The Jolly Tanners in Mid Sussex

This has been a true "local pub". However, at the end of September 2023, the business ownership changed hands. This is confirmed by other recent reviews and a closing notice on an "A board" outside the pub. At the time of writing, Google has been requested to flag the pub as "Temporarily Closed". We look forward to visiting when it reopens, and hope the new owner retains the atmosphere - just to confirm, it remains closed at the end of February 2024.

The pub is closing down end of the month. New owner is doing a refurbishment of this listed building. Think there's more seating/dining areas and increased capacity car parking.

Very nice; Luce and Charlotte are the best bar tenders in the world and Chris is the best landlord in the world

A great traditional English pub. Great selection of well kept beers. Still one of my all time favourite pubs. Always a choice of real ales and proper beers. Edit... Posted this review a few years ago, and it's still my favourite local(ish) pub. I just hope that when the new owners take over they dont try to be too clever and mess up the formula to the place.

Lovely pub, very friendly, delicious pie and not too expensive

Excellent pub. Nice garden too. Friendly staff.

Beautiful garden and such friendly staff. Really went out of their way to accommodate us

Unfortunately not a great experience. It was very friendly service when we first arrived and headed outside for a table in the garden. They had a decent stock of 0% for those interested. However, we ordered a couple of pizzas which took a long time to come. They were evidently freshly made: when they did arrive, there was far too much flour on the base. Enough that you could choke by inhaling it as you went to put it in your mouth, and you had to blow or bang it off before trying the next mouthful. A shame as the rest of the pizza was nice enough. The other thing to mention is there were what seemed to be the owners dogs off lead which whilst very well behaved themselves, did end up crapping pretty much next to us as we finished our food...the smell was rather off putting, so we hurried out the door.

Really nice little place. Loved it.

Good Sunday roast. Lovely garden.

A very honest man's business, I helped out to make his life a bit easier because natural environment, outbursts which his business may have found difficult to digest. Can have an other busting it out scence which is more appealing and intended, that sounds better for the works of the business.

Smashing country pub, great garden with great beer and excellent service.

We had a lovely lunch at The Jolly Tanners. The service was excellent - friendly and efficient. The food was delicious - I had the pork belly and my husband had the sea bass. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals whilst sitting out in the garden in the sunshine. Thank you 😊

Good beer, good food and great music from the Nigel Bagge band

What a lovely find!! Lovely old pub, so very welcoming, dog friendly Thoroughly enjoyed our food, husband had liver and bacon which was served with lashings of rich gravy, I had the Tanners bbq pizza, Best pizza I've had, all ingredients fresh and generous on a crisp thin pizza base with lots of bbq sauce, ate every morsel 😋 Can't wait to return and sample more of their menu

I had the pan fried sea trout and my partner had the slow roasted pork belly. Both were marvellous, couldn’t have asked for more. I’ll be coming back.

Enjoyed a good lunch after walking the gardens at Nymans.

We had a lovely time with a few drinks and a bit of food. Have driven past this pub many times without stopping. Will most definitely stop here again in the future!

Bit disappointed. Ale was excellent but food more like spoons quality but more expensive. Lovely log fire and two resident dogs made for nice atmosphere. Overall ok but was hoping for better

A fabulous Burns night dinner, a great night with a brilliant Piper, ceremonial prayer and poem over the Haggis, also a great fiddler and guitarist provided entertainment throughout the evening, Haggis with neeps & tatties was delicious, a few pints of jukebox were excellent...cannot recommend enough.

Such a lovely pub. The atmosphere was great, mainly locals and the staff made us feel comfortable

Lovely local traditional pub with two split level bars and a real log fire. Excellent choice of different real ales!! 😃🍺🍻🔥😊

We have chosen to visit because of the proximity to Nymans. Nothing special. The food was reasonable and so were the prices. Overall, an acceptable meal but nothing to write home about.

We enjoyed our meals and had excellent service from Lisa who is a real asset to the pub

Always feel welcome, roaring fires, great beers and food. Always something going on, check out their Facebook site

We ordered pizzas. We had to complain because they were burnt on the base and like cardboard. We expected pub grub, as told on the phone, but the food on offer was very expensive, that's why we ordered pizzas which we would never order. We will not return here.

A warm welcome and lovely lunch here today with fantastic service and the sweetest pub dog. Classic pub grub and good drinks on the menu. Homely decor. Large garden. Perfect if you’ve been for a walk at Nymans as it is only a few minutes drive away and has a carpark. Thank you.

