The Poacher in Mid Sussex

Brilliant social environment with fantastic and helpful barstaff.

Lovely pub, friendly staff and clients. Great place for a stop after our walk. Good selection of beers. Shame there was no food but staff were relaxed about us popping out to nearby deli to get something to bring in.

Old school pub landlady. Nice garden but a little tired. Would highly recommend

Friendly staff and clientele with an old pub vibe. Also comes with a beer garden.

Great venue, great band (Stone Cold Sober)

Called in early evening for a couple of beers on each of the three days we stayed in the area. Lively and busy this is my kind of pub, with a choice of real ales, friendly staff and welcoming customers.

Down to earth, friendly pub. ?Landlady made lovely milky coffee for us at less than half coffee shop prices and probably not as nice. Thank you!

Great ‘local’, friendly landlady Babs and staff. Does everything you need or reasonably want.

Called in for a drink this Mon lunchtime. A friendly welcome in a traditional establishment. The London IPA was average. Good outdoor space to the rear.

Only one local IPA which was disappointing

Excellent traditional pub, with great staff and a warm welcome

Land lady is extremely good looking, Barbara she goes by the name of. Blimey is she firey, wouldn’t jump on it she was all mouth. As for the football team or should I say hooligans that go there, they were foul mouthed, abusive, violent young and old men. The kroni really hits the spot. Get up

Just recently moved into the area and a few local pubs out but this is surely my favourite so far, really friendly bar staff and just a really old school old fashioned pub which you just don’t see enough of these days which I love, I’ll definitely keep coming back whenever I get the chance

excellent pub. watched some sport there .

Classic old school pub, nothing fancy, but thats its charm, always liked it because of what it does not have.

Busy but food quite good. Would not take a table booking for 6 by phone. Told to do it on line. Gave up and went elsewhere.

Great little pub, good beers and great atmosphere. We had a good feed herre, and the dog loved it

Best pub in the village and one of the best pubs in the UK ive been to. Great laugh, all sport on TV and good beer.

Top quality pub best in the South and the landlord's a proper sort

Harvey's beer and decent Sunday roast. I'd come here again.

We've lived in the village for years now and frequently visited this pub. Sorry to say that tonight we were made to feel really unwelcome due to comments from the bar maid (who looked about 13) to the landlady that 'perhaps children should be made to stay in their prams'. Our 2 year old hadn't made lots of noise or run around the pub and had been in our view well behaved. That together with the stony faced old git by the fire who just stared creepily at our daughter the whole time we were there.

There are very few pubs like the Poacher left. It is a place that sells booze to people who want to drink. Interior decor, plush seating, false politeness, are all sacrificed for the primary purpose of drinking. The local football club players are usually holding court in the corner if there is a football match being shown and add to the ambience. It is very much like the tavern scene in Oliver!, everyone seems to know each other, everyone is shouting to each other, everyone is drinking and everyone is having a good time. All drinks are reasonably priced, the bar staff are used to serving lots of people fast. There isn't much space inside, but there is a garden in the summer. It does not matter how you are dressed or what you look like to enter this pub, all are welcome.

Brilliant place to stop for a drink and a surprisingly sizeable lunch. Sunday roast lamb is top notch!

My old boozer when I was a local, still the same friendly atmosphere and great to come back

Very friendly service and the food was very very good. Loved it.

It's a football boozer, mostly. Nice garden out the back.

Quite pub. Good atmosphere and locals and welcoming and polite

Went to this place with a group of 9 friends and enjoyed every minute Staff very polite and attentive without being overbearing. We had a variety of dishes which were all served at the right temperature with just enough time between courses to keep things comfortable Good portion sizes at very fair prices Try it if you get a chance

MY BIG BROTHERS PLACE. ONE DREAM TO VISIT THERE IN PERSON. TO MEET MY BROTHER

Food is standard pub fare.This is a proper lively village pub, albeit with wide screen televisions and occasional live music. Food is secondary and nothing wrong with that,

It's a proper pub. No frills and perfect for it.

