The Rifle Volunteers in Maidstone

Update: Wow the beer here is so good...fresh as a daisy from nearby brewery. Beware of the sublime Gold Star!! Nice to also see the Mild and Dark (my personal fave) on tap. Fabulous timewarp bar. Great service and place to gather thoughts. *** I remember when Goachers first started. A proper traditional brewery out of the ashes of hop country. Beer is still lovely. Traditional pub time warp. Happy memories of simpler times. When in Kent I go out of my way to visit and am never disappointed.

Update July 2024 Exterior having a paint uplift, looks very good. Update April 2024 Had a great few hours enjoying a few pints of light and a Stilton roll. Update February 2024 Still the best pub in Maidstone. Update December 2023 Just added a few photos. Update November 2023 IMHA the best pub in Maidstone. Update September 2023. Still a great place to have a real beer. Update April 2023. £3.70 a pint. Still has an old fashion till. Fantastic afternoon we sat outside enjoying the local beer, cheese rolls and sunshine. Please please support. Update December 2022 Still a great place to have a beer or two on a cold wintery day. Recommend the Stilton and apple roll. Had a few beers on their well planted patio (some one must be kept busy watering as most plants are in pots) , bananas, cannas and a couple of water features. The beer is very good and not expensive. Please support this local pub.no

Incredible pub with an incredible landlord, Alex. Inside is like a time capsule with so many original features, then you step outside into the most beautiful beer garden for miles around. Alex has put his heart into the garden and it's a wonderful haven that makes you completely forget you're in the centre of a bustling town

Great Real Ale Pub, Goachers always on offer

Homely place, friendly and relaxing.

A great pub with a good atmosphere. Good food and Ale. Well worth a visit the the friendliest pub in town.

Lovely little time warp. Real ales served well. I do wonder if I can bring my little dog next time I pass by with him?

I visited this wonderful establshment recently, this time dressed in lederhosen as I had a hunch they may celebrate Oktoberfest. My assumption was way off. Alex the landlord pointed out it was late November and I was too over imaginative and should get a grip. I took the precaution of taking some cheap joggers from Sports Direct in case I had to cover up but nevertheless decided to fake a German accent when ordering from the bar. Tactful advice, great atmosphere with dignity maintained. I would recommend a look at the owl water jug.

Amazing traditional boozer. Landlord and landlady are proper characters.

Best real ale pub in Maidstone.

I think the garden photo is stretching it a bit. But the pub is good, the clientele are friendly, the beer is great. Locally produced beer, i think butties are available on request. A good pub.

Best pub in Maidstone, Goachers beers, what more could you want?

Lovely pub , Polly, Alex and their son are delightful hosts !

I can see why this wins awards. Great beer at a great price, highly recommended.

The place is very small but great. The hosts were very accommodating and the drinks were nice and very reasonably priced. The outdoor space is lovely and the best place on a nice day. Would definitely go back

Grand traditional pub, friendly clientele , great beers, great landlord and landlady. Sing around on the first Monday of every and occasional music on Sunday afternoons. Ever popular lunch times afternoons and evenings. Now with Music every alternative Sunday 15:00

A proper pub. Great beer. Good conversation genuine people

Nice pub, good beers we had a few pints of gold star goachers which was very nice , friendly staff definitely worth a visit .

Great little local pub with interesting regulars. Good beers. Will be going back.

Traditional boozer. Great beer, great conversation, no mod cons.

Good traditional pub with range of cask ales. Pleasant atmosphere.

A good find, a short walk from the town centre. Owned by Goacher's brewery, and stocking several of their beers including a dark mild, which can be hard to find in south-east England. Community pub with a friendly atmosphere. In the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, and winner of several awards.

Best real ale pub in Maidstone!

Great beer at a good price good atmosphere

I'm a little biased really like this place however only serves goachers real ale however please give a try they have different varieties snd a friendly atmosphere would recommend

Small pub with unusual beer on tap, friendly staff

I used to come in here with my Dad in the early 2000s. He managed to ween me off ‘the chemicals’ (lager) and onto ‘proper beer’ (Goachers). Fond memories of the old landlord and his missus too (now both sadly deceased). Formative. Glad to see the old place hasn’t changed a bit. It’s still a thoroughly old fashioned local pub for local people. Still looks like someone’s front room, still full of older gentlemen having intelligent conversations. An absolute gem of a pub - may it never change. Stop by for a Goachers or five.

I found this pub by accident and what a great find it was. Alex and Polly are so friendly as are all the locals. I wasn't an ale drinker before popping in but I am now. The beer is first class and a great price, I'll definitely be back

Proper boozer. Great atmosphere and beer.

Visited by accident, but quite impressed. Traditional, small and cosy. Very friendly staff and other regulars too. Has a nice courtyard garden Would definitely visit again.

Decent ale pub, top landlord. A proper boozer.

Good local beer, good prices and very friendly

Lovely friendly pub, good beer at sensible prices.

Traditional friendly pub , real ale orientated with a lovely garden

Great beer and nice garden to sit in.

Great traditional pub with community feel. Just a short walk from the town centre. Really welcoming locals and fine Goachers ales. Impressive beer garden.