A friendly and welcoming village pub with 6 cask lines plus good selection of food from Sunday roasts to pub classics and pizzas. Lots if veggie options.

Visited here with my best friend for dinner. We had reserved a table so seated straight away. Table service was optional so we ordered drinks and then our food. There is a pizza menu and then the other items were on a black board. My friend had pizza which she said was brilliant and I had a cheese burger. Possibly the nicest I’ve ever had. Even the chips were fantastic. Would definitely return.

Excellent ales, food, ambience and charming staff. Recommended!

Traditional country pub with a large beer garden. Relaxed atmosphere. £4 for a pint of Pepsi Max felt a little steep.

Is our first time here and the hospitality is just fantastic…high quality food and drinks,high recommend…

If you like good food and friendly staff DO NOT come here. Rude bar man poor quality food. Interior looks like it hasn't been cleaned since it was built. Not a nice place or experience. Disappointing to say the least.

Nice pub and freindly staff but Sunday roasts are stringy beef still..nice beer though

Great beer , great food , great staff, great garden. Great pub.

Extremely friendly and welcoming staff, it was refreshing to experience. The food was a bit underwhelming (I went for the spinach quiche), but perhaps I chose the wrong dish and maybe their homemade food is better. Would try them again entirely as a result of the friendliness of the staff.

Good food and beer. Helpful staff.. well worth the stop..

We were regular visitors before the lockdowns and have returned for a second time in 2022. I wish that we hadn’t. I chose haddock and chips. No description was needed or so I thought! I asked for salad instead of chips which appeared not to be a problem. However, I received a small piece of grilled haddock sitting on rocket with a slice of lemon on the side. All for £15. The rest of the party had sausage egg and chips for £13. The sausage was very pale bordering on uncooked and the two fried eggs runny. No one asked about our meals. Disappointing! We will however, return for the beer. Awesome choices in beer and cider! Plenty of entertainment from the resident dog!

Good food. Reasonable prices. Good service. Nice location. Car park ok. Eating seating inside and outside.

We had eaten here several times before, meeting friends halfway between London and Eastbourne. We had always struck lucky, even when bringing our extended families for an all-age reunion of 16. Today, however, it was not to be. The outside gazebos had been replaced by a transparent plastic marquee-type affair with no respite from the hot sun and, because of the loud noise from a neighbour's power hose (not the pub's fault, of course), we opted to eat inside. Sadly, however, inside reeked of a pungent smell - varnish? old cheese? - which contributed nothing to the enjoyment of the food. The young girl serving us was friendly and willing, but she was completely on her own - no sign of the owners - and was struggling to cope. We all four ordered starters and mains but 2 of the mains were already unavailable by 1pm, and one of the starters got forgotten completely. The starter I had - calamari with pee puree, black pudding and bacon - looked and tasted as though it had been semi-prepared yesterday, put in the fridge and assembled just before serving. Both the bacon and the calamari were half-cooked and limp. It could have been such a delicious dish - what a shame... We decided not to tempt fate with puddings but the men wanted another pint - sorry, the barrel is empty, it will take 15 minutes. Suffice it to say that we are now researching alternative pubs for our next meeting...

Returned for a few pints last week after an absence of about eight months. So pleased to report that The Tanners has returned to its former glories. Tried three different ales, including two that were brewed especially for the jubilee. All were excellent. Well done, Chris! After a three hour walk from Crawley, it’s great to be enjoying the beer there again.

Excellent pub, in so many ways. We arrived seconds after the kitchen had closed on a bank holiday but they took pity on us and offered to make us chips. Have to say they were the best pub chips ever so it was a great compromise. Friendly staff who couldn’t have been more helpful. The dogs are an added bonus as is the pub garden(s). A proper pub. Lovely. Cheers

The worst pub lunch I’ve had for years. Alarm bells ringing when staff don’t distinguish between the fish you ordered and the one brought to the table. Tuna raw and inedible. New potatoes turned out to be reheated roast potatoes. Just awful.

Another great night at the Tanners 😁

Gorgeously proper family pub with lovely food. Very, very welcoming atmosphere.

Lovely cosy and friendly pub!Service was excellent and meals were top notch.My fish and chips were cooked to perfection as was my partners steak pie Well worth a visit!

