Blacksmiths Arms, May 1998

A worthy winner of the local Campaign for Real Ale 'Pub of the Year' award during 1997. A friendly, comfortable village local full of character. Wormshill's a small village between Sittingbourne and Maidstone. Wormshill's signposted from the B2163 between the aforementioned places. A low beamed pub with tiled floor split into two nicely decorated bars. They offer food at lunchtimes and during the evening though not on Sunday evenings. I've enjoyed one of their doorstep sandwiches though the one that my sister Nicola chose was perhaps a little too generous! The main meals that they had on offer ranged in price with a couple of unusual dishes on offer at the more expensive end. Even so, the food did look very tasty and was reasonably priced.

The pub is now the Swale brewery tap, a brewery opened in 1995 in Milton and now interestingly situated outside the borough after which it takes its name. You'll find 3 or 4 of their beers on at any one time. I've tried several of these and look forward to trying more next time I visit the Blacksmith's Arms. If the beer and food doesn't keep you warm then the log fire that they have in the winter will. Should it be Summer and warm however when you visit, you might like to wander outside to the pleasant beer garden behind the pub with views across the fields...