I’ve never seen so many straw hats in one place, and I’m not talking about a Farmer Giles style titfer, but the sort worn by one of those vicars who solve murders on obscure TV channels.

It’s all a bit too idyllic, in a chocolate box village sort of way, and we’d already had to park in front of church and walk round the corner of an extensive, and inviting-looking pub garden.

And, the front of the Chaser Inn, with its trendy seating and cushions, adds a further feeling of arts and crafts to the relaxed well-kept village vibe.

Sitting exactly opposite the impressive village common, this Shipbourne pub has great views for anyone who chooses to sit out front or in the well-ordered and arranged garden.

Leaving aside the pronunciation (Shibbern apparently), this is clearly a very desirable place to reside and I’m sure the locals are keen to support their village boozer as much as possible.

Glancing down the taps I assumed it was a Greene King pub but, although GK does own the building, it is a W&H pub. The barmaid explained the pub was originally in the Whiting and Hammond pub group (along with the Little Brown Jug in Tonbridge, The Cricketers, Meopham and the Rose and Crown in Green Street Green). She said the company collapsed after Covid and was set up again as W&H

Anyway, the long and short of it all is the pub has to serve Greene King beers and lagers.

I did enquire about the price of a Neck Oil from Beavertown, but I’m used to this one being excessively priced, and decided there was no way I could justify £6.90 (to think, it wasn’t that long ago we feared a pint would hit a fiver!).

Instead I chose a pint of Pave The Way pale ale from Big Hug Brewing based in Kings Cross, which was quite malty for a pale ale despite the light copper colour – it was a tasty pint though.

There were plenty of staff buzzing around and a couple of fellas even ordered Neck Oil shandies, which is surely a strange choice.

The vast majority of the pub is set out for dining, both inside and out, and I spotted table 701 at the front – surely there can’t be that many tables?

There are no TV screens, no pool table or darts and certainly no jukebox, although there was background music playing, including a couple of songs from Elvis.

I know it was a midweek lunchtime, but even so, there was a very large percentage of older punters dominating inside and outside, with 90% of them wearing either straw or cotton hats.

Everything about the pub and garden is well ordered and well run, almost to the point an element of real character is lost.

You can only smoke on tables on the grass, the colouring books for the kids were perfectly stacked and each blanket on the back of every chair was folded to perfection. There’s perhaps a little too much show and not quite enough substance.

This said, some of the attention to detail is impressive – not only was the gents spotlessly clean, fresh and smartly decorated but they even smelt good as you approached them, even the corridor outside was beautifully scented.

And, even the old Queen Mother was on hand to keep an eye on you while you’re at the urinal.

As if to prove the show/substance point a fellow joined me at the bar and we both ordered the cheapest pint available, a Larkins for £5. He told me he’d only popped in for one, mainly to give his wife a little time on her own, but partly to give his old car a run – when I looked outside I realised he’d arrived in the soft top Ferrari.

The Larkins, by the way, was a much creamier pint and, although it didn’t have quite as much flavour as the pale ale, I think it was the best value for money.

Overall, the beer was okay and the surroundings in which to enjoy a pint pleasant enough. The staff too, were polite and quite helpful and all the punters were incredibly genteel, well-spoken and respectable.

I’d have to say the garden is great and the setting and views around The Chaser are delightful, but there’s no getting away from the fact this is an expensive place to visit and I’m not sure it offers real value for money – much of it looks good, even the arts and crafts touches, but style still wins out over substance.

CHASER INN, STUMBLE HILL, SHIPBOURNE, TONBRIDGE TN11 9PE

Decor: The building is impressive and the beer garden one of the best ordered I’ve seen. Add to this some great views across the village common and overall this is a beautiful village pub. It has plenty of charm, but perhaps lacks just a touch of character. ****

Drink: Overall I think the 3.4% Larkins Traditional is the best value for money and it’s a good, smooth session bitter. The Pave The Way pale ale was maltier than I expected but was also a decent pint. If gin’s your thing there are more than 40 on offer. ***

Price: I expect Beavertown to be expensive (although maybe not £6.90), but even the pale ale was £5.80 and a bog standard pint of Larkins £5. A packet of crisps was £1.20. **

Staff: There were plenty of people buzzing about and they kept themselves busy. Everyone was effective enough and reasonably attentive. ***

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