Have you visited the Crown at Hartest yet? If not, you really should.

Hartest is your quintessential Suffolk village, with quaint cottages, a village green, nestled in a little valley. It’s about a 20 minute drive from Sudbury and the same again from Bury St Edmunds.

For the last year or so, thebestof Sudbury has been holding regular networking lunches there and have taken the family to enjoy the great locally sourced food and beer and epic beer garden.

The current owners, who also have the The One Bull & The Beerhouse in Bury, The Cadogan Arms in Ingham and micro brewery Brewshed, took ownership of the Crown a few years ago and have turned it into a thriving village pub, with an excellent reputation for great locally sourced food, fabulous beer, an abundant selection of wine and gin.

Seriously, what’s not to like!

The Crown’s beer garden has always been impressive. It’s perfect for families yet large enough to have a quiet meal on the patio or enjoy the “Hartest Beach” at the bottom of the garden. More recently, the pub has attracted the attention of brides and grooms to be, drawn to the outside space, perfect for a marquee and those wanting a more relaxed, informal wedding.

So, over the Summer, the Crown has built a bespoke Garden Bar, officially opened over the busy August Bank Holiday. You can buy 90% of the drinks available at the bar including a selection of red and white wine,  3 draft beers, including Aspall a beer from their sister brewery Brewshed and Stella. You will also find on offer, 4 different gins and a range of Fever Tree tonics, alongside bar snacks, beer and crisps.

The Garden Bar was developed to help ease congestion in the pub and to allow those customers enjoying the outside, to be served quickly, without disturbing the service expected by the diners. The Garden Bar helps with the flow of customers and deals with the extra capacity the large beer garden brings.

If you’re looking to make the most of the last of Summer sunshine, why not take a walk around Hartest. You can read the blogpost I wrote here, before heading back to the pub to  enjoy the food and drink in the Crown. Don’t forget to pop into the main bar area and take a look at the coins left by soldiers leaving for the first world more. You can read about it here.

The Crown is open 7 days a week. You can check  their website for when they serve food, by clicking here. It’s advisable to book, especially at weekends as it can get very busy. Well behaved dogs are also more than welcome.