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The South Park Tap (Free House)

Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Long Man - Best BitterExceptional1
Larkins - TraditionalExcellent1
Long Man - Long BlondeNot Tried0

Visits Details

13 Dec 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
8th visit of the outing: Just minutes from The Anchor is this very recent addition to Sevenoaks’ drinking holes in only opening in 2023 and so even by micropub standards, very much a new kid on the block. Although petite in size as all micros are to qualify, a bar counter is found on the left. I lost the rest of my party of 8 into a rear area they sat down in, but took this opportunity to converse with the friendly barman on the range of real ales on, as two had just replaced another two in the last half hour before we got here and share my love of micropubs generally in recreating the old-style smaller pubs of yesteryear. It was busy on our arrival at about half past seven and thinned out a bit shortly after that. Service was prompt with the one staff member on. They mentioned a local miniature brewery called Stay Wild surrounded by woodland I had not heard of which they stock from time to time and from just outside the village of Shoreham, near Sevenoaks, in the Darent Valley. It only produces enough to fill six casks after each brew and so qualifies to be called a nanobrewery. Another reason therefore presented to me to come back. We stayed here long enough for me to try two different halves and both in excellent condition.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Long Man - Best Bitter4.00Exceptional2nd beer of this visit: This Sussex bitter brewed by the Long Man Brewery from Polegate, north-west of Eastbourne and set up in 2012, came on just the day before I was told by the barman. It certainly presented a very good head and lacing and lasting throughout. A dry, slightly fruited first bite. A very hoppy dryness rising from its Fuggles and Goldings hops. A malty taste emerging with a caramelised, biscuity hint mixed with some dark fruit flavours on its sleigh positioned on my palate for its downwards slide with a refreshing bitterness lingering.
Larkins - Traditional3.40Excellent1st beer of this visit: This bitter was one of the two fresh on and so presenting very good head and lacing and lasting but not too fresh to indicate that it had not had time to settle and go through its second fermentation in the cask before being served*. A pleasantly dry hoppy first bite from this Chiddingstone-based brew in Kent. Set up in 1986, it is one of the few breweries in the UK to grow its own hops on-site, ensuring a "farm-to-glass" freshness. A hoppy bitterness gently rising and ebbing out. This magic all originates from its four acres of hops in on the mix, comprising Goldings, Bramling Cross and Whitbread Goldings. The hops are processed in a traditional oast house built in 1935 (rebuilt in 1948), using classic drying and pressing machinery. The ale is fermented with a unique and guarded strain of live ale yeast used by the brewing family since 1993. Very moreish indeed! *For a successful second fermentation, the cask must be properly managed and it typically requires 48 to 72 hours of preparation and settling before it is ready to be served. It must be vented to release excess gas and allow the beer to reach its optimal condition for consumption. This achieves the perfect level of natural carbonation. Venting is performed using wooden pegs called spiles, which are driven into the shive (the bung on the side of the cask). A hard spile (non-porous) is driven into the shive and removed after a short period to let the initial burst of gas escape and this is followed by a soft spile (porous wood) being inserted. This allows CO2 to slowly seep out over 24–48 hours while preventing air from entering. Once visible off-gassing stops, indicated when the soft spile is dry and no longer bubbling, it is replaced with a hard spile to seal the cask until it is ready for service.
Long Man - Long Blonde3.80Not Tried

About The South Park Tap

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional1
Excellent1
Good-
Acceptable-
Poor-

Website.

The pub is found in Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1AN.

May 2023 opened micropub in a former café in South Park just off the High Street. Green tiled frontage and several drinking areas inside.

We have visited this pub once, seen 3 different beers and tried 2 of them.

Map location

Postcode: TN13 1AN