We have lots of tourists popping into our pub to refuel after a day out exploring our stunning countryside or soaking up the local history.

Some of them have been signposted to us by one of the many B&Bs in the area. So, we thought it was high time we said thank you and invite the B&B owners in for dinner.

They were all members of the Sevenoaks District Accommodation Forum and thanks to its chairman Penny Cracknell, we had a lively group of owners join us for a fun evening, hosted by our very own proprietor, Jo Naismith.

“Nobody has ever invited us before as a collective so this was a first,” Penny told us. “It was a really super evening. The hospitality was brilliant, the staff were enormously enthusiastic and we enjoyed lovely food.”

New and long-standing members of the SDAF met for the first time and within minutes they were swopping ideas and sharing anecdotes. Members are all the proud owners of one, two or three bedroom B&Bs or self-catering accommodation within the Sevenoaks area – from contemporary chic to historic, four-poster 16th century homes.

Among the party were Drew and Debra Farish, owners of The Barn at Hildenborough, who told us that they had their very first date at our sister pub, The Castle Inn.
The evening was a two-venue affair – dinner was at The Castle Inn, then the party moved to our pub for dessert and coffee.

“It was a lovely idea to split the dinner, as we didn’t realise how close the two pubs were,” added Penny. “As B&B owners, we often recommend The Castle and The Wheatsheaf to our guests as lovely places to go for food, but now we can say that with complete confidence.”

The SDAF started six years ago when the tourist office in Sevenoaks closed, and now has 32