The Jolly Tanners Public House

The Jolly Tanners Public House is a traditional British pub in the village of Staplefield, in the civil parish of Ansty and Staplefield, Mid Sussex, West Sussex, England. According to its own history, the building was constructed in 1684 as a coaching inn, providing a stopping point for travellers making the roughly seven-hour journey between London and Brighton. That coaching-inn heritage remains central to its identity: the pub presents itself as "a key part of Staplefield's history" and continues the hospitality tradition with Sussex ales, local wines and locally sourced food. The pub operates as a food-led village inn. Its kitchen offers a menu running from pub classics to seasonal specials, with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients, and it caters to occasions ranging from a quick lunch to a celebratory feast. The drinks offer centres on cask and craft ales, fine wines and spirits, with a particular focus on Sussex ales. The Jolly Tanners also hosts seasonal community events, including Halloween and Bonfire Night gatherings, positioning itself as a social hub for the village and surrounding Sussex countryside. In the year preceding its current website content, the pub underwent a renovation. The works added a bright orangery and a more accessible bar, while retaining the original lounge's cosy fireplaces and exposed beams. The garden was revamped with a family-friendly area, and a stretch tent was installed to provide year-round outdoor comfort. These changes modernised capacity and accessibility without discarding the historic fabric of the building. The pub has received recognition from travel and dining platforms, stating that it was awarded the Travellers' Choice Award 2025 and OpenTable's Diners' Choice award 2026. It is a single-site independent hospitality business rather than a chain, and no parent company, group or listed status is indicated in the available evidence. Its official website is thejollytanners.co.uk.

The Jolly Tanners Public House traces its origins to 1684, when the building was erected as a coaching inn in the village of Staplefield, West Sussex. Coaching inns were essential infrastructure in pre-railway England, providing food, drink, lodging and fresh horses for travellers and their coaches. The Jolly Tanners served this role on the route between London and Brighton, a journey the pub describes as taking about seven hours. Its position in the Sussex countryside, within the civil parish of Ansty and Staplefield in Mid Sussex, placed it on a well-travelled corridor between the capital and the south coast. Over the following centuries the pub continued to operate as a village inn, becoming, in its own words, "a key part of Staplefield's history." Like many historic British pubs, it evolved from a traveller's staging post into a local community hub, serving the village and surrounding rural area with food, drink and a venue for social gatherings. The building retained historic features such as the original lounge with its cosy fireplaces and exposed beams, which remain part of its character today. In the year preceding the current version of its website, The Jolly Tanners undertook a significant renovation. The works added a bright orangery and a more accessible bar, improving the pub's capacity and physical accessibility while preserving the historic lounge. The garden was also revamped, gaining a family-friendly area, and a stretch tent was installed so that outdoor seating could be used year-round regardless of weather. These investments reflect the modern priorities of a food-led village pub: accessibility, family appeal and all-weather outdoor space. The pub's contemporary offer centres on locally sourced food, with a menu spanning pub classics and seasonal specials, alongside Sussex ales, local wines and spirits. It also runs seasonal events such as Halloween and Bonfire Night gatherings, reinforcing its role as a community anchor. Its hospitality has been recognised by travel and dining platforms, with the pub stating that it received the Travellers' Choice Award 2025 and OpenTable's Diners' Choice award 2026. The Jolly Tanners remains an independent, single-site pub; the available evidence identifies no parent company, group ownership or public listing.

• 2026

  The pub states it was awarded OpenTable's Diners' Choice award 2026.

• 2025

  The pub states it was awarded the Travellers' Choice Award 2025.

• 1684

  The Jolly Tanners is built as a coaching inn in Staplefield, serving travellers on the London to Brighton route.

• The pub undergoes renovation, adding a bright orangery and a more accessible bar while preserving the original lounge's fireplaces and exposed beams.

• The garden is revamped with a family-friendly area and a stretch tent is installed for year-round outdoor comfort.

A historic village pub and former coaching inn offering traditional hospitality, locally sourced food and Sussex ales in the Sussex countryside.

• Pub classics and seasonal specials

  A menu made with care and passion, using fresh, local ingredients and suited to occasions from a quick lunch to a celebratory feast.

• Sussex ales, craft ales, fine wines and spirits

  A drinks selection centred on Sussex ales and local wines to complement the food menu.

1. 1The Jolly Tanners Pub - Historic Pub in Staplefieldthejollytanners.co.uk
2. 2About - The Jolly Tannersthejollytanners.co.uk
3. 3The Jolly Tanners Public House - Wikidatawikidata.org