The Snowdrop Inn

Love this beautiful country pub. We came for a Sunday Roast as we had heard good things about it. The service was good throughout and the timing from ordering to getting it on the table was just right. The portion size was good, the meat and vegetable elements to the meal were great however the roast potatoes should be golden brown, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside however these were not that. The potatoes on the inside were still hard and they didn't have any crunch on the outside. The additional sides were great though. I would have given this a 4.5 start review but Google doesn't let you do that.

First time visit for lunch at The Snowdrop Inn, what a lovely pub. Loved the short menu with the right balance of meat, fish and veg recipes and very reasonably priced. Food was tasty, great presentation and friendly hosts.
Toilets were spotless. I expect it has a country pub atmosphere in the evening with the fires going. Very enjoyable visit

Recently, the pub changed hands from independent to a chain Barley Mow. I never thought I'd be giving the Snowdrop Inn a 1 star review, but here we are.

We have been regulars at the pub (mainly for the most amazing and generous Sunday Roasts) for 2 years - and we are not the sort of people who ever are "regulars". With our usual excitement we booked a table for this Sunday, blissfully unaware that the pub has changed hands and now become yet another chain.

The first horror hit us when we walked in and discovered the whole interior had been changed. From the most cosy, enchanting decour of black beams and old fashioned country ornaments hang around under the ceiling (that I could stare at for hours), the pub changed to bland, boring, almost sterile white-and-grey clone of chain premises. The tables are dressed in too-posh-for-a-country-pub placemats and crystal glasses.
OK, we can survive the interior - you come to a pub for food after all, yes?

Well, the second wave of horror hit us when we were given the Sunday menu. Gone is the unique Snowdropp Inn Sunday roast. Now it's yet another copy-and-paste chain menu. To my absolute devastation, also gone is the most amazing, yummy cashewnut roast. The veggie option has been replaced with a "lentil loaf". Trying to be optimistic, I decided to give it a try.

Well, what was placed in front of me is most definitely NOT a "loaf" (photo attached). It essentially was an unidentified green mush that was smeared all over 3 pieces of roast potato. It genuinely looked like someone, after a night out in Brighton, vomited onto the plate and then scooped it up into a pile. It looked anything but appetising. The wet mush also made the potatoes soggy - goodbye nice, crispy roast potatoes. As soon as the plate was delivered to our table, my partner stated he feels sorry for me and any vegetarian that comes to the pub (there are no other veggie options on the Sunday menu).
My partner ordered a roast beef. To our shock, also gone are generous portions so characteristic of Snowdrop Inn - his plate consisted of TWO SMALLEST beef slices ever on top of 3 potato pieces. And that cost 20 quid!!! He stated that it tasted much worse than roast beef under previous owners.
To top it off, both the Yorkshire puddings and the potatoes were all covered in very strong tasting herbs that dominated the palette of the entire meal.
Also gone are individual portions of veg directly on your plate. This has been replaced with sharer plates of seasonal veg and cauliflower cheese. The carrots and cauliflower cheese were very tasteless, the red cabbage tasted horrible compared to the one served previously, and frankly, the only part of the whole meal I actually enjoyed were the greens.
This is an extremely far cry from the previous Sunday Roasts that were so freaking amazing that we would literally clean the plates each time, despite our stomachs bursting at the seams. The quality and quantity of our meals absolutely did not warrant the price we had to pay for them. Is that pile of mush worth £17?

It's also worth noting that there has been a change in the average age of staff (at least during our visit). Vast majority of waiters are now very young teenagers, which I suspect is unfortunately to do with them being cheaper labour. There was only one waitress left from the "old crew" and she was ran absolutely ragged behind the bar - I have never seen any staff members being clearly so busy and somewhat stressed out at this pub. The landlady was nice, however there was nothing personal in her attitude. This is again a far cry from the previous landlord, who always made effort to get to know his customers.

After 2 years of being very faithful "regulars", it's safe to say that after this visit, we will not be returning to this pub ever again and will be looking for another Sunday Roast venue. It's such a shame that yet another unique, independent country pub, that was clearly putting the quality of food and customer satisfaction at its heart, is now gone and a chain is profiting off the renown it no longer deserves.

I don't even like roasts at all, I'm famous for saying how bland they are. But i had the Sunday roast here and it was the most delicious thing ever!! Every single bit was delicious! The yorkshire pudding was beautiful, the gravy was perfection, the meat was amazing and the vegetables (?!)- outstanding. So many compliments to the chef!
All the staff were the nicest people ever too! I can't wait to come back

Just popped in for a quick beer and I couldn't fault it. It is a beautiful old pub with an incredible staff. I look forward to trying the menu soon.

Food was amazing, service was quick, staff were friendly. Nothing more I could ask for. Very nice cosy country pub.

We went for lunch to celebrate a birthday. A pretty little pub just outside Haywards Heath. Had a nice meal, wine good and very friendly staff. Dog friendly too.

What a cozy gastro pub! We loved our meal and the staff who were very helpful.