Very friendly and welcoming staff. Excellent Hophead beer. However the food was distinctly underwhelming. The pork belly roast was lukewarm and clearly microwaved.

The staff were very friendly and having gluten-free food was no problem. We also had small children who were well catered for, both with the food and the play area outside. Our family were with us and their dog was very happy in the large enclosed garden with plenty of balls to play with! I was told that another time if I let them know we are coming they can make sure there are even more gf options on the menu. thanks for a delicious meal and a lovely place to enjoy it!

How this pub scores so highly I don't know on a trip with the Mrs found this on Google maps with a high score. weird atmosphere, arrived at 1830 food served at 2000. Food OK not well presented the order was also wrong but after the wait couldn't be bothered to complain paid the bill and will not be going back.

My friends and I went for dinner last night. We could not have had a lovelier welcome from the hostess/landlady. We were very cold after a long dark walk from our campsite and she sat us by the fire and took great care of us. We ordered pizza choosing our own toppings from the menu and I can honestly say that it was the best pizza I’ve tasted in a really long time. The lady also brought out a lovely bottle of Marlborough Sauvignon blanc. I wish this pub was my local! I would go back any day of the week especially for the pizza.

Although the outside of the pub is slightly scruffy and the menu small, we were pleasantly surprised by our meal. It was all well cooked from scratch, with fresh vegetables with friendly service. The beer was well kept too.

Horribly tasteless meals swimming in fatty sauce. Do they warm up frozen supermarket junk?

My Dad and I visited the Jolly Tanners on a Monday lunchtime. From the moment we walked in Chris and his staff were very attentive. My Dad had a prawn Thai curry which looked, smelled and apparently tasted very good. I chose one of their homemade pizza which was very tasty and perfectly cooked! We look forward to visiting again to this very friendly pub!

Superb country pub with a warm welcome, a fantastic real fire, a good selection of beers and excellent pub food. Top marks to the landlord and lovely bar staff! We went in the evening and didn't want to leave.

Superb country pub with a warm welcome, a fantastic real fire, a good selection of beers and excellent pub food. Top marks to the landlord and lovely bar staff! We didn't want to leave.

My go-to pub when I am in the Staplefield area. Always has an interesting selection of ales that are forever changing. Great staff and hearty pub food, definitely recommend

Great family friendly pub. We had a lovely Sunday lunch here today, great food, and welcoming, accommodating staff. Thanks!

Superb Burns night celebration and a delicious four course dinner. The evening was made all the more memorable by a great Piper, a wonderful Magician who visited us at our tables, and the theatre of the Master of Ceremonies addressing the Haggis with great gusto. A memorable and excellent dining experience. I have no hesitation in highly recommending the food and the warm welcome that awaits you at The Jolly Tanners Staplefield.

Excellent, well presented and flavoursome food. Attentive, efficient staff. Great atmosphere. Would recommend without hesitation

A lovely pub. A good selection of beers and very friendly staff. The food was brilliant!!

Delicious food, relaxed and comfortable space, lovely friendly staff and the best canine meet and greet hostess. Loved our lunch stop. Will be back.

Fantastic country pub, had many memorable nights there, decent affordable food, very welcoming and friendly staff, nice location and above all the place has atmosphere. My go to pub these days 👍

You all ways feel so wecome ,foods good beers good and the people are great

Lovely proper pub, good beer, good food and log fires !

Having spent the morning at nearby Nymans, a very pleasant lunch was had. Seated near the lovely wood fire, this was a perfect setting for lunch with a varied menu Lovely service, top food, couldn't really fault it. On departure got chatting to Chris who runs the pub. Only to find he used to be at the Turks Head Twickenham years ago and knew various musicians who played there that we know !! What a coincidence.

Friendly good ale atmospheric 👍😁

Very friendly and accommodating staff. Lovely food. Nice and cosy by the fire on a chilly November night 👍

We have just visited the Jolly Tanners for Sunday lunch. We were both impressed with the quality of the food. I had lamb which was lovely, lean and tender and my companion had mixed roast. Glad to say it was much better than most of...

Chris the landlord and his staff are very welcoming and his cellar is well kept with a good selection of Beers and other alcoholic beverages and some alcoholic free. Well worth a visit. Highly recommended.

Myself and my family visited This wonderful family run pub and was most delighted by the reception We received when we arrived we were then greeted by what we can presume is the assistant manager as well as the manager who are both polite and...

