Hawkley bed & breakfast, South Downs, England

Environment

We provide a variety of exceptional affordable pub food. We like to make use of the local suppliers around us; for example, our meat is often from W Morgan & Sons, ice cream is from Mooka, Our soft drinks are all supplied by Hartridges and much of our fruit and veg is from Bryant Bro, all based in Petersfield. During spring, we’re also able to get local lamb on the menu. Our menu is contentiously changing with the seasons to match what produce is available. A couple of current favourites amongst the customers are the homemade Steak and Kidney pudding and the roasted pork belly. We’re extremely proud of the fact that we buy all of our beer direct from the Brewery is order to prevent it from being moved frequently, as we believe that reduces the quality and has a negative impact on the environment. We have a huge variety including, Bowman’s Ales, Dark Star, Ballards Brewery and Triple fff Brewing Company – all of which are located in or extremely close to the South Downs National Park boundaries. We also have five hand-pulled ciders available, some from Mr. Whiteheads Cider Company who get their apples just 5 miles down the road from us at Blackmoor Farm. Our waste cardboard, plastic, glass and even cooking oil is recycled.

Community

Due to the small size of the village where we are located, we’re very much at the heart of the tight knit community which we serve. We get a lot of support from the amazing villagers who frequent our pub and it is thanks to them that we have such a warm and bustling and often nutty environment. We get involved in large scale charity events, and some of the more audacious characters put on Pole Dancing to raise money for Children in Need last year! We hold quiz nights, and occasionally live music which we work hard on to get quality musicians in to fill the pub out and create an amazing atmosphere; many of these have become infamous. Amongst performers we've had locals such as Will Topley. Hawkley’s annual beer festival is held in June that offers a tempting array of free samples. A lovely respite from the summer sun…

Landscape

The pub is in the heart of the South Downs with Hangers Way and the South Downs Way not too far away. We're also close to the Ashford Hangers, 323 acres of mainly beech woodland growing on the sides of steep hills, a stunning area where poet Edward Thomas lived prior to his death in the First World War. It’s locally known as ‘Little Switzerland!’ Shoulder-of-Mutton Hill also boasts some beautiful panoramic views and also is home to the sarsen Poet Stone, a memorial to Edward Thomas. Hawkley is home to some unusual species, the rare orchid the Red Helleborine was discovered here in 1986 as well as the rare Cheese Snail so called due to its shell resembling that of a wheel of cheese. Finally, the ‘Grizzled Skipper’ butterfly which has a beautiful black and white pattern on its wings.