The Pepper Box Inn in Maidstone

Welcoming old pub in the heart of the Kent countryside with wonderful views over the Downs. Great service from friendly and helpful waiters. Extensive menu, food very good and reasonably priced. Have been before and will visit again.

Visited on Saturday to celebrate a birthday and were a group of 11. Food was amazing, clean plates all round! Service could not be faulted either. Very enjoyable Visit and will certainly be visiting again soon.

Our second visit to the Pepper Box and it was great! We booked last minute and got a nice table with comfy chairs. The food was amazing, garlic king prawns to start, lamb rump for mains and a delightful passion fruit crème brûlée topped off with a candle as the pleasant and attentive man serving us overheard it was my birthday! The food was delicious and the service was impeccable. We have decided it is now our favourite place to eat and will definitely be going back.

Very homely atmosphere. Great food at affordable prices. Love the roaring fire.

We have visited the Pepper box inn 3 times now and excellent service and food each time. The staff are very friendly too. The last time we came was for my husbands sisters 70th and had a lovely lunch, excellent food and wine. And the two members of staff that were serving us , Jean and Charlie made our visit perfect. We will continue to visit and use the pub for special occasions. We live in Bearsted but the drive is well worth it

Fabulous mothers day lunch. Excellent food service and atmosphere. Thank you to Sophie and the team

Had the most delicious lunch in a warm and friendly country pub. The service was impeccable and the food was fresh, well presented and tasty. Value for money

Fabulous food, fantastic sevice

First time in years that we visited this pub, having been living in the New Forest for 30 years but will certainly visit again. Both food and service were first class.

I booked our meal and asked for 1pm, they were fully booked and was offered 3pm, not a problem, happy days. We got to the pub at 2pm and were pleasantly surprised, nice open fire going, busy but not rammed, great pub atmosphere. Ordered some drinks at the bar, pleasant staff asked if we had a booking we did, they had a table ready which was a bonus. I had roast pork loin, and the wife had beef. The food was superb!! The staff although busy were extremely accommodating. Great little find, well worth a visit and we will definitely be going back.

Excellent food, cosy comfortable surroundings. Totally recommend it to anyone well worth the travle to. The staff are very friendly and attentive and the atmosphere is vibtant

Proper country pub! Open wood fire, good service and fantastic food. 5/5!!

Visited here for my Birthday after a recommendation from years ago. Wish I had visited a long time ago. This is a fantastic pub/restaurant, family run, three generations!! Somehow we left without paying a tip… so we will be making it our mission to go back ASAP 😀. Highly recommend x

A lovely, classic country pub serving premium and delicious homemade food. Roaring fire, exceptionally clean everywhere, the perfect cosy environment.

The food was lovely and the atmosphere was ambient. Great place to eat

Been many times and each visit is very pleasant. Great food, good selection of beers and very friendly service.

We booked the Pepperbox Inn for a large family group for Sunday lunch. I was pleased that they accepted the booking in the first place. Also very pleasing was that although not on the menu the kitchen were willing to prepare meals that were not on the menu for a couple of our party who were "fussy eaters" and would not enjoy a traditional Sunday Lunch.... I know!! , but fantastic service The food was good, good value, and we were not rushed and had a great time

Entertained friends to special thank you lunch - excellent (as always)

Loved it. Service was great, food was great. Can't wait to go again.

Had a lovely meal here today, outstanding food and atmosphere. Staff were super friendly and welcoming. Can't wait to return.

Great food. Restored our faith in eating out. Stayed 2 days food so yummy.

A great old style country pub with fantastic food!! Try the lamb with the potato terrine it's amazing. We always get a warm and friendly welcome. Beautiful garden area with outstanding views. Please visit ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

We booked the Pepperbox Inn for a large family group for Sunday lunch. I was pleased that they accepted the booking in the first place. Also very pleasing was that although not on the menu the kitchen were willing to prepare meals that were not on the menu for a couple of our party who were "fussy eaters" and would not enjoy a traditional Sunday Lunch.... I know!! , but fantastic service The food was good, good value, and we were not rushed and had a great time

From the very point of entering the pepperbox, the warm, friendly and fun environment, encapsulates you… Coupled by the friendly service and wonderful food (can fully recommend the calves liver) this made for a fantastic evening with friends and following the arrival of the bill we felt it was excellent value for money, given the quality of the food and the alcohol consumption. The atmosphere and service really makes this a warm friendly and comfortable place to enjoy a great evening with great friends.

