Wheelers of St James

This pub/​restaurant is situated in the tiny village of Maresfield, just outside Uckfield and for years it has suffered from a lack of identity, continuously changing hands and never really being successful.
However, it has now been taken over by the infamous Marco Pierre White and it has been given a new lease of life. He has followed the same format as at the namesake restaurant based in London and he seems to have hit on a winning formula. The menu specialises on British classics lifted a notch or two. The starters are mainly terrines and potted dishes which are all delicious, and on a previous occasion I sampled the cream of cauliflower soup which was devine. The main courses feature local lamb and pork dishes as well as the obligatory fish and chips. I went for the Romney salt marsh lamb which was cooked rare and was completely melt in the mouth. For dessert I finished with a raspberry soufflé which was bursting from it’s dish. They really have hit the nail on the head with the food.
Unfortunately, there were a few negatives which prevent me giving them the full five stars. Firstly, we were left waiting at the reception desk for quite a while before we were seated, it then took them a long time to take our order, and we were half way through our starters before the wine arrived — a real no no in my mind. In fairness, we obviously arrived at a very busy time. If they can iron out these few flaws in the service I would definitely award them the full five stars — I will be back to check!