The Jolly Tanners in Mid Sussex

Excellent meal and service. Great pub garden and place to enjoy the sunshine!

Wow! Amazing since the refurbishment. Superb food. Awesome garden. Amazing staff.

Our visit was serendipitous and we loved it. We had drinks in their lovely beer garden whilst the children enjoyed the absolutely fantastic play area. They had local beer which the barman showed us and we could taste. We will definitely be back - to also try the food!

My partner and I visited The Jolly Tanners for the first time on Saturday 3rd May 2025, and it exceeded all our expectations. The burgers were hands-down some of the best we’ve ever tasted. A special thank you to Anais for checking in on us throughout our visit, and to Neil for going an extra mile. Their genuine care and attention made our visit memorable.

Met some friends for dinner here and so glad we did. It was a lovely evening so we sat outside in the garden - it was quite busy but there is ample space and the staff are very attentive - rare when you are sat outside. There was a good selection of drinks, and we even asked for something not on the menu and the bar staff obliged. There was an outside kitchen going where we could see food being cooked and it looked very good. I had the gurnard off the garden menu and it was delicious, a huge meaty fish and it came with plenty of new potatoes, some corn on the cob and coleslaw. My husband had the lamb, and said it was very good quality. All in all a lovely evening with good food and we will return.

If you’re used to gastro pub type eateries then this should be regarded as a cut above the norm. The Jolly Tanners has been transformed with the recent refurbishment. From the moment we arrived the service was excellent, and the food itself was really good quality. We were there for a Sunday lunch and every one of us was pleased with what was served. I thought the small ‘pastie’ was a nice touch. We sat in the front of the premises so I’m unsure of a previous comment about the acoustics of the newer rear section of the building.

Friendly staff and delicious food Stopped off on our bikes on a ride from Brighton. And a real joy. Just had a light lunch from the starters. I had the chicken Kiev and was absolutely DELICIOUS! My husband had the home made asparagus soup. Again scrummy Wish we didn’t live so far away would come again

Pleasant staff,good customer service and nice surroundings, Quality of food not to the standard for the price, Vegetarian burger was definitely not a burger ( some kind of onion paste) . Strawberry tart was burnt and not enjoyable.

Fortunate to find this newly refurbished historic pub after visit to Borde Hill Gardens. First impressions outside were good and this continued inside .Warm and friendly welcome. Loved everything on the menu .Enjoyed a Spring risotto followed by creme brulee with rhubarb sorbet .Very well cooked and presented. Do not mind paying extra cost for food this good .Cheaper option toasties was available and you could always have one course. Very pleasant staff .Definitely will return again .

Came for a celebration lunch, Absolutely delicious food, friendly and attentive staff and a very reasonable price tag.

Fantastic food, place looks great. Friendly staff.

Wanted to see what the Tanners was like after the refurb. Not disappointed by the changes that have been made and the food was of a good standard but there just was not very much of it. We had the lamb with a small amount of mash potato which had been piped but the advertised vegetables were practically non existent so did not come away feeling I had had a decent lunch. Very cordon blue but not good value for money so will not be returning.

The food and service was great, but given the expensive pricing the atmosphere was sadly lacking. We sat in the restaurant which is open to the remainder of the pub and a loud table of tipsy women was very distracting for all the restaurant guests. Given we spent £275 for 4 people with only two of us drinking I would expect a more refined atmosphere. To be honest I don't think the pricing is justified unless the restaurant is separated from the pub. From a dining perspective and given the costs involved a local hotel restaurant would be a better bet currently.

Fabulous Sunday lunch here. Staff were pleasant and attentive. Food was delivered quickly and to an excellent quality. The renovations are really pleasing on the eye and the outdoor space makes it a winner for families. Highly recommend

Lovely greeting by the staff as I walked in. Very friendly and welcoming. A nice clean place, lovely garden, the food was delicious. No complaints. Highly recommend.

