Sorry for the recent radio silence from the basement. Christmas came and went and we are already speeding towards the end of February. This weekend marked the 4th Anniversary of us opening the doors of the ER to all you wonderful customers. It’s been an interesting 4 years, not least because of the pandemic but we are still here, and thankfully so are you!
We are marking our anniversary, as we did last year, with a Dark ‘n’ Strong Beer Festival where we focus on Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Milds and ESBs. A large number of beers have already been squirreled away and I now have to whittle the provisional list down to the final one…this week I promise!
All the information regarding the Beer Festival can be found here
We’ve always said that the main ingredient of our success (alongside the beer and the staff of course!) is you the customers, and we want to thank you all for you continued support both throughout Covid and now in these difficult times.
I would like to make one special shout out to Jonny who has prepared this video to commemorate our 4th Anniversary…
Thanks Jonny
GREAT JOB!

Again it’s been a while but with the run up to Christmas we thought it was time we gave you an update on events in November and December

Firstly, a quick look back on the last couple of months. Thanks to everyone that attended our first Gin Festival in August and our third OktobERfest in October. Once again you drank us dry of German draft beers! Here are a couple of snaps; I promise I will get round to publishing all of the pictures soon (thanks to Sarah for some excellent snapping!)

The Gin Festival saw our first full band playing outside and we had gin tasting sessions from Cabin Pressure, Dedbest and Blackmoon. Roll on the next one!

And next…

This weekend we have entered The Big Reveal. We don’t have any windows but the team are working on something to reveal! Added to that we have some other surprises in store. We plan to have a bar outside serving keg beers, mulled wine and mulled cider as well as a range of Christmas gifts. Mostro Pizza will be parked on London Road at the bottom of the hill; with every pizza purchased gat a £1 off at the bar. We also have Harley House doing tastings of their vast range of gins, rums and vodka; a chance to pick up a bottle for that someone special!

Following on from TBR weekend on Monday 21st we are opening to show the first England group match against Iran. KO is at 1pm, we plan to open at noon. There is a rumour that Steve may be bringing a batch of his acclaimed sausage rolls for general consumption…who needs football! If anyone wants to watch the Wales match at 7pm let us know and we will happily stay open for that as well. We are also showing the other two England group matches on the 25th and 29th; both matches at 7pm. If you plan to come along please let us know as space is limited!

As well as regulars “The Beer Jukebox” performing every Tuesday evening (except 29th Nov) they will also be playing on Christmas Eve; rumour is that there will be some guest appearances!

We have our regular monthly quiz night on the 8th Dec…this is always very popular so if you have never been and fancy your chances you might want to book soon! £1 per person, max 6 to a team, KO 7.30pm

On Wednesday 21st we see the return of 3Times7 to our ERUnplugged sessions. Jenny and David performed at the ER back in August and went down a storm with their soulful blues music. It looks like being a popular night so I would recommend booking if you plan to come along!

Throughout December we will be featuring a number of festive ales both on cask and keg. Here are just a few that you will see hit “the taps”:

Remember, throughout the festive period we will be stocking a number of Christmas gift ideas; including ER Merchandise (tote bags, beanies, t-shirts, polos and fleeces), a range of 750ml sharing bottles as an alternative to wine, 3 and 6 can craft beer gift packs, and packs of 10 or ever popular beer sticks. Come in and take a look!

And finally, the ER NYE bash. This year the theme is Country & Western, tickets go on sale this weekend:

That’s it from ER HQ for now…we will be publishing out Xmas opening hours very soon. Hopefully see you on Saturday Yee Haw!!

The Engine Room is inviting the people of East Grinstead to raise a glass and money for the people of Ukraine on Thursday, 14^th April at 6pm, after 30,000 pints-worth of Kyiv-based Varvar Brew’s craft beer was rescued from the country and brought to the UK for fundraising purposes.  

One of hundreds of pubs, bars, restaurants and retailers across the UK to show their support for the people of Ukraine by pre-ordering Kyiv-based Varvar Brew’s craft beer and running fundraising initiatives for www.drinkersforukraine.com, The Engine Room will be donating 20% of the sales to the Red Cross International Relief

The scheme has been set up by Hertfordshire-based importer and distributor Euroboozer with the first load of beer successfully arriving at their HQ on Friday 8^th April, after a difficult and much-delayed journey out of Kyiv, not to mention from Dover. 