A Beautiful pub with friendly helpful staff and amazing food at a reasonable price. A must go too for a lovely meal

From the moment we entered, we felt welcomed. Open fire, good beer, lovely attentive staff. Food was amazing and a separate selection of vegetables to go with our roast was just perfect! Would highly recommend.

My friends and I had a lovely Sunday lunch at the Pepperbox. We were served for drinks promptly and given good time to choose the mains. Our order was taken and the food arrived quite quickly, even though we were a table of 6, and was piping hot. We all had different roasts, chicken, lamb, beef and pork, all were excellent. We finished off with desserts, creme brule was very popular as was the sticky toffee pudding. All staff were very attentive and we were not rushed at all. Highly recommended.

Great pub with excellent atmosphere but could try harder with gluten free options especially the gravy on a Sunday lunch!

Very warm and welcoming public house well worth the trip

A year ago I had my first date at this gorgeous pub and on Sunday we celebrated our 1st anniversary here. 3 course Sunday meal was absolutely fantastic!! Mussels and pigeon starters, roast pork and lamb mains followed by a Berry crumble and creme bruleé. Wonderful!! Service was outstanding and the atmosphere is fab in this cozy pub. Don't miss out!

Sunday lunch was amazing Well worth the drive into the country side And all washed down with sheps late red.

Really nice traditional English pub, with great food and service

Superb food, very friendly staff.

Lovely country pub with plenty of parking. Great Sunday lunch at a reasonable price with friendly helpful polite staff.

A good menu with well cooked food. Very enjoyable.

Lovely country pup for a bit of lunch.

Fantastic family owned place which serves as a perfect example of why family business always beats chain business

Lovely traditional country rub. Restaurant area popular need to book table Sunday lunch big plan reasonable price great quality. Beef chicken pork lamb and veg all on.

Very nice meal and a lovely place to eat .

Nice relaxed location for Sunday lunch at a lovely location in the countryside

Excellent pub for any occasion, especially the amazing Sunday roast. They even offer a take away service which is equally yummy. Food is so fresh & delicious. Great pub, amazing atmosphere, & in the winter they have a wonderful open fire which is cozy & romantic. It’s our favourite place to go.

Perfect country pub. Great landlady and staff. Delicious food. Good beer. Fabulous views. Super busy Friday snd Saturday nights

Atmospheric place with friendly staff. We've been here a few times and it never lets us down.

Found this wonderful eatery on Tripadvisor, and wasn’t disappointed. Everything excellent, my 2 friend had the pie, which they said was fabulous. I have a some appetite, so I had a starter for my main course, garlic Tiger prawns, and that was great.

Always a decent traditional pub to visit & food & beer excellent. But please bear in mind its quite a dark pub (traditional beamed building) with steps here and there. Thats not a negative and must be expected in buildings of this nature.

A lovely meal and the pub is lovely and full of character..unusual choice of staff uniform...shame the only bar staff with decent length shorts was the male...

Went with friends who had pre-booked; we were”squeezed in” at 6:00pm! It was almost full shortly thereafter! Nonetheless, the service from friendly young staff was excellent, the menu was interesting and varied and the food was beautifully cooked. Highly recommended!

Second time visiting. Food has been excellent and ample on both occasions. Lamb and mint pie off the specials board was amazing. Service was faultless. Will definitely return.

Beautiful surroundings,lovely atmosphere and excellent food.

Fantastic proper country pub. Staff are great. Nice beers. Great pub garden. Really nice fireplace inside, bursting with classic country pub decor. Can’t wait to go back.

I have visited here quite a few times recently The food is always excellent There is a very pleasant outside area to sit in on a nice day and the view is very good

Lovely old pub in the middle of the countryside, well worth a visit. We had roast beef, which was cooked and served to perfection. Excellent value meal....

Great little pub!!!! Shame we live so far away though

My wife, stepson and I had an excellent lunch at The Pepper Box. The restaurant was full so we were glad that we had booked a table. The staff were very friendly and attentive and the ambience was very good. My wife and I had the Thai fish curry which was absolutely amazing and thoroughly recommended. Overall we were very impressed and will certainly be going back for more.

