I’d had several requests to visit the Rose and Crown so rounded up the SD family and headed to Stelling Minnis full of hope and expectation.
It was an early Saturday evening and we hadn’t eaten so I asked the Apprentice to check for kitchen opening times and a menu. He reported there was no website but just about all the pictures which came up online showed decent looking meals.
We weaved our way down the lane and found the pub, somewhat penned in by new developments, festooned with football flags for the Euros.
There is a pleasant-looking seating area at the front and the smoking room is tacked onto the pub right in front of the porch.
Once inside we edged past the locals on stools to approach the bar and, following a hard stare, the barman was finally persuaded to put his mobile phone down just long enough to serve us. He grunted that food was not being served so sadly it was crisps all round.
However, on a much more positive note I spotted Goachers was available on draught so drinks-wise I was happy. Heathen that he is, the Apprentice couldn’t be persuaded away from a Guinness and we took our drinks to grab a table in the corner to survey our surroundings.
The barman was engrossed by his phone again and, apart from the locals at the bar, a few other folks were dotted about. The main TV screen was showing Belgium against Romania and a couple of hardened fans had come in especially for the game.
The recommendations I’d received for this place were glowing but unfortunately everything I’d found so far was decidedly average and all a bit lacklustre.
The whole place gave the appearance of being set up for food, particularly the conservatory at the back of the pub, and although none was being offered, someone did pop in later to ask about a takeaway.
There’s clearly some history to this free house but it also looks as if it’s been done up fairly recently. The furniture is a little ‘nan-front-room-like’ but is comfortable enough and the carpet and rest of the furnishings are in good order, but they don’t have much character.
If the Rose and Crown was a Euro football team it would be Scotland – a reasonable effort from most involved but absolutely nobody displaying any inspiration or invention. There’s no-one here with enough creativity to make any impact and the result is similar to fate of the Scots.
It did just cross my mind that it might just be me so I checked in with my nearest and dearest. Mrs SD was similarly nonplussed but did seek desperately for a positive and finally mentioned a couple of objet d’art (a clock and a couple of baskets) but when questioned further accepted most of it was fluff and nonsense.
The Apprentice was similarly uninspired, but did say if it could just liven up a little it might be capable of developing a better family feel.
There was no background music, probably not surprising with the footie showing, but there is a dartboard in the conservatory and a pool table in a separate room to the right of the pub. There is also a jukebox and a projector screen behind the pool table.
At the back of the conservatory there is a patio area with picnic tables and, behind that, a lawned area with several pieces of play equipment for young children. The weather was warm but, for whatever reason, no-one was choosing to sit outside, either in front of the pub or at the back.
It’s important to say my pint of Goachers was a very decent pint and with a price tag of £12.70 for a Goachers, Guinness and three packets of crisps it wasn’t expensive, but we all struggled to list many other positives.
I was impressed by the outside areas and the cleanliness of the pub, particularly the gents, and I do, I assure you, realise it is challenging to maintain a village pub these days, but there’s no escaping the fact this one didn’t hit the mark for the SD clan.
THE ROSE AND CROWN, 3 CROWN LANE, STELLING MINNIS, CANTERBURY CT4 6AT
Decor: Judging by the exterior, the pub must have several centuries of history but unfortunately the interior felt like a character-free zone. Mrs SD was determined to award one star for the clock and baskets used as decoration. *
Drink: I couldn’t fault my pint of Goachers, an excellent rich, woody and impressive beer. The Apprentice was also keen to point out his Guinness was well above average. ****
Price: I don’t have the price of individual items but a pint of Goachers, a pint of Guinness and three packets of crisps came to a total of £12.70 which is a good deal all round. ****
Staff: The landlady herself was helpful and pleasant but she needs to have a word in the ear of her barman and perhaps suggests he puts his phone to one side when he’s on shift. **
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