The much-prized stock, which sold out to the trade in days of the initiative being launched, is now eagerly being delivered so that fridges, shelves and even some draught lines are stocked up ahead of the 14^th April. 

Drinkers and retailers around the UK are being asked to share their pictures on social media at 6pm using the hashtag #DrinkersForUkraine.

John, General Dogsbody and Gopher at The Engine Room, said:

“It’s great to help such an amazing initiative and to show support and help raise money for the people of Ukraine.  We’re urging people to head down on Thursday for a 4pm release, and whenever they can thereafter, to buy a beer, raise a glass and show their support at 6pm.”

The story so far….

Kicked off on the 25^th March, the initial plan was to rescue roughly 45,000 pints of beer from Varvar Brew, which has had to close down since the invasion. The brewery was desperate to sell its stock to raise much-needed funds for food, medicine, to pay taxes and wages, and to support the country as a whole.

Thanks to the incredible backing from the On and Off-trade in the UK, the stock was pre-ordered and sold out within days of the launch.

Euroboozer then, with much difficulty, organised for the first lorry to set off from Kyiv on the 31^st March. The lorry passed the Ukraine border on the 4^th April and safely arrived at Euroboozer HQ on Friday 8^th April. 

In addition to paying Varvar the full price for the stock (around €55,458.86 so far), Euroboozer will also be donating all profits from the sale of the beer to www.drinkersforukraine.com, which is raising money for humanitarian relief in Ukraine.

For the full list of venues stocking Varvar Brew’s eclectic selection of crafts beers and raising money, visit https://www.euroboozer.co.uk/blog/varvarlands

About Varvar Brew

An independent and ambitious craft brewery founded in a former sawmill in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2015. With a passion for brewing great beers, the brewery has garnered a loyal following within Ukraine’s burgeoning craft beer scene. Running two brewhouses – 2,000 L and 500 L, they produce over 750,000 L of beer per year across four lines; traditional craft, modern craft, barrel-aged and sours, and experimental.

Ukraine is the breadbasket of Europe so the brewery often incorporates fruits, berries and herbs, as well as some more unusual ingredients – tomato, gherkin, horseradish, beetroot, birch sap and seaweed into its recipes. Taking great pride in representing their country at international competitions, festivals, and in collaborations, the brewery aims to show the world what Ukraine has to offer.

Some of the brewery’s recent tours of the UK have included collaborations with Siren (Mavka, imperial porter), Marble (Reminiscence, old ale), Pomona Island (Ratamahatta, NEIPA), Carnival (Muddler, imperial gose), North (Smoked Stout, stout), Heist (Limbo Shots, NEIPA), and Neon Raptor (Rise & Paul, NEIPA).

For further information visit – www.varvarbrew.com.

About Euroboozer

Started from the back of an old VW Vento in 2003, Euroboozer was set up by beer lover Martyn Railton, initially importing Austrian brands Stiegl, Schremser and Hirter. The company soon branched out across Europe and the Atlantic helping to drive the craft beer trend in the UK.

Nineteen years on the VW Vento has gone to be replaced with offices and a warehouse in Hertfordshire and Euroboozer now supplies some of the finest food and beverage establishments and retailers in the country.

In addition to the Austrian beers, the company exclusively distributes Andechs, Blakstoc, Harpoon and Other Half, as well as ten exciting Czech craft breweries and a host of leading UK brewers.

For further information, please visit www.euroboozer.co.uk or follow on Instagram – @euroboozer and Twitter @Euroboozer.

We’re showing the Six nations at the Engine Room. We aim to show two matches from each round, including all the England fixtures, however, if demand is there we are happy to show some of the others.

We have a few “special” ales in to help you enjoy the matches and remember you get 10% off of a 4 Pint jug!

You can also bring or order takeaway food to eat; we can supply plates, cutlery and serviettes.

