And most vegans visiting will spot that and not bother coming - as we came with a family of omnivores for a birthday we didn’t have a choice to avoid them. In the end my partner had nothing and we went to sainsburys after to get him something. I optimistically ordered the risotto, thinking they would at least use vegetable stock and herbs for the flavour. Nope, I literally got plain rice and peas. My family also said they were disappointed with their meals, with my mums crab coming out with stale toast. The staff didn’t really seem to care either. Do not recommend.

Nice pub with a garden to relax in.

I always call into the Huntsman when I'm home visiting family. The bar is nice and cost inside, and the beer garden is large, shady and picturesque (in now small part thanks to its view of the the station next door, into which run heritage steam trains). The food is very good and reasonably priced. The real ales are kept in excellent condition, and there's always a good selection of beers on - both traditional and modern. Finally, the service is very friendly.

Queued for 20 mins to order a pint and a burger on a midweek evening only to be informed the chef had stopped taking orders and to come back in 45 mins. Returned at specified time but had to queue yet again for 20 mins to place a food order. Having voiced displeasure at the situation (an hour and a half just to order a burger) a tired and emotional, wild-eyed chef who clearly couldn't stand the heat in his own kitchen came storming out, swearing loudly, making accusations of being rude to the staff (certainly not - comments were firm but factual - bar staff are excellent) and aggressively threatening eviction! Poor kitchen management and organisational meltdown. Landlord absent so hopefully redeemable based on past performance.

The letter explains all but never had a reply back. Dear Manager, I am writing to complain regarding my visit with a party of 12 on Saturday 30th July. I had informed the pub of 2 vegans in my party and their allergies and was advised that they would be catered for and the information passed onto the chef. To our dismay this hadn’t happened and was told we could have what we like on the menu and anything not vegan would be removed. That left a very bland meal with no vegan alternatives added to it. One vegan had to go hungry and the other was given a meal of literally rice and peas (risotto but all the non vegan taken out)and charged into double figures for this awful dish. This really was a thorough disappointment to a birthday meal and put a soured taste into our celebrations. I am completely gobsmacked how not even a tasty beetroot burger or a pizza as an easy option to have as a staple dish in the freezer for vegans. Unfortunately vegans are use to just a couple of options, but to offer nothing after being warned is unacceptable. If you had called me back and said you wasn’t bothering to accommodate our request, I could of gone to Groombridge or T wells and everyone would of been fed properly. To top it all the train back was cancelled so we was stranded until 4.40pm for the next train and still one member hadn’t eaten all day. We then had to call a taxi to get him to Sainburys to buy food. I await in anticipation for your reply on this matter. Regards

Good food, wide selection of dishes, right by Eridge railway station if you are making a trip on the Spa Valley heritage railway

Closed when I turned up unfortunately

Lovely pub, good atmosphere, real ales were really well kept with a good selection, food looked wonderful, but after a large home breakfast was too full to indulge, but two of my mates had the burger and chips and were both pleased and full.Says it all 😁

Fantastic vibe, food and service. We hired the pub and garden for our private office summer party, with BBQ, band and games. They were so accommodating of our wishes and made the whole experience fun and easy. Highly recommend!

Has the Hake dish. Really very good. Another of our group had the nut roast which was also great. Recommended. Big outdoor garden and ales kept well.

I didn't like that I couldn't order at the bar. Staff wasn't very pleasant and told me in a manner as if I'm not even supposed to be there that I should grab a seat and wait. The place was almost empty, but the service was very slow, for just a few quick drinks. Didn't get the bottle with the lemonade we ordered. Waitress was clearly fake nice. Maybe had a bad day, who knows? Asked to pay straight away, but still, after waiting for 10 min, had to go to the bar to pay; table service? Weird experience, didn't feel welcome at all. Would not go back. Location is very nice though.

Best food in town!! Had a lovely evening with great surroundings and great food

Excellent lunch and lovely outside area.

Very pleasant garden with play area for children.

Amazing taste and lovely quality

Beautiful roasts on a Sunday, lovely outside tables on a nice day...very busy but friendly staff

We visited the Huntsman on a fine day, witha view to having a late lunch . (2.00pm) There were 8 of us and we took seats in the garden. I went to the bar to see what beers were on offer, only to be told (quite abruptly) that it was table service only. Eventually we got our drinks and ordered our food. It tooke a while to arrive, but as we had a lot to catch upon, it didn't really matter. However, 2 of us had ordered the BBQ spare ribs, which from all other experiences, usually consisted of either a half or full rack of ribs. We received 2, yes two ribs, which were about 7/8inches long! The meat at the end of the rib can only be described as belly pork and was not what was expected. As for the BBQ sauce, it was almost non existant. However other members of my party were ok with their meals although some portions were considered to be small. When the bill arrived, it included a 10% surcharge. I do not consider that a country pub should place any surcharge on the bill, which should be at the discretion of the customer. This is expected in good hotels and restaurants, but not for pub grub. I did not want to have a confrontation with the staff member (or in front of my party) so I duly paid the bill. Unfortunately, I will not be returning in a hurry to the Huntsman as there are many more local pubs which offer beter value.

Lovely food nice garden last stop on the spa vally railway so nice place to stop off for drink or lunch,

I like the place , decent ale , decent food , nice setting 👌 win win

Thoroughly enjoyed it. Just had a couple of half pints but very nice and friendly staff.

A great traditional pub on the end of the Forest Way. Cosy interior with a large garden. Friendly staff and atmosphere.

We found this pub when we got diverted due to a road closure. The garden was lovely and the other patrons of the pub were so warm and friendly