Fantastic lunch in a wonderful traditional pub. Stunning Kent countryside views from outdoor seating area. Will be returning for sure.

I am slightly disappointed with the main course, Thai fish curry, very bland. The smoked fish platter starter, however, was really good. Beers are a bit pricey. Unlikely to go back.

Very good gastro pub, good food. Good menu choice + specials board. Not a huge amount of space, but has tables outside as well. Plenty of parking.

I have been to this pub on countless occasions. The roast dinners are great - we always book it for Mother’s/ Father’s Day and it never fails to disappoint. The food is very reasonable (hard to find these days!), big portions and all home cooked/ freshly cooked. I’ve gone with friends, family, as a couple and everyone has come away content. Lunch in the garden looking out at the spectacular views also can’t be missed on a sunny day. It’s also nice to be in a real old country Kentish pub. A must visit!!

One lovely drive on a warm, sunny August afternoon brought my other half and I to The Pepper Box Inn. We were in Kent, visiting my girlfriends parents who were there, themselves, for a fishing holiday, and after leaving them to it we decided to find a rural, hidden pub that we could have a drink and possibly a bite to eat. Thanks to our dear friend Google Maps we were directed to TPBI. After parking up in front of the outside seating area we grabbed a table outside, among many other like-minded folk who were taking advantage of the beautiful weather and the wonderful scenery. I went in and ordered us a couple of drinks and had a nice chat with the landlady before heading back out. Within minutes one wasp had visited us. And other tables. After 30 minutes we had to move to a different table because of the buzzing cretins. After enjoying another drink we - once again - had company in the form of some vespine vermin. We decided to leave at that point, slightly disappointed that our afternoon had been brought short. The pub itself was very pleasant inside. Nice and cool. And, obviously, it's hard to blame the pub for the stupid stingers (unless there's a nest somewhere on the grounds). Wonderful views though. Absolutely beautiful sights.

Cadre merveilleux, très British, accueil par la patronne, le personnel et les clients très sympa, nous y avons très bien mangé, rien a dire de négatif, nous étions avec un gros chien Rhodesian bien éduqué, et nous nous sommes senti vraiment à l'aise. merci

Whilst I'm not going to rave about this pub/restaurant, it is still reasonably good and worth a one-off visit. The building - Very traditional and nice looking. The sort that is sadly disappearing in Kent. The bar - If you're a real ale drinker, the bar is very disappointing. Just the two available. On my visit the Master Brew was drinkable but hardly on top form. The menu & food - Reasonably good choice in both starters and mains. As with most restaurants since covid, the prices of starters here has been jacked up to silly levels. I guess as a cover to keep price rises of mains down..... Doesn't fool me, but there again I'm not everyone. We had the mackerel pate...actually a bit of mackerel mashed up with a fork and stuffed in a jar for some reason. Few bits of green to bump it up, and some sort of toast. For all that it was very nice. We both followed with the suet steak & kidney pud, veggies and roast spuds. It was very good and tasty but very filling. You missed out on selling us the afters because I couldn't eat another thing after all that.... The service - excellent & friendly. Couldn't fault it... I've given you the "average" which is a slightly unfair rating but because there isn't a "good" rating, which I consider fair, and because I couldn't give you the "very good"..... that's what you get. Return visit? - Almost certainly in the future, but not the near future...

It was our first visit to the Pepperbox to celebrate my daughters birthday. Absolutely faultless from start to finish. Service was impeccable, food was amazing and the décor and ambience beautiful and all at a very reasonable price. What a village Inn and Restaurant should be. Will definitely be back!!

A group of 8 of us had a great meal , plenty of choice and very reasonable prices. The staff were very good and attentive, they were quick with the meals and the atmosphere was great, will definitely go back

Thoroughly enjoyable lunch for our daughter’s 12th birthday with grandparents. Friendly staff, good range of drinks and the food was delicious. Staff were accommodating with our daughter’s egg allergy and offered to make her a special dessert next time if they know in advance. Friendly, tasty, lovely environment. Ten out of ten from us.

A really nice old pub, I felt like falling asleep in front of the the inglenook fireplace, could happily just sit there all evening with a pint. The atmosphere was nice, staff were friendly, the food was lovely and the food on the menu fitted really well with the style of a 17th Century pub. I would definitely go back there again.