Absolutely faultless food and service. Excellent imaginative menu and great to see some variety. Highly recommended. You get what you pay for an quality comes at a fair price

So delicious I had the nut roast which I cannot recommend enough. Beautiful surroundings and friendly helpful staff

Randomly stopped by here for a drink and meal, as we entered we were shocked how well this pub has been refurbished and the level of service was excellent. This was the most flavoursome burger I have ever tasted, very high quality produce. Will certainly return to try the roast dinner. Selection of beers on tap is excellent. Great country pub and very friendly staff.

What an absolutely beautiful pub. What a fantastic job you guys have done !! So thankful to have a place local to eat very good food in a friendly environment, we'll be regulars for sure 😀

My husband and I ate at the Jolly Tanners for the first time on a Friday night. The atmosphere was really welcoming with a mix of friends and families (they have a good supply of high chairs) dining and drinking. We were seated at a lovely table. The staff are so friendly and welcoming. The food was absolutely delicious. We had the monk fish and the beef fillet. Both had wonderful flavour (without being overpowering) and were cooked perfectly. The dessert was beautiful, Mille-Feuille with calamansi (a delicious citrus fruit from the Philippines) custard. They went above and beyond regarding my special dietary requirements. I was very grateful. It’s a new experience for me, specifying what I can’t eat and they were so accommodating. The Jolly Tanners is a treasure. Thank you so much Jolly Tanners, we’ll see you on Mother’s Day!!

The food was absolutely amazing, definitely the best pub in the area. We tried both lunch and dinner menu, the dinner was really great, love the marmite butter bread.

First visit since the refurb. They have done an excellent job. Had the beef fillet which was delicious. Friend had equally good halibut. Pricy but worth it.

Used to live in the village and be a regular so felt compelled to check out the change. Lovely refurb, spot on roast beef but service was poor, disjointed and staff not up to scratch. Doesn’t seem to be anyone in charge. A real shame as the potential is there.

Just popped in to check out the refurbished pub. Love it. Traditional half and new half with extension. Extra areas to eat out in summer. Just drinks this time but will def pop back for food, friendly staff.

The newly renovated resturant is lovely except a bit loud. The food is exceptional. Go and try it, you won't regret it, you will want to go back.

Brilliant food and service. Sunday roast meat is very tender and good portions. Best roast I’ve had !!! I recommend

Just had the best Sunday Roast for many years in this newly managed Pub, This by far beats many establishments in an around the area offering fine dining and Sunday Lunches and is going to be very hard to beat indeed. Service and Staff were first class. The Jolly Tanners is now our go to place for meals out and we will be introducing this to many of our friends as well. Well done to all involved in turning this Pub into something very special, Cannot wait to try out the A La Carte menu during the week.

My Husband and I had Sunday lunch , it was the best Sunday lunch I had ever had , beautiful surroundings and the staff were amazing, the beef was the best I have ever had well done the jolly tanners , Lynne Day

Amazing pub with a good selection of beers and the food was incredible. Highly recommend especially if you want a good pub walk!!

Sunday lunch at the Tanners was absolutely delicious. 2pm sitting with tasty starters followed by a fantastic Sunday lunch- I’m still dreaming of the potatoes!

When we arrive we were sat at a table and left with no meues or drinks. We had to ask for service what’s was lacklustre at best. Other people arriving were served before us and even had their water poured for them we could o serve this whilst waiting. Can’t tell you about the food as we have been here over half an hour after ordering and still not got any. The table was not laid properly. I would avoid this on a Sunday even though we booked several days earlier finally food came and it was incorrect. I

Beautiful new renovation - we recently had a fantastic three course Sunday meal since the pub re-opened, particularly excellent pork roast and delicious crumble. Friendly staff and service, will be back for both meals or a relaxed drink - lovely atmosphere.

Excellent meal at the newly opened Jolly Tanners. The food was expensive but worth every penny, beautifully presented and and wonderful flavours. The staff couldn’t do enough to help you and we had our table for the evening. It would be great to get more choice but other than that superb!

The recent refurbishment of the pub is beautiful - clean and modern but still sympathetic to the original layout and style. The food was absolutely exceptional, genuinely delicious, interesting and beautifully presented. Service was attentive without being at all intrusive. If your local or even if you're not (it's worth the drive), then The Jolly Tanner is worth a visit..! Can't wait to go back..!

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 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 went in the evening and 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 👍😁