By Joanne Smith
I’m a big foodie and a great lover of cosy country pubs, so when the opportunity came along to sample the menu at The Star Inn in Norman’s Bay, I jumped at the chance. Steeped in history, the venue is situated a short walk from the village’s train station, in an area surrounded by countryside.
The pub was once a sluice house and reminders of this background are dotted around the pub, which also boasts a nautical theme. It is owned by Dave Franchin, whose background in the industry includes managing a restaurant in Brighton. When my partner Rob and I arrived, we were taken to our table and I was immediately struck by the cosy feel of the inn and what a great place it is for families, friends and couples to enjoy a spot to eat.
The menu is a mixture of traditional food, which is perfect for any palate, along with some hidden surprises that you would not necessarily expect. I was very tempted by the mussels steamed in spicy tomato, onion, garlic and chilli sauce for my main, but I decided to have a smaller mussel dish in a white wine and garlic sauce for my starter.
The mussels were definitely the best I have ever had – the sauce was fantastic – and Rob said the pâté was also the nicest he had ever tried. I sampled some of his starter too and decided that’s what I would go for on my next visit.
The generous portions were hard to miss, and all at very reasonable prices. Rob pipped me to the post for the main and opted for the paella with chicken and seafood medley, so I chose the locally caught cod and chips, one of the three choices I struggled to narrow my main menu options down to.
The meal was just as good as the starter and though I was full, I still made space to try some of Rob’s paella.
The paella is just one of the slightly more alternative choices on the menu, along with the more traditional options such as homemade lasagne, the giant mixed grill and fillet of salmon. The selection is endless, with a range of vegetarian options as well as salads, burgers and sandwiches and not forgetting a carvery and a specials menu, which is changed every few days.
We washed our food down with pinot grigio but there is also a range of soft drinks available for those who are tee-total or driving. After browsing the dessert menu, I decided to make room for the strawberry tart, while Rob had an Irish coffee. It was divine and the perfect end to a lovely evening.
As well as its generous portions and fantastic food, the other quality that is hard to miss about The Star Inn is how it caters for everyone. A large outdoor play area is perfect for the little ones, and something I haven’t found in any pub I have set foot in – and there have been a few – is an indoor arcade and sweet shop – popular with young and old.
A large garden complete with ducks swimming in the water is another of the inn’s great attractions, along with a large parking area. But if you’re not driving, the local scenery makes The Star Inn a great place to walk or cycle to from nearby Pevensey. During the summer months, the inn will have a Mediterranean buffet available for customers.
But regardless of the British weather – which we all know can go from one extreme to the next – this pub is the perfect place to enjoy a meal in any season.
Tel. 01323 762648