Hook and Hatchet Inn

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Review

318 reviews

#53 of 265 Restaurants in Maidstone££ - £££, Bar, British, Pub

+44 1622 880272+ Add website

Hours

Sun

9:00 - 21:00

Mon

12:00 - 22:00

Tue

12:00 - 22:00

Wed

12:00 - 22:00

Thu

12:00 - 22:00

Fri

12:00 - 23:00

Sat

10:00 - 23:00

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Ratings and reviews

4.0

318 reviews

#53 of 265 Restaurants in Maidstone

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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PRICE RANGE

£2.00 – £15.00

CUISINES

Bar, British, Pub

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

meals, features

Location and contact

Church Road Hucking, Maidstone ME17 1QT England

+44 1622 880272

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Does this restaurant have live music

Yes

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Details

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About

We are the proud owners of this Freehouse, which we purchased in February 2016 after the pub had stood shut for almost 2 years. On our own, we have completely gutted and refurbished the pub over just a few months. Using our skills obtained by running our family business, which specialises in refurbishing pubs and hotels and our knowledge of running a small local pub in sleepy old Norfolk many years ago. Entertaining and socialising is something that comes naturally to us and nothing makes us happier than people feeling looked after, welcomed and entertained. We are told that we make great hosts and hope you will be of the same opinion when you pay us a visit. We try our utmost to accommodate all requests, however large or small. We look forward to meeting you.

PRICE RANGE

£2.00 – £15.00

CUISINES

Bar, British, Pub

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Validated Parking, Free off-street parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Digital Payments, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music, Dog Friendly

Top 3 reasons to eat here

Sponsored by: Hook and Hatchet Inn

1. Lovely home cooked food

"Food was the best ever! Really tasted home made and cooked with love"

Tyley

2. Lovely walks, dog frendily

"Beautiful location with stunning walks."

Suzanne769

3. Family frendily

"A great place for families"

Shirley B

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4.0

318 reviews

Excellent

190

Very good

Average

Poor

Terrible

Tony S

Willesborough8 contributions

Favourite Review

Totally Pawfect

Oct 2022 • none

On our first visit to the Hucking Estate we came across by chance this “oasis in the dessert “ after an hours dog walking in the rain. On arrival all of the staff were so friendly and hospitable. The first member of staff told not to worry about our rather damp appearance with two bedraggled pooches in tow. We were ushered in to what felt like a really warm and well presented pub/restaurant. It felt clean and fresh with some lovely pictures and knick knacks dotted around. We’d planned to have just a quick drink and a bag of crisps but because of the welcome and feel of the place we stayed for 3x Sunday roasts. These arrived really quickly and were hot tasty and perfectly sized. We were asked a couple of times if we were ok and the mutts were given a treat each too. Can’t fault the service, atmosphere or the surroundings. I’m really looking forward to doing this walk again! Thanks team 👍

Written 30 October 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sharon hodgson

Thank you for such a lovely review. We are so glad to hear that you had such a positive experience with us. We look forward to seeing you again in the near future.

Written 2 November 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

cliffb

Rochester235 contributions

Enjoyable Anniversay Meal

Feb 2020 • none

We booked a lunch time meal for four at the hook & Hatchet and were VERY impressed with our visit. Our table was ready and we were looked after by our fantastic waitress who ensured we had a relaxed and enjoyable meal (I apologise for forgetting your name but you work two days a week ) We were impressed with the choice of food on the menu and the presentation,quality and quantity of our meals was top-notch !!! (compliments to the chef) The pub is very atmospheric and a very relaxing place to enjoy a meal. We definitely will return for another meal soon.

Written 10 February 2020

LSB85

London182 contributions

Good pub grub

Mar 2020 • family

Good pub grub. Came on a Sunday afternoon for my cousins birthday, we must have had about 7 tables and it’s quite a small cosy building, but they managed to accommodate us. I had lamb shank it was a bit tepid but the meat was nice, good portions also. They didn’t offer a fish dish on the set menu but accommodated my gran with a fish pie. Staff were friendly .The deserts were huge. No complaints.

Written 11 June 2020

Collette W

Folkestone9 contributions

Food absolutely disgusting. Vegan dishes are NOT vegan. Hostile and aggressive manager. Shocked and upset.