I went with a group of friends. I had pan-fried seabass with risotto cake for main and the rice was only half cooked which was disappointing. The rest of the meal was fine but it spoilt the overall experience. I did tell the waitress but no response to the complaint.

Fabulous meal at the Pepper Box again. This pub never fails to deliver, food excellent, service friendly and fun atmosphere. Even though we've lived nearby for over 25 years this is still one of our favourite pubs.

Love love this pub!!!! A great atmosphere, very friendly bar staff, especially Jean who makes us laugh with her cheeky banter which my partner thoroughly deserves. The food is absolutely fantastic every time we go. Best pub in Maiidstone

We booked this after looking on the recent reviews and we’re not disappointed.As soon as you walk in you get a feeling of being welcome, very friendly staff.Pub is your typical old English inn low beams and open fires.Food was excellent and not that expensive.If your staying in the Leeds castle area this is a must Make sure you book though as very very popular

This is a rare independent pub. It’s a classical English building and they have outside tables and plenty of parking. The food is excellent and the service is first class, provided by the charming owner and young local people. There are some oriental overtones to the menu, which is lovely - for example, Thai fish curry and rice, which is an exceptional main course. We are also very grateful to the Pepper Box for running a takeaway service during the recent lockdowns. It was a real high point in our week in that difficult period. Thoroughly recommended.

6 of us on a bike ride had a super meal - all the same - liver & bacon - which was excellent. The ale was similarly good and the staff very efficient & friendly. Sorry we were discussing our next stop!!!

Was surprised how far it was from Harrietsham, and when we arrived it seemed in the middle of nowhere. A long drive down a narrow lane. But very pleasant and popular with the locals. Wife ordered the stuffed courgette (a vegetarian dish). Sadly to her professional opinion (she’s a cook) the courgette wasn’t properly cooked and needed longer in the oven. My ‘Kent Corker’ sausage and mash was nice but not outstanding.Good service though, nice drinks menu and not a bad price overall. Worth a try.

Absolutely love this pub, the staff are so friendly and the food is top quality. The prawn starter has always been a favourite of mine so glad they kept it on the menu! Just wish they kept the chicken sizzle too as it was absolutely to die for. Hopefully it will make a return as it is too good to miss! :) lovely experience thank you

Delicious food both mains and desserts were 10/10! Can't fault this place. Walked from welsummer camping on a glorious summers evening. Such a treat! Cant wait to come back!

The Pepper Box Inn is a cosy country pub located in the Kent countryside. It’s very traditional inside, with a cosy atmosphere. The menu caters to all tastes and there are pub classics but also some more impressive sounding dishes. The Provençal lamb rump was cooked beautifully and came with a selection of vegetables. The dessert menu was limited, but all of the options were appealing – we had the chocolate and salted caramel tart. Service was okay – quite slow in places and not much conversation or interaction with diners, but this was probably because they were very busy which is no bad thing! Parking is limited, so might be worth walking if you can!

It’s a nice old country pub, but it was extremely hot and stuffy, as all of the windows were shut for some reason. The service was friendly and pretty decent, so no complaints there. The main problem was the quality of food for me. I ordered a Sirloin steak, with sautéed potatoes and veg. The steak itself was actually very good, which is why I gave this review 3 stars, otherwise it would have been 2 stars without a doubt. I don’t think they know what sautéed potatoes are, as I got a load of small roasties that had the taste and texture that told me they were reheated and over cooked. Sautéed potatoes are also cooked in butter. These roasties weren’t. The ‘veg’ consisted of two small florets of broccoli and about five chunks of carrot, all of which were over cooked and mushy. I couldn’t be bothered to complain to the 17yr old waitress, as I didn’t want to ruin the night. As I said, the steak was very good, so I just put up with the rest of it being a bit crap. One of my pet hates is when you get the food, but have to wait for ages for someone to bring out the condiments. Yes, they took ages to bring out the condiments, sigh. The wine list was embarrassingly limited, which is always disappointing and strange for a place that specialises in selling alcohol. It literally had about 4/5 bottles of red on the list. I ordered a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, but got a bottle of Cabernet Merlot for some reason, despite it not even being on the menu. The bill at the end was pretty reasonable though. I wouldn’t recommend going there for a decent meal though, but it’s probably alright for a few pints if you like old country pubs. I don’t normally write crappy reviews for anything, mostly cause I’ve got a life. But I just felt compelled to say something about this place, cause the previous reviews might convince some people that the food is decent. Maybe it really was the chef’s night off, who knows. It’s more likely that this place is just very overrated I would bet!