Friendly staff, decent food and the pub is very much like being in someone's house but in a very good way.

Some go to pubs for food, some to socialise, others just to get out of the house. I go for the beer. I don’t mind if staff are rude or the prices are high or the food below par. All I ask for is good...

Food expensive and sorry to say poor quality. Won't be going back. No sign of owners/manager. Place seems to be run by inexperienced junior staff. Trying their best.

We have visited this lovely country pub a few times now for lunch after walking round Nymans this summer and it’s always a delight. Our last visit was a few weeks ago at the beginning of September, while it was still nice and warm to...

We came for a Sunday roast a couple of weeks ago now, we had been recommended this place through a colleague and have been a few times now. The place was very busy and the food was very nice, a lovely country pub. As we...

Busy pub with good service and food and good value.

Awful, awful, awful. The place is tatty and stinks of dogs. The beer was very poor and it was a struggle to drink it, in fact we left some. A pub that can't even offer a sandwich at lunchtime is getting it all wrong in...

They do say that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all, but I'll make an exception with this pub. Unprofessional serving staff that didn't understand the menu, dirty facilities, sticky tables, limited lacklustre menu, poorly cooked food and overpriced, with the...

been before and love the garden and the friendly dog that loves a fuss. food was really nice but only thing is the menu has changed and it’s really not as good as it was a month or so ago! we had pizza which was...

Nice pub, a lot done to the garden since last visit, very acceptable pint of Harveys best, another customer was being served with a huge plate of ribs, but sadly I had just eaten so will have to try those another day

Always a great selection of ales to choose from. The beer garden has been refreshed as well and now features undercover picnic tables

Found this by chance after visiting Nymans gardens. Proper oldie worldy pub. Good selection of beers, friendly staff, loads of outdoor space. Will definitely visit again 👍

Went there on a weekday night, the atmosphere was really friendly. The beer was top notch obviously well looked after and food was great to. Will be back soon.

Disappointing I love this pub. Great ales, lovely garden. Took a friend today for lunch and ate there for the first time. We had the risotto and it was completely tasteless, as well as being not quite hot enough which indicates a microwave. Such a shame. The waitress didn’t even ask how the food was, as if she knew what we would say.

The new built separate tables added a classic touch, nice food and friendly service /staff

Sat in lovely garden - listening to Elvis tribute. The food was brilliant & good price. Then two dogs came into the garden. The young one urinated next to our table. The old one 'did his business' 5 times between our table and the one...

Delicious lunch today and really kind staff which was particularly appreciated as the whole area didn’t have any water so they were really kind to do us take away as we were mid walk. Will definitely be back again.

Every Friday during the spring summer/season , we at the running club meet up , run a lovely country run and then retire to a “ pub “ for dinner , this Friday it was the Jolly Tanners , and I can assure the staff...

Lovely pub table service in the garden and live music

Lovely pub that I was visiting for the first time. Excellent adherence to covid rules and delicious food made for a very pleasant evening. We sat inside but I understand the also have a nice garden. Free WiFi too.

What a great pub. Food is really good , great choice of beers . Very friendly staff. Food service is a bit slow , but that's the only slight gripe

Lovley pub, my first after lockdown visit to a pub. I can recomend rhe pie, delish!

Had a lovely refreshment here after a long walk in the countryside! Service was good, but the marquee felt a bit unloved - could do with some sprucing up!

Great Sunday roast and dessert, as well as very speedy service. They have a nice covered area in the garden for rainy days.

Visited first lunchtime after lockdown and ordered burgers that were very average. Staff were attentive but garden and dirty tent needs much attention. Shame as has great potential .

Wonderfully helpful and welcoming. Great beers and hospitality

Location has real potential but something’s going wrong somewhere. A spacious, well maintained beer garden was barely half full when we stopped in on a sunny bank holiday afternoon. But service was achingly slow across the piece despite a seeming surfeit of staff. We waited nearly 90 mins for 2 meals of middling quality (and they’d run out of condiments), and were definitely not alone in the wait. Service was pleasant but not enough to encourage a return visit.

lovely pub with friendly welcoming staff great food and drink. would definitely recommend

Just right for the first meet up, good service, nice food, can recommend this pub

We hadn't been here for a couple of years as we live some distance away It is still a delicious pub with the most charming, charismatic and friendly landlord in the world It is well worth the 1000 mile round trip from East Sussex !!!!!