May 2021 • couples

Pub food absolutely hideous. We emphasised we were vegan & ordered dish labelled as vegan...and we still given a meal with coleslaw on it, after eating some we sent it back questioning if it was vegan. They brought it back and said we should be fine as it’s okay for vegetarians as it “only had eggs” in it. Obviously not fine. We had to share the remaining main meal but couldn’t stomach it as it was clear the chef didn’t know what a vegan was. When the bill came our drinks (2 pints each) & the offending meal were taken off. I challenged and said I’d pay for starters and drinks but not our main meals. I also mentioned the electric hook up issue. Female Manager became highly hostile and aggressively raised her voice shouting in my face (she was NOT wearing a mask) humiliating me in front of everyone and drawing attention to us. She said “I gave you free drinks what more do you want?!” I tried to explain the impact of having eaten eggs given we are vegan but she was hostile and aggressive. And she shouted “just forget it then”, snatched the bill out of my hand and screwed it up into a ball, at which point my partner was concerned due to her aggressive stance and so not to escalate matters said, “let’s go”. We left and she followed us out. Uncalled for, defensive, confrontational and just plain weird.

Written 6 June 2021

sharon h

This is totally and utterly rubbish and the person in question made a 16 old waitress cry in front of other customers and was aggressive on 2 occasion and didn't pay for anything. The dish in question is not just vegan but vegetarian as well. we have a good reputation for our food and customer service. the person who wasn't wearing a mask is exempt. if the food was hideous why did you eat the other 3 courses and cleared the plates. The customers sat on the other tables could not believe your attitude

Written 8 June 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Stephanie P

1 contribution

Lovely location and atmosphere, poor food.

Oct 2020 • couples

We waited almost an hour for our food. When it arrived it was luke warm and the chips were sweet like they had been sprinkled with sugar. I had ordered chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce with peas, and I swapped new potatoes for chips. The sauce and peas were missing. I was told it was because the till hadn’t worked for a few minutes so they had taken it from what the waitress wrote down! They only had to look on their own menu, it was the only chicken dish on there! The waitress went to ask about my peas and sauce but I was told it hadn’t been done because it wasn’t on the waitresses notepad. The food was dry, charred in places and looked appetising- lack of colour. Not once were we asked if the food was ok. Strangely enough, even though I was served food that wasn’t on the menu, the price was as advertised for what I had chosen. Very overpriced. I could have stayed at home and with a little effort dried up some chicken. A very disappointing visit.

Written 23 October 2020

hookandhatchet

I am really sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience with us here at the Hook and Hatchet. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service and the quality of our food, so I am extremely disappointed that neither of these came up to scratch during your recent visit. If you are happy to, please could you advise the date and time of your visit so I can look into it further. As the manager here I also ask that you consider giving us a second chance to showcase what we are really all about. My name is Keith so hopefully I look forward to hearing back from you and welcoming you back where both myself and my staff will look after you

Written 26 October 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Alex B

37 contributions

Beautiful pub, Crap food

Sept 2021 • family

We went for a Sunday roast in this picturesque pub, to get there you must not mind driving through country lanes. Sun was beaming ordered a few drinks at the Lorna bar but when I got my pint it was only 3/4 full but bare in mind it is pretty much run by kids, I’m all for giving kids a job but maybe a bit of training would be in order. They messed up on the starters but we just laughed it off but after that we waited for over an hour for our mains then had to ask what was happening 3 times but we wasn’t the only ones asking. Eventually it did come out and to be honest I wish it didn’t. I do not know if they have a chef but they need some serious training, mixed roast lamb and beef £17 extremely chewy and dry and the rest was just bland, other half had roast chicken breast which wasn’t de veined properly also the Yorkshire puds was basically cremated as they are supposed to be golden brown and not dark brown and looking round other people were also questioning it as we thought maybe it was just us but it clearly wasn’t, anyway after that I thought we would stay for just one more drink but they was all fighting over one cash till so we just left. It’s such a shame as it’s a nice location but it’s like you have to sacrifice one thing for the other I guess. You all have table numbers so you should have waitresses walking round with a pad and pen and giving a hard copy to the chef if you have one.

Written 5 September 2021

Jasmine16

Minster4 contributions

Disappointed and shocked

May 2021 • family

We visited this pub after a long walk, however we were extremely disappointed by the service provided. Firstly there were no Covid regulations, as a waitress myself I know that table service should be adhered to, as well as all staff wearing masks yet there was none of this. Initially the drinks were wrong, then no one came to take our food order so we also wrote this down ourselves on a note pad then had to re tell it to the staff. I felt like there was no organisation and all of the staff were unsure on what was going on. When we received our food there was something missing, so we asked the waitress politely for the missing food and she rudely stated that we didn’t order it, however I knew I had done, then that we would have to go inside to re order them before we could have them, this pub could be really good if the customer experience was a priority rather than we felt like a bother the whole time.

Written 1 June 2021

sharon h

Hi I am sorry you was disappointed on this occasion, we do have covid restrictions in place, these are guidelines we try our best to adhere to. All staff wear masks unless exempt and we do have a couple who are. there's is track and trace apps and paper sheet. We do not do table service outside as the garden is too big and we would have to have 10 fold of staff which we can not afford in these trying times or available to work due to our location. We proud ourselves on customer service, it is a shame you didn't ask to speak to manager at the time so could be resolved rather then trip advisor.