Had a filling lunch the other day after so much "lockdown" time, it was great to be back in the open air with a great pub lunch. So long since our last visit and we found the place as popular as ever - you do need to book to avoid being dissapointed. Large main courses and good filling desserts in a country setting with friendly helpful staff, what more could you ask for on a sunny afterbnoon in Kent.

What a great little find. Really fancied a roast, out in the country, outside seating for the gorgeous weather and I wasn’t disappointed. Great staff, great food. Definitely be going back

We had an excellent meal. Staff were friendly and efficient. We were made most welcome. The meal was faultless. Highly recommended.

Glad to see this gem is still as good post lockdown Had the chicken Kiev which was excellent Wine list good and reasonably priced

Called ahead to check availability and turned up shortly after for an evening meal. Sat outside in the partially covered area which was cosy and warm thanks to the addition of some outdoor heaters. It was our first visit since the restrictions have lifted and was nice to be back out enjoying a nice meal in the Pub after having a few Pepperbox takeaways in lockdown. Staff were chatty and friendly, and the food was delicious and filling. Very welcoming atmosphere and had a lovely evening. Looking forward to going back soon to enjoy a dessert and was too full this time round!

I had my first takeaway roast dinner today (takeaway due to lockdown) and it was absolutely delicious. The meat was amazing and it was packed up so well. Ive had one other takeaway roast locally and it wasnt a patch on this one. I cannot recommend the Pepperbox highly enough.

Nicely busy , but brisk efficient service. Food was on the very good side, went for evening meal. Menu was pub fare. Smokers outside blowing smoke in not a great look. All in all pretty good

Abosolutely gorgeous. Inside and outside. The food was delicious. We all had roast dinner's and desert. My daughter has Coeliacs disease and so has to have gluten free options. Pepperbox were very accommodating to this. She was able to have a roast dinner with gluten free yorkshire puddings and gravy. For desert she wanted the poached pear crumble, which they happily served without the crumble part. She wanted a hot chocolate after and I said that I could scan the bar code if they weren't sure, so she brought out the pot of cocoa for me to scan. This was our first meal out since my daughter's diagnosis and it was a little nerve racking. Feeling as though you're being awkward when asking for things a certain way but the staff were amazing and very understanding. They were always happy to check something if they weren't sure. I hope all our meals out in the future are as easy as today. Thank you so much.

It was a last minute decision as I was just taking my mum out for a change of scenery. I used to live nearby and thought we would see if they had a table. They did. A real result. Both the food and the beer were as good as I remember. My mum had the Thai fish curry which was really tasty. I had the sausage sandwich - also good. The pint of Late Red was also good. They still keep their beer well. For very Wednesday midweek they were busy which tells it’s own story. Service was friendly and quick. All in all at least as good as I remembered it.

Went for dinner here recently- and was very impressed by the food, service and friendly welcome. It seems to be in the middle of nowhere but was very popular when we visited. The menu offers classics such as steaks, burgers and cod and chips plus innovative dishes- I had the avocado and crab starter followed by the lamb rump,Good choice of desserts too.

A pleasant meal & plenty of it, really nice outside eating area & decent parking. the staff are attentive & do there job well.

A gem of a country pub serving high quality food at reasonable prices. The staff at the pepperbox have worked so hard during this pandemic making sure everywhere is safe for people to come and enjoy good food, relax and get out ! Not only that they do takeaway, food is always hot. Roast Dinner takeout is one of our favourites... but as they know me so well their Chicken Curry is the dish I always have, and cater for my mushroom allergy

Everything was perfect. Nice friendly staff, great menu, excellent food. It was an incredibly hot evening so a special hat-tip to all the staff who worked so hard in challenging weather for that kind of work.

The prawn starter was absolutely delicious. Really good Ham, Egg and Chips main course as well. The real stand out feature was the customer service; the team at the Pepper Box couldn’t have done more to make us feel welcome. Great place for lunch.