Well what can I say. Nasty landlady,nasty staff. Smelly carpets and smelly armpits. Brilliant pub cant wait to go back and talk to the low browed uneducated brexiters. 5 stars all the way gracious landlady.🤗 xxx

As above, good for beer and ales and has many TVs for sporting events. Carpets are nice and sticky, so you don’t lose your balance after a few ales

World class. Awesome team and management

We visited here for drinks after my father -in -laws funeral which was local. Whilst happy for bar drinks to be ordered ,the bar person was not happy to make tea or coffee as well. There was a begrudging ok to making 4 cups . When trying to order more ,we were told we'd used all the cups and couldnt have any more - we could have just re-used the ones we had! I got the impression that not being local we weren't very welcome! We moved on to a different pub where we were welcome . Shame because local pubs need all the support they can get.

Lovely food, nice Sunday roast. Great staff 😁

A proper old fashioned pub to warm your cockles with simple fodder, good ale and friendly banter!

I would not say I am a regular as I only visit in conjunction with being out in the village when involved in other activities. The atmosphere is always good. The customers are very real and not up themselves in any way. Looks like a pub, feels like a pub and is just a good friendly local.

Great traditional pub run by the wonderful Babs . Superb selection of drinks and the Guinness the best in Sussex . Loyal locals with visitors flocking far n wide to watch the sports always shown on the big screens . Up the Poach !!

Blokes pub for beer, banter and sport

Landlady is beyond the pale rude and nuts. Punters rre freiendly

The stale smell in the bar was pretty offensive, but positively pleasant compared to the publican. I would recommend continuing 50 yards up the road to the New Inn, a warm welcoming friendly Pub in the best traditions with a roaring fire and hospitality to match.

Great friendly bar staff, good choice of Beers and Ales and a nice warm fire in the winter. Traditional pub food offered.

Good old fashioned pub. Good food and roasts :)

Love this pub! It's always here Whatever mood your in Welcoming staff Nice and warm good selection of beers and dog friendly! Right on the highstreet! Always a good mix of people and ages! Shows a lot of sport! Nice chilled way to end a long week!

Always get a warm welcome from Babs and her staff. Lovely garden to sit in with a good pint. Very good atmosphere and a smashing vibe to watch a football match on tv.

Good beer and basic food at reasonable price

This is an old school pub for those that don't the fuss of a gastrointestinal pub.

Good for watching football. Reasonable prices.

Quiet pub. Does have sky sports there though

popped in for quick pint and scratching, Harveys ale delivered, lovely pub great to encourage conversations and something for everyone. everything a village pub should be, including buxom barmaid and lovely wood interiors.

Really good traditional pub - feels like a proper local. Good range of beers, well kept, great bar staff. 2/3 screens for sport.

The Poacher is a nice friendly traditional pub in the High Street and easy to find. We stopped here for lunch on a Bank Holiday Monday and had a nice welcome. Choice of food was limited but hot and well done and very inexpensive. Excellent choice of ales and couple of ciders on tap, one of which was quite unusual and very good. Large garden with seating at the rear of the pub. Lavs and washroom very clean. When we left the pub was filling up with locals which I always take to be a good sign for value and friendliness. I'd recommend this place to anyone who wanted a traditional pub experience.

Un salto para una cerveza después de un día en la granja. Hija tuvo su helado.

Gem of a pub, welcoming, friendly staff and customers. Only moved into area recently and instantly welcomed by all. Brilliant Sunday roast too!

Good quality unpretentious food, in big portions. Good choices of beer and the Harveys is looked after very well. Welcoming. It's an old fashioned local pub, not a gastro pub.

Si no eres un habitual entonces olvídate. El personal es grosero y antipático. Ellos nos aseguraremos de que los habitantes locales' se sirven antes sirven cualquiera "nuevo". Una horrible ambiente; nos hicieron sentir incómodos y molestos. Nunca más. Hay otros hoteles mucho mejores pubs en Hurst.

Friendly 'Local'. The builder, Baker etc., allin together, most know each other, a regular village 'Pub'.

