The Bull on the Green

I write only to warn of some disreputable practice by the management of the Bull…. I recently booked a weekend evening for my wife and I to visit friends. I booked the Bull because of decent reviews and, most enticingly, the “full breakfast and free bottle of wine or Champagne” included in the price. Upon booking, I messaged the pub to ask about how I choose the wine or Champagne, to be bluntly told that I can purchase these at additional cost, the Champagne being £79/bottle! You then doubt yourself, so I checked my confirmation email, which again confirmed the free bottle of wine or Champagne. I sent a screenshot, and was then snippily informed I would have no Champagne unless I paid £79! There was no acknowledgement that this had been in the booking offer, nor apology about any error. Needless to say, I cancelled my plans with them. I am saddened that in 2024 a pub would resort to tricks to entice business. Unless you are a fan of Fawlty Towers and have money to burn, I would stay clear of this place!

Do consider this comfortable dining pub if looking for accommodation in the Newick area. Rooms - in a separate building behind the pub - are not large, but have all you need: good beds, en suite shower rooms, TV, wifi, mineral water, coffee/tea, hair dryer, ironing facilities. Staff are friendly and helpful. Plenty of parking. Good food for lunch and dinner in the restaurant and a pretty setting beside the village green, well set back from the A272. Pre-order cooked or continental breakfast the night before. We enjoyed our stay and would happily stay again.

We visit the Bull every year for a meal before we play in a bowls match in the village, the meals have always been of a high standard, but not this year. A very disappointing meal. We had the roast, a beef and a pork. The presentation was appalling, all looked plonked on the plate. A very large Yorkshire pudding on the side, the meat which was on top of the vegetables, were luke warm. All was swamped in gravy which was congealed at the bottom of the plate. We did complain and the drinks charge was removed from the bill.

We stayed here a few years ago and it was very reasonable, so booked again for another visit to daughter and son-in-law in Burgess Hill. Well how times have changed. We were shown to our room by the blonde man behind the bar, room 8 I believe, though we were told room 3 ? The room was up a short flight of stairs from the shower room - so definitely NOT en-suite - and there was another rooms door next to it. I fell down the stairs whilst creeping to the loo in the middle of the night. There was no blind at the one small window, just an overly long, fraying grey nylon net curtain. We later found the blind … in the wardrobe ! The room was barely big enough to swing a cat - we booked a large with en-suite and there was only just enough room to walk around the bed. One, just one, bedside reading light and some kind of underfloor heating, making the room unbearably hot, though we did find a fan in the wardrobe. Straight away, we spoke to ‘the blonde man’ in the bar, who argued that, apart from the blind, which he said he would go and rehang, everything else was as it should be. The blind was rehung, but, as we suspected, it didn’t open and was permanently closed…maintenance would sort it…they never did. We showed ‘the blonde man’ the images of the room we had booked from their website and he actually told us they were not their images and couldn’t explain how they got there…very strange. Fortunately after a very uncomfortable 2 nights - we’d booked for 4. - we spoke to a really helpful young man Max, who didn’t argue all the time and took our concerns seriously. We were ‘upgraded’ for our final 2 nights. Thankyou Max! The upgrade was still cobwebby and in need of a full clean, but a palace compared to room EIGHT! Having said all this, the food in the restaurant was amazing, well done kitchen team, and the bar staff - apart from ‘the blonde one’ were really lovely and helpful. Would recommend for a meal and a drink, but NOT for an over night stay

You know its good when the vegetables are on par with the meat. Some of the best cabbage and potatoes - and the sides were so good. No watery veggies or cauliflower cheese to be seen. The gravy was perfect and thick - everyone at the table was amazed

We booked and paid for this hotel before our 8 night stay sadly . The only good thing to say about it were the staff were all pleasant and there it stops. The room was spacious and on the surface appeared fine. However, we were not aware that there is absolutely NO housekeeping service. On closer inspection the shower drainer was filthy, full of hairs and stains and mould. The toilet seat was flimsy plastic and far too small for the toilet. We had to go and buy bleach and antiseptic wipes and clean the room ourselves. This is unacceptable and a complete disgrace, especially given the need for hygiene post COVID. I dropped my glasses one night and had to move the bed to get them. Behind the bed was years of dust and under the bed was the same with rubbish and old tissues etc. Absolutely filthy. Despite there being tea and coffee making facilities in the room the cups are not cleaned or changed at all. On day three we requested that the room and bathroom be cleaned, bin emptied and cups changed. The "cleaner" did come in and left 1 loo roll and folded the towels but that was all. On speaking to the staff in the bar one of them kindly went and completed the task. She should not have had to do this but there is NO management at this place and the staff, while pleasant, are not managed or supervised. They are all very young and have no interest to knowledge of anything that is available or happening locally. We only ate in the restaurant once and had a very poorly cooked meal which was greasy and awful. An experience we would not repeat again. Fortunately the pub just around the corner serves very good food. The hotel is a lovely old building with great potential but is very poorly decorated and has random and inappropriate decor for the age of the building. The "courtyard garden" is a selection of broken down tables and chairs and serious collection of weeds. It is utterly uncared for and neglected. The gutters are full of rubbish and the sight greeting guests as they leave their room is overgrown weeds, rubbish and bins. This is a hotel experience that we would never go though again and could not recommend anyone to stay at this filthy dirty, neglected and unwelcoming place.