Lovely, friendly staff & gorgeous outside area - perfect for warm nights out!

Fantastic quirky pub, great friendly staff and customers. Alex was a great host and i had fun with Arkwrights till!

Excellent pub,regulars & staff. Good choice of beer. No music just good conversation.

Beer was pretty good barman was a decent chap everything else average

Great pint, friendly atmosphere, good old fashioned boozer

Great local pub Highly recommend

Very friend, cosy atmosphere, excellent beers with the cellar well kept.

A proper local corner pub, friendly and welcoming. Great ales

Not a real ale pub, but the Sunday lunch was amazing. The staff are very obliging and friendly. They managed to squeeze us in. Almost literally!

Good beer, good company, great staff

Excellent throughout, Professional helpful staff, with a charming Landlady. Great night with good food and a quality range of beers.

Gorgeous little garden and friendly staff. One of Maidstone's hidden gems.

Awesome garden. Great atmosphere. Great ales

Good ales and getting used to table service.

The Goldstar is nice, but 6 pints is a bad idea if you've got to be awake the next day 🤪

Excellent service as usual beer and rolls as usual to their very high standard

Selfishly I would like to keep this traditional pub a bit of a secret! Delightful sheltered beer garden, superb Goacher’s beers in finest condition, charming & friendly hosts. Probably a good job I don’t live nearby, I’d spend far too much time here 😄🍻

I'm new to area and happened upon this place, absolutely perfect. Staff are amazing, punters are too. If you get the opportunity try the oyster crisps. Easily make this my local.

Excellent beer, excellent landlord and landlady.

Fantastic and friendly old-school pub, the owners and the beer are spot on!

Great friendly pub Go here for real ale and real people

Great pub with great beer, owners are so friendly and welcoming!

A hidden gem for ale lovers! Fantastic beer garden and lovely friendly owners.

Real Pub, great staff, a throwback to a bygone era

Great ales and excellent service

Alex and Polly have worked hard during the lockdown to improve the pleasing area at the back of the pub for outdoor drinking. Entry is via the side gates. Tbe beer is well kept, and the arrangements efficient in addition to the warm and friendly welcome and service.

Propper pub with a friendly welcome & atmosphere.

The Rifle Volunteers is a real ale pub lost in time. It has grade one listed formica in the bar! Well run Goachers tied house. Friendly service old fashioned local, one of the last in Maidstone. Frequented by the Maidstone rowing club. Town centre parking.

Lovely goachers beer. Cash only and around 3 quid a pint

Goachers beers in excellent condition. What more is there to say.

My first experience of Folk Night and what fun it was!

Great place to have a decent beer in an old style pub.

Great old fashioned real pub. Pleasant clientele with easy conversation. No music, no pool table just normal old fashioned meeting house with good chat. Selection of 3 "home" ciders, very delicious. Home brewed beers also reputed to taste amazing. I'd highly recommend trying this as it is a breath of fresh air in today's modern homogenous plastic brewery pubs to find a truly pleasant old time pub.

Best draught local beer in town! Great atmosphere and company.

Excellent little pub. Magic staff good times.

Fantastic Victorian back street Pub, with excellent well kept ales at reasonable prices, served by welcoming staff; worth a trip out to Maidstone alone.

A real ale pub stuck in time. I love the Goacher's Imperial Stout, but rarely see it these days.

Friendly staff and the ale is good will be going back soon

Great night at the Rifle, Folk evening with loads of people, good beer and good singalong.

It's a pub where you can talk, no juke box no fruit machine its wonderful, the staff are brilliant

Great folk night 1st Monday of each month!

This is a drinking pub. One of very few left. Excellent range of locally brewed beers by Goachers. Friendly welcome.

Great pub with great beer, cider, landlord, lady and regulars

great beer traditional pib with lovely landlord and landlady

Great Goachers owned old style pub

Great little pub that time forgot. Very friendly and great beer

Great pub with superb beer and a warm,friendly atmosphere.

Great pub, good beer, friendly, comfortable, nice Company!

Good place for CAMRA members. The pub is ok but not as good as the beer.

Very welcoming pub had a good quiz night

Great little pub and the staff and locals are very friendly. Nice to have a pub that's not fake and the atmosphere is good.

Great old style pub, with real ales. Great atmosphere.

Glad to see the "Lost in time" is still the same. Great atmosphere, fine ales, proper people.

Pleasant atmosphere, well kept beer (Goachers, of course), good patron.

Go a couple of times a week great pub wonderful attmostphear

Sister organised some food and a get together to catch up with while visiting from Australia. Nice cosy place. Real ale only.

Great selection of Goachers ales in an enjoyably retro atmosphere 🍺

Lovely place, well worth a visit, excellent beers to sample - recommended.

Really friendly. Lovely old fashioned bar fittings.

Lovely friendly atmosphere, great beers and ciders and dog friendly staff.

Great beer, recommend Fine Light

Friendly and authentic local pub

What an amazing find, great atmosphere for a little pub, great choice and great service. Oh, watch out for the cat, it dribbles when you pet it.

Good friendly pub with great beer