The place is really outdated. No-one was under the age of 40 in the pub. We walked in and we were given a frosty look and it was very uncomfortable. It is definitely a local pub for local people. We swiftly left this place not ordering anything. We may return in another 20 years if it is still standing. This place is Straight out of the league of gentlemen

I've been going to the Poacher for in excess of 20 years. I am one of those who prop up the bar (see BMc67's review of 22nd February 2015).The bar staff are not hostile. If they were, I wouldn't spend my money there. The locals are not racist. If they were, I wouldn't go there (my wife is from an Indian family, so I tend to notice these things).I don't know what BMc67 is talking about, but it's not the pub I go to. I see from looking at his reviews that he seems reasonably hostile to Hurstpierpoint as a whole. The Poacher is a great pub.

Rather disappointed by the recent poor rating on trip advisor. As one of the "local yokels" I would like to stand up for my local pub and say how pleased I am that my nearest boozer is actually friendly, has a good atmosphere, welcomes new visitors and due to the great bar staff and landlady is always pleasure to frequent.If I ever come across an establishment not to my liking I simply leave, not take to trip advisor to spout on about it.

I find the last comment very insulting and how the hell can you sniff the carpet and as for been racist the landladies boyfriend is an Indian and us as bar staff work hard so get a LIFE

A smelly horrible pub with yokel locals propping up the bar spouting racist drivel. They might as well be wearing smocks and have a head of wheat stuck between their teeth. Hostile bar staff. However if you want to see and smell the world's most hideous carpet then I heartily recommend it. Any 'real pub' ambience destroyed by the biggest flat screen tv towering over the room blasting out eighties pop videos. The landlady knows her lowbrow clientele well and gives them what they want. Bad ale, bad music and smelly carpets. It's a film set this place. A horror film.

I enjoyed a Sunday lunch here for less than £10, which was brilliant! There was a selection of different meats. I live in Hurst and don't have time to amble in the area much, but I will be returning, enjoyed it very much.

I enjoyed a sunday lunch here for 6.99, there was a selection of 4 different meats- I chose lamb and received a huge portion! I shall definitely be returning.

My wife and I recently went to this pub for a Sunday roast. Really friendly staff and regulars, food is very reasonably priced and very tasty, plenty of it as well, the service was very quick. One of the best Sunday roasts we have had in a very long time, will be back

I often go for drinks at the poacher and the land lady is very good at maintaining her real ales. they usually support local brewerys as well as go for wierd and wonderful beers that most pub owners feel as too much as a risk to sell eg. 8% christmas ale, plum porter, raspberry fool etc. which you dont usually see in village pubs. Her scotch eggs and cornish pasties are some of the best accompliments you could dream of as they are all home made and I have often had to go for a second because I enjoyed it so much. She has recently started doing more food especially on sunday with a choice of roasts and pub food. nothing on the menu is "fancy" or trying to hard, its just good old honest fish and chips, ham egg and chips. traditional, filling and priced as such...friendly locals, good staff, food and beer make the poacher something to look forward to.

After a ramble from Burgess Hill dropped in for a Sunday lunch. A few locals sat round the bar and a sunny garden area. Unlike so many country pubs friendly greetings from the locals and we were not treated like some trespassers disturbing the regulars' lazy Sunday afternoon. Sensibly priced menu with not too many choices. Beware of too many choices on a pub menu, not everything can be freshly cooked so the dreaded microwave comes into play.Well kept real ales, again not too many: another good sign. Roast beef for £6.70 which came with mashed swede and potato, in addition to roasties, yorkshire pudding and 4 veg. Bowl of horseradish came without having to ask for it. Good portion of topside/top-rump which had been kept hot and not zapped to leather in a micro. Also on the menu was chicken and mushroom pastie for £2.50, ideal if one just wanted a snack. Fish and chips and ham, egg and chips plus desserts make this an affordable place for those on a budget and for families who do not want to spend a fortune on food just to see the kids leave most of it uneaten. But the best thing was that we were immediately included in the pub banter even though it was our first visit. There are plenty of other pubs in the village, some more picturesque, others more "romantic" and all offering food but for a genuine welcome and a no frills approach this one will do for me.