Here is the fixture list…

ROUND 1
Ireland v Wales, Saturday Feb 5, KO 14:15, Dublin
Scotland v England, Saturday Feb 5, KO 16:45, Edinburgh
France v Italy Feb 6, KO 15:00, Paris
ROUND 2
Wales v Scotland, Saturday Feb 12, KO 14:15, Cardiff
France v Ireland, Saturday Feb 12, KO 16:45, Paris
Italy v England, Sunday Feb 13, KO 15:00, Rome
ROUND 3
Scotland v France, Saturday Feb 26, KO 14:15, Edinburgh
England v Wales, Saturday Feb 26, KO 16:45, Twickenham
Ireland v Italy, Sunday Feb 27, KO 15:00, Dublin
ROUND 4
Wales v France, Friday March 11, KO 20:00, Cardiff
Italy v Scotland, Saturday March 12, KO 14:15, Rome
England v Ireland, Saturday March 12, KO 16:45, Twickenham
ROUND 5
Wales v Italy, Saturday March 19, KO 14:15, Cardiff
Ireland v Scotland, Saturday March 19, KO 16:45, Dublin
France v England, Saturday March 19, KO 20:00, Paris

Space is limited so it is advisable to book a table by emailing us here OR send us a WhatsApp msg:

Back again after a busy couple of weeks.

We had a great time over the weekend with the “Big Reveal”, although we don’t have a window to unveil, Lisa and Sarah were on the street handing out samples of mulled cider and coupons for a £1 off your first round!.
For a while we were flooded with customers, many wanting Mulled Cider and a complimentary mince pie. There seemed to be a few new visitors amongst them so hopefully we will see them again! Sarah spent hours setting up our amazing “Xmas Shop” but unfortunately we didn’t get many takers for our selection of gifts, but we will be running the shop every weekend afternoon up to Christmas so drop by and take a look. We have a range of sharing bottles of Belgian beers, gift packs of cans and also our much loved Beer Sticks. We are also stocking Marvolio’s Nostrums Liqueurs (the only outlet in East Grinstead!)

Looking ahead to the run up to Christmas we have a number of events lined up. Every Tuesday night we have our regular “house band”, The Beer Jukebox playing from 8pm. Les is fresh from singing some of his own compositions at New Music night in the Dorset Arms.

Unfortunately we have had to cancel Jeffrey and Sarah on Wednesday 1st Dec, Jeff has come down with the dreaded Covid and is recuperating.
On the 9th we have our monthly quiz, which is already fully booked; proof of how our quizmaster Chris “The Inquisitor” has become! The only quizmaster to be fuelled by regular pints of 8.2% cider!!
In the run up to Xmas we have the return of Jono Harrison, an amazing singer, guitarist, keyboard player…and he writes his own songs too! Jono is playing on 15th Dec from 8pm.

On Sat 18th Dec we have a double bill with Andy Twyman at 4pm and The Three Hats at 6pm. Tables are already getting booked so don’t miss out.

Sunday 19th is our Staff Xmas Party; an opportunity for us to say thankyou to all out staff for the hard work they have put in, particularly when we were doing table service only…OUTSIDE! Everyone is welcome and we will be drawing our raffle as well as declaring the winner of our “Guess the Number of Bottle Tops” competition. If you haven’t already got your raffle tickets or made your guess then get down to the bar; all proceeds go to St Catherine’s Hospice. Apparently Father Christmas my be dropping by!

We have also managed to book “The Travellin’ Trio” to perform on Thursday 23rd at 8pm. The Travellin’ Trio are Alan Atkinson (Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica), Jimmy Van Lin (Fiddle, Mandolin), Frank Percy (Double Bass). They perform wide range of lively musical styles including folk, bluegrass, country, gypsy jazz, blues, swing, old time, and more. They are guaranteed to get you’re feet tapping and we may even get some of you up on your feet! This really will be PARTY TIME!

And finally to help ease you in to your Christmas Eve celebrations come down and see The Beer Jukebox from 4pm on the 24th Dec. Rumour has it that Les and Pete will be joined by some guests and there maybe some audience participation!

But let’s not forget the BEER! Here’s some of the Festive Specials we have lined up for you:

Hi all. It’s been busy times under The Old Mill getting ready for the festive season.

On the music front we’ve had Jono Harrison and Toulah Morgan (with Jude & Craig) appear at our “ERUnplugged ” sessions on Wednesdays. As well as three further “ERUnplugged” sessions on alternate Wednesdays, we have some “post-Christmas shopping” entertainment for you on the 18th Dec with Andy Twyman performing at 3pm and The Three Hats at 5pm. Come in and relax over a pint or a glass of something! Then on 24th Dec, Les & Pete will be appearing around 5pm to KO your Christmas Eve celebrations…maybe with some guests!

