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Secret Drinker reviews Shepherd Neame pub the Rose Inn on Rainham High Street

The jokes started from the second I walked up to the bar and, operating in tandem, the barmaids at the Rose Inn were quick to welcome a new face through the door.

Perhaps I could, or even should, have given Kentish ale Master Brew a chance but as the Rainham locals were all on the lager I chose a pint of Singha.

I’ve passed The Rose Inn, on Rainham High Street, a few times but this is the first time I’ve made it through the door
I’ve passed The Rose Inn, on Rainham High Street, a few times but this is the first time I’ve made it through the door

Only, despite what the pump said, it wasn’t Singha at all, it was actually trendy Japanese super dry beer Asahi, and I was immediately labelled as someone with cash on the hip.

So much so, the locals looked up from their pints of Fosters, to congratulate the barmaids on a sale well-made and checked I had the wherewithal to extend my mortgage!

There were plenty of folks in at a relatively early hour on a Monday evening and, slightly unusually, it wasn’t just blokes, it seems members of the fairer sex also favour The Rose.

The Singha pump was really Asahi, but either way the locals were avoiding this one in favour of Fosters
The Singha pump was really Asahi, but either way the locals were avoiding this one in favour of Fosters

I don’t think it would be unfair to say I’ve struggled to find decent watering holes in Rainham, but there is much to commend here and this Shepherd Neame house is a new frontrunner.

No-one is going to deny that it’s a bit tatty round the edges, but its heart is in the right place and you’re not here long before it’s easy to see why the locals keep coming back.

The food, which was flying out of the kitchen, is very reasonably priced, the music (Tina Arena’s Show Me Heaven) was being played at a sensible level to allow conversation and there are enough fish tanks to host a small aquarium.

The sign on the side directs you to the car park and pub garden.
The sign on the side directs you to the car park and pub garden.

As well as several families and couples in for an evening meal, there were also a number of blokes in for a well-earned pint after work. I don’t think regular Charlie, taking up his usual corner spot at the bar, fell into any of these groups but he was more than happy to chat and spent a good 20 minutes sharing his thoughts on real estate.

There was an old-fashioned ‘Deal or No Deal’ fruit machine featuring various pictures of a smiling Noel Edmonds spinning round and round (whatever happened to Noel?) but it’s darts that dominate here.

There are decent-looking boards, both supported by electronic scoreboards, at the front and back of the pub. I don’t know which night the teams are in but you can tell arrows are taken seriously here at least once a week, if not more.

This large table hadn’t been taken yet but was reserved for 8pm and plenty of people were in to eat
This large table hadn’t been taken yet but was reserved for 8pm and plenty of people were in to eat
On the left you can see just one of the several large fish tanks dotted around the pub
On the left you can see just one of the several large fish tanks dotted around the pub

As I say, nothing is particularly fancy, but it’s clean and maintained well enough – in fact, it felt more homely than I was expecting with furnishings as welcoming, and as comfortable, as the barmaids.

Food was being served until 9pm and the place was busy and bustling by 7pm, with a fair number of reserved tables still to come in. I explained I couldn’t eat as Mrs SD was making a pie but I did succumb to a second pint and this time downgraded, just slightly, to a Hurlimann

Both barmaids found the time to be cheerful and chatty but it’s also clear they don’t get much downtime in the evening and bustled about making sure everyone was served and seen to.

The garden runs down the far wall and the car park features a cockle bar, although it wasn’t open
The garden runs down the far wall and the car park features a cockle bar, although it wasn’t open

I asked Jen if it was always this busy and she said: “Yes, most evenings are pretty hectic but it quietens down after a while.”

There was a big screen at the bar but it wasn’t switched on and both dartboards were completely ignored in favour of old-school conversation.

When I popped outside to take a look at the pub garden I’d seen advertised I found a block paved area on the right-hand side behind the car park with a few benches and several tables and chairs. The smoking area is accessed by the back door on the left-hand side of the pub and was fairly well used while I was in.

Dartboard #1 is at the front of the pub and, judging by the spare boards, it looks as if the game is taken seriously
Dartboard #1 is at the front of the pub and, judging by the spare boards, it looks as if the game is taken seriously
This is the dartboard at the back of the pub and I’m assured the table gets moved on match night
This is the dartboard at the back of the pub and I’m assured the table gets moved on match night

On the other side of the ‘garden’ there was an orange and black Just Eat bike but the barmaids weren’t sure who it belonged to or how often it is used.

This is very much a locals’ pub and staff and regulars alike seem extremely comfortable in each other’s company.

Sure it’s a little worn and threadbare in places but no-one really cares and, as long as they’re not the ones being bamboozled into buying the higher priced lager, then they’re happy.

The staff enjoy setting the scene and have succeeded in creating a comfortable community pub that is proud to offer decent food and drink at a decent price.

The smoking area at the bar featured more bar stools and a sign advertising takeaway food via Uber Eats
The smoking area at the bar featured more bar stools and a sign advertising takeaway food via Uber Eats
There was a Thai curry and rice, with a bottle of beer, on offer for £7.95
There was a Thai curry and rice, with a bottle of beer, on offer for £7.95

ROSE INN, 249 HIGH STREET, RAINHAM, GILLINGHAM ME8 8DR

Decor: Nobody could deny there aren’t a few tatty areas, but the bar has a homely, comfortable feel and the locals are clearly happy with their traditional high street boozer. ***

Drink: All the regulars were selecting lager and I decided not to break ranks so avoided the Master Brew. However, I was ‘tricked’ into an Asahi before shifting to a more ‘traditional’ Hurlimann. **

Price: A pint of the trendy Japanese lager will set you back a fiver, with a Hurlimann clocking in at 20p less. I didn’t discover the price of a Fosters but assume it was the cheapest lager on the list. ***

Staff: The barmaids operated like a tag team and took it in turns to both pull pints and take the mickey out of everyone in the bar. They worked hard and seemed to be enjoying their shift. ****

The gents were old school but despite the warning I saw no sign of any slip hazard
The gents were old school but despite the warning I saw no sign of any slip hazard
I’m not who last popped out for a fag, but the empty Fosters glass is a telltale sign it must have been a local
I’m not who last popped out for a fag, but the empty Fosters glass is a telltale sign it must have been a local

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