Tried the takeaway at last and my goodness it was fantastic! Still piping hot when we arrived home (a 10 minute drive), the Stroganoff was absolutely delicious, huge portion, loads of meat and gorgeous sauce. My husband said his fish curry was the best curry he’d ever had. Lovely burger too, chips nice and crispy and the vegetarian choice, baked peppers stuffed with rice and feta was also lovely. I cannot recommend this takeaway highly enough, although pubs are now open if you don’t feel comfortable about going out and the takeaway option is still available, go for it!

I should like to thank Sophie and all the staff for giving us such an amazing roast dinner. it was firstly it was absolutely delicious, my husband asked for his beef to be rare and is was perfect and our neighbour asked for her beef to be well done and it was. Vegetables beautifully aldente , roast potatoes crispy on the outside and fluffy centres. The gravy was so tasty . Many, many thanks to you all. We will definitely be back to order again.Mariyn & Paul Sparks and Maureen & Patrick Tibbitts. ❤️

Visited in August 2019, so apologies for the late review. As I was staying away from home working evening shifts I couldn't stay and enjoy the atmosphere (and the food) for as long as I would have liked, but will certainly be returning if I'm ever in the area again.The staff were incredibly polite, welcoming and friendly. I was given some tasty complimentary bread and butter, which I very happily gobbled down. The curry was a special of the day and was absolutely delicious! The meat was generous (not gristly and full of fat but melted in the mouth) and it was well-spiced, with a nice heat and plenty of flavour. The poppadom was crisp and the rice fluffy. Quite happily finished the lot.

Visited on a Saturday night during uncertain times (14th March) , good to see the place busy with all tables booked. Quality of food and beers still excellent - especially the Thai Curry. Intruduced some friends to The Peperbox who had never found it before and they were really impressed with the pub and location.

Lovely Roast shared with our friends. Lovely staff too. I would advise to book as it gets very busy.

Had a really good experience here Great menu Staff vert attentive Good quality wine Nice buzz will be back

Friends suggested we visited and it didn't disappoint. Lovely welcoming atmosphere and traditional pub feel. Food really good and proper pub portions. Will be back soon.

Visited with friends as have had very good lunch there between Christmas and New Year. It was their first visit .A log fire was very welcome as it was a bitterly cold day so we sat by it while we chose from the menus.The staff were welcoming and gave good service.I had the Thai Curry which was delicious with plenty of sea food and was piping hot. The salmon was also enjoyed My husband had a superb chicken pie and our friend a steak and kidney pudding We all enjoyed our lunch and had deserts and teas/coffees. We will return as I don't eat meat and it was lovely to see a wide selection of fish on the menu.My only query is that we sat by a Rayburn and sadly it wasn't lit - this area was freezing and we were all very cold so stayed wrapped up and ate wearing coats and shawls. This is such a lovely place - it needs to feel warm and welcoming throughout- especially when the weather is so cold .

My wife and I visited on a Tuesday evening for an anniversary meal after reading great reviews. The weather that day was atrocious with really high winds etc but the pub was very busy so is obviously very popular. The staff were very friendly and welcoming and the pub itself is a really great old building. As areal ale drinker I was a bit disappointed to discover it was Shepherd Neame but that's my own fault for not checking.My wife ordered the Sea Bass (her favourite) and I had the sizzling chicken dish. Both were "ok" but maybe I was a bit disappointed because I was expecting a bit better. The table service was again ok but the young waitresses were asked for water on the table and that didn't arrive and there was no plate provided with my sizzling dish. Overall the whole experience will go down as just ok but we will go back and give it one more try.

Although we live in the area we have never visited this pub before..it being off the beaten track but are so glad we did.How refreshing to visit a truly family run hostelry with all the charm and ambience of pubs of yesteryear. The staff were super friendly and welcoming ensuring we got our food order in before the kitchen closed.We only wanted a light bite and ordered a sausage and onion and BLT sandwich with a side order of chips. What arrived was an enormous beautifully presented feast! The bread was fresh, the fillings had all the flavours that are sadly missing from many bought sandwiches and the chips were cooked to perfection.Perusing the main menu for a future visit the dishes are varied and appeared to be value for money, the price for wine also was not exorbitant.Special thank you to the ladies working the bar and waiting on tables who treated us like treasured friends.Can’t wait to go back to try their specials/a la carte menu.The only disappointment is that I cannot find any history of the pub pre 1958