For details see our events calendar here

We’ve come up with a theme for our NYE party. Its M*A*S*H meets Scrubs. If you don’t know, these are both medical themed dramas, M*A*S*H from 1972-1983 and SCRUBS from 2001-2010. Just Google them!
Tickets are £10 each in advance (just ask at the bar or email us). There’s a buffet, and glass of fizz at midnight and other fun stuff…fancy dress is optional…but if you feel more comfortable wearing a face mask then this is the event for you!

In the run up to Christmas, we also have two more of our monthly quizzes; this week’s on the 11th is fully booked but there are still tables for the 9th December…get your table bookings in early! £1 per person, max. 6 per table.
We are also planning to support “The Big Reveal” in the town on 20th Nov, starting at 5pm. We will be serving mulled wine and complimentary mince pies at the entrance to the bar. We will also have our Christmas shop with a selection of Christmas Gifts for you to peruse. Drop by and say hello after you have seen all the shops reveal their festive windows.

Finally, we are having a Christmas raffle in aid of St Catherine’s Hospice. Our collections for this invaluable local charity have suffered over the pandemic and even since re-opening contributions have been down as we have not been doing out Sunday cheese & biscuits. So we are pleased to have the opportunity to collect some money for this great local cause. We already have a number of prizes donated by local businesses and from some of our regular breweries. Tickets are selling fast so make sure you’re “in it, to win it”!

Think that’s it for now. Keep an eye out for the various posters in the bar and remember to get in early if booking for the music events, quiz or NYE party.

We’re always happy to take constructive suggestions or to just hear from you, so feel free to get in touch:

Hello again! Just a quick update on what’s been going on beneath The Old Mill over the last week…
On Tuesday Les & Pete (The Beer Jukebox) played to a packed room. They are generating quite a following now. If you haven’t been down to see their act then Tuesday nights in your diary soon! I’d recommend booking as the room is a bit on the cosy side! Just drop us an email or Whatsapp us here:

On Wednesday we had the second of our “ERUnplugged” sessions since lockdown, with Jono Harrison performing on both guitar and keyboard. A great night; for some videos take a look at our YouTube channel here. Jono’s performance gave us chance to test-drive our new PA system indoors, sounding good…and also allows us to pipe the music to all room!
There will be regular “ERUnplugged” events on Wednesdays, mostly fortnightly, see website for more details

For sometime we have been considering stocking locally produced Kingscote Wines, and this week we finally release our range of bottled wines from the local vineyard. We have five wines which are sold by the bottle: prosecco-style Brut (white & Rose), Bacchus and oak-aged Charmat Bacchus, and a champagne style Brut.
It would appear we might currently be the only establishment in East Grinstead stocking Kingscote Wines (except the vineyard itself!) so come and check it out.

Finally we have now become a verified Untappd venue. Untappd is a mobile app that allows you to check in different beers, and different bars and find out about local bars and events wherever you are. Being a verified venue allows us to publish a real-time menu of our cask, keg and ciders…with more menus to come! Find out more here
In the meantime here is a sample of what you will see:

As you can see, a busy week..and that’s without serving you some great beers, ciders, and Sussex gins!
More news coming soon but in the meantime don’t forget, ERGin of the Week (#GOTW), our free “bandERillas” on Sundays and “ERgin” night on Fridays. Ta Ra!

Thanks to everyone that came to our OktobERfest at the weekend. We had a blast! There were a few hiccups with the supply of some things such as the Pretzels and two of the four acts cancelled for health reasons (not Covid!), but on the plus side we did not run out of German beer as we did last year and the weather was “kind” to us.
BIG thanks go out to Steve & Nella who manned the BBQ tirelessly for the whole weekend! To
ALL the staff (Dan, Fi, Jo, David, Sarah, Lisa and Steve) for keeping the beer flowing and for the entertainment on Saturday night (you had to be there!). Also thanks to James McClusky for filling in for Toulah on Sunday afternoon. Our good wishes go out to both Toulah and Molly and we hope they have a speedy recovery.
Here’s a few pics of including our “framed” prize entrants (winner to be announced!):

Finally here’s a video to sign off with…here’s to Next Year!!!

These are the music acts performing at this year’s Engine Room

“OktobERfest“

The music is outside under the Marquee (weather permitting!!). If you want to be sure of a table why not book, send us an email

For more info see OktobERfest