October Update

Soon after we became custodians of The Hermit the scale of the task ahead of us came sharply into focus. Much of the building is over 300 years old and has been subjected to sticking plaster fixes on top of previous sticking plaster fixes.

The electrics, the cellar cooling, the drainage, all required major work, but the biggest of the problems was always going to be the kitchen. With demand as it was, we decided to open in the summer without fully solving that particular issue. We opened on the 16th August with a wood fired pizza oven, some tasty ingredients and a dedicated team of pizza makers.

We were overwhelmed by the support and enthusiasm extended towards The Hermit. Neighbours who hadn’t met socially in years regaled each other with news, families walked up the hill and enjoyed afternoons in the sun and groups of friends enjoyed chilled glasses of Rosé and Ed’s perfectly kept ale long into the evening.

We think it is fair to say that the demand for our wood fired pizzas took us by surprise and at times the wait for these was too long, but you were kind and patient and the feedback we had was that the pizzas were worth the wait.

Now, as autumn blows in, our attention has turned to the kitchen. In keeping with all aspects of the Hermit renovation, the problems the kitchen has thrown up have been greater than expected. To carry on improvements, we will be needing to shut the pub for a few days on Monday 4th and Tuesday 5th October and then again on Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th. Wednesday to Sunday of these weeks we will be open as usual and we will have a food offering from fish and chip specialist Solita served from their shiny airstream van.

We are determined to do things right when it comes to the fabric of this iconic inn. That may mean further day closures in the future, but the remedial works will go someway to securing the future of this pub. We hope we can count on your support and that The Hermit will still be serving perfectly kept ales another 300 years from now.