Written 8 June 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Ellie G

2 contributions

Great food. AWFUL service…

Oct 2022 • family

We attended on a Sunday for my mums birthday. A table of 14 with 4 children under the age of 5. We were shown to our table opposite the bar. Took the staff nearly 15 minutes to a knowledge us and get a first order of drinks. We did a pre-order so our mains arrived, which were delicious. The menu had a great variety of not just roast but salad and wraps too which were all very tasty. It was just a shame again service was slow and VERY poor. Our food came out in dribs and drabs… so the person who had their main first was half way through when the last ended up at our table. We then had to ask twice for sauces and wait 10 more minutes for the gravy to arrive for the roasts. We then ordered a second round of drinks…After I had to ask twice by two separate waitresses. (Bearing in mind it wasn’t full and it definitely didn’t look like they were short staffed) 20 minuets passed and we asked where are the drinks, to which the waitress came back and said ‘the order must have gotten lost’ so we finally got our second round of drinks after a painful 45 minuet wait…. Deserts were then again slow coming out. We understand we were a large table but 35 minutes between the first and last deserts coming out; bearing in mind we were all pre-ordered too is just a JOKE. Which again is such a shame because all our desserts were very tasty and portion sizes were generous. To add to that also not ONE member of staff asked the table and checked back if it was okay, and how is the food. We were massively disappointed with our experience. We’re not a hard work table all we wanted was a bit of acknowledgement when things were missed or longer than should be. No one apologised for forgetting the drinks, no one apologised that we had to wait 15 minuets for gravy after our mains were in front of us. And no one apologised or explained why the last desert took 35 mins to arrive after the first. We were forgotten, ignored and to top it off we were right opposite the bar where we could see many members of staff standing there… We would have spent more money on more drinks if the staff were more attentive and visual. It was all just very disappointing. Which was a massive knock on the lovely food which was served. Just in a poor way. Won’t be going there with a large table any time soon.

Written 23 October 2022

helen f

3 contributions

Stayed over in motorhome

Oct 2021 • couples

Wow This is no ordinary pub grub! The food quality is that of a high end restaurant. We found this hidden gem by accident after deciding to Google for a campsite with a pub within 1 mile and the Hook and Hatchet came up as a Pub with a campsite so decided to book. The approach to the pub was narrow as our Motorhome is 2.69m wide and 7.34 m long but when we arrived was greated by very friendly staff. We have hookup and somewhere to get water, empty black and grey waste. If you eat in restaurant then no overnight charge on the Friday night we went, but trust me, you need to eat in the restaurant as food is fantastic. We are staying for 2nd night it's that good! They are dog friendly and horse friendly with somewhere to tether the horses!

Written 30 October 2021

sharon h

Thank you so much for your review, it was wonderful to meet you and we so look forward to you joining us again in the near future

Written 5 November 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Deborah H

Gillingham55 contributions

First meeting of daughter's boyfriend's parents

Aug 2022 • none

My daughter's new boyfriend booked the table and it was to be the first time we were meeting his parents. As a matter of coincidence, a friend of mine had highly recommended the Sunday lunch and we were to come with them at the end of September. Sadly, the meal did not meet my expectation. Table was booked at 1pm and we were told we needed to leave at 3pm. Some of us had starters which were all good but did not arrive until 1.30pm. Around 2pm, asked if the mains were coming and about 10 minutes later burnt and shrivelled vegetables, without serving spoons, arrived followed by three mains. We enquired what mains the vegetables went with and were informed, the roasts which arrived shortly after the other mains. There were not enough vegetables and I asked for some extra. There was too much gravy on some of the meals, which should have been provided separately in a gravy boat, and I do not like gravy anyway. Those who had roasts found the meat tough and unpalatable, would have been nice to have been offered horseradish or mint sauce, although the taste and the quality would not have been much improved! None of the meals were piping hot, as if they had been left warming for a while. By the time we finished dessert or coffee and paid the bill, it was 3.45pm . Lots of empty tables around us, so could not understand the time constraints. Service was poor - had to ask for water, extra veg and serving spoons. No-one enquired as to how our meal was. Thought the pricing was too high for the quality of meals provided. Have eaten nicer and better presented meals elsewhere, so will not be returning in a hurry; my friend is booking somewhere else for us to go at the end of September!!

Written 28 August 2022

Twotoneskaman

Chatham2776 contributions

Friday evening family meal.

