SHEPHERD NEAME PUB THAT’S IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN GETS A REVAMP OF ITS OUTSIDE SPACE

Shepherd Neame’s Foresters Arms is a world away from Tonbridge town centre, despite being less than a five minute walk from the central station, thanks to the vision of its licensee Tyson Marshall.

Umbrellas on the ceilings, retro posters and adverts covering the walls and ceilings, and doors with the likes of Han Solo frozen in carbonite on them  – the Foresters Arms is a one of a kind.

Aussie-born Tyson has been at the pub for seven and a half years, and in that time has turned it into a feast for all the senses.

It has recently had a revamp to its outside space, providing a secluded seating area at the front, with fresh planting giving privacy for drinkers, while at the back, guests can step through the Tardis door into a covered courtyard garden which has been refreshed, and evokes vibes of welcoming, warmer climes with olive trees and palm trees.

Inside, besides the plethora of memorabilia on the walls and ceilings to keep drinkers occupied for hours, there’s a host of pub games downstairs, including darts, a pool table & Bar Billiards table. Upstairs, where tables, or occasionally the whole room, can be booked out, there is a 14 foot shuffleboard table and a niche Canadian ice hockey foosball table.

“Primarily it’s all for me really – I love pub games and bar sports. It’s all great fun,” he said.

Kicking off his hospitality career when he was 20, the 48-year-old may be from Australia originally, but he fully embraces the British love of the pub.

“I love pubs in England – I think they are the Premier League of pubs in the world!” he said. 

“It’s the passion people have for their pub that really amazes me… Especially the staff! The camaraderie and friendships I see forged over the bar fill me with joy and really get to the heart of what I think an English pub is all about.

“It’s incredibly rewarding for me to see our regulars enjoy the pub and to see new people discover us for the first time!”

But don’t expect that to be via social media.  “It might be a bit old fashioned, but it’s all about face to face contact for me, the real ‘face’ book. Our ethos in this regard is no social media, just social.”

The pub specialises in freshly-cooked pizzas – Fozzie’s Pizzas - using bases from Italy and local firms, with toppings such as buffalo mozzarella, red onion, peppers, olives & capers for the Pizza Pugliese, and buffalo mozzarella, mushrooms, olives, artichoke and prosciutto for the Capricciosa. These can also be ordered for takeaway.

And besides the range of award-winning Shepherd Neame beers and ales, there is a new cocktail menu at the bar, where customers are spoilt for choice, as there are 100 options! The most popular is their Espresso Martini, with salted caramel vodka and butterscotch schnapps. Whilst Tyson also has room for the forgotten classic cocktails, the Fluffy Duck and Snowball. 

The pub celebrates a carefully selected handful of fixtures in the calendar with themed decorations including Wimbledon fortnight, Halloween and Christmas.  Sporting events on terrestrial television are also shown throughout the year.

Describing the incredible transformation of the Foresters Arms, Tyson said “While the pub has improved dramatically over the years, day to day, there’s no time to really think about that. My focus is to keep this little world of curiosity evolving and keep the smiles on my staff, and punters’ faces!”

You can find the Foresters Arms at 52 Quarry Hill, Tonbridge, TN9 2RT, visit www.forestersarmstonbridge.co.uk or call 01732 361927.