Oct 2022 • none

We visited on a Friday evening. This pub / restaurant is in a very rural area but had a very good sized car park which made parking easy. Once inside we were shown to our table which was in a very nice quiet side room, however after sitting down we noticed the table had not been cleaned properly. There was tomato ketchup on the table from the previous diners and a squashed wasp on the picture above our table. During our visit we were served by 3 different waitresses, 2 of which were very friendly and cheerful but the other was miserable / bordering on rude! Our starters were fine. For mains we ordered a burger which was nice and sirloin steaks. Both steaks were over cooked and one was very fatty. We did not receive a "check back" but would not have returned the steak as we all wanted to eat together at the same time. For desserts we ordered sticky toffee pudding which was very nice, cheese cake which was ok and apple crumble which was very disappointing as it contained very little apple. We made the most of our evening as it was a rare chance to catch up with each other, but based on our experience would not return or recommend.

Written 16 October 2022

sharon h

Thank you for providing your feedback and letting us know about this issue. We apologise that our service did not satisfy your expectations. We set high standards for ourselves and are truly sorry to hear that standard was not met. Your happiness is our number one priority. We are very sorry.

Written 25 October 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Laura A

1 contribution

Disappointing

Aug 2021 • family

We’ve been coming to this pub for a long time and have always been happy with the quality of the food and value for money. Yesterday the quality of the food was awful. Not sure if there’s been a change of ownership but the quality of the food was terrible. The coleslaw was so bad it was inedible, yet stated on the menu it was ‘homemade’. Homemade from Asda start price maybe. Would Not recommend sadly. I know times are tough but people are happy to pay a bit more for quality. I’ve had better meals from cafes.

Written 22 August 2021

sharon h

We are trying our best. The hospitality industry is being OVERWHELMED with the amount of customers walking through the door every single day. The demand is so high and we are struggling as an industry after the pandemic to get back on track to some sort of normality. Every single pub/restaurant/cafe is experiencing staff shortages and are desperately doing their best for their customers. We ask you, please .. be kind. If you have to wait an extra 10 minutes for your food, if you have to pick a different glass of wine as we haven't got it in stock due to supplier issues, if you have to sit at a different time to when you requested .... please just bare n mind the chef working in the kitchen doing three people's job, the waitressing working 7 days a week, the bartender trying to serve you and make drink tickets for other customers ... Please remember WE are not back to normal yet, WE do not have a full team and WE are doing everything we can for YOU! Please bare this in mind before you give us a negative review on trip advisor and also remember please review your positive experiences too.

Written 26 August 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jannell R

Chonburi10 contributions

Just perfect!

Jan 2020 • family

This pub/restaurant is just amazing. The food is not only generously proportioned but extremely tasty too. I highly recommend the pie of the day. We used a Groupon and had a main and a dessert and were extremely full by the end of it. The service was impeccable and so friendly. I don't think I could fault a single thing. The perfect little escape with great food, atmosphere and service!

Written 23 January 2020

lafaye16

London26 contributions

All That Glitters

Jul 2022 • couples

Had a disappointing anniversary meal there tonight. The actual place is nice, well maintained and a lovely setting. The starters were good with generous portions and we'll presented. However the main course steak was not seared so bland looking with just a few chips peas and half a tomato. For the cost I would have expected a bit of garnish or at least a flat mushroom. The blue cheese sauce at additional cost was nice. My wife's curry was ok but accompanying naan bread was burnt to the point of being inedible. However the worst element of the visit was the service. The young staff lacked proper training and it showed in the service. Food delivered with the cutlery dropped in the middle of the table. Being left waiting at the bar half served for several minutes as a wasp had appeared scaring the barmaid away from the bar until another member of staff waved it away. When asked if everything was ok with the food we mentioned the burnt bread which was met with a shrug and no further comment from the server. Such a shame that such a beautiful place let down by basics

Written 23 July 2022

sharon h

Hello, Thank you for your review. I'm sorry to hear you had a frustrating expreience, but i really appreciate you bringing this issue to my attention. It was an uncommon instance and we'll do better in the future. As a industry we are all struggling from COVID-19 , and as the school year is ending there are lots of driven young workers looking for opportunities and a pub is a perfect place to learn and gain life skills. Please feel free to reach out to 01622 880272 with any further comments, concerns or suggestions you wish to share. We would love to make things right if you give us another chance. Thank you!

Written 26 July 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

cablecounter

1 contribution

Ideal for Hucking estate walk and Sunday lunch

Dec 2021 • couples

Brilliant Sunday roast at the Hook and Hatchet. All homemade, fantastic quality. My husband had the mixed roast beef and pork large portions homemade horseradish and cauliflower cheese, Yorkshire. My steak and ale pie wonderful with shortcrust pastry and buttery mash. Excellent service and very homely welcoming atmosphere with wood burner and very dog and horse friendly. Nice round off to our afternoon walk around the Hucking estate and parking in pub car park a great place to start circular walk.

Written 5 December 2021

sharon h

Thank you so much for your review, we look forward to welcoming you back very soon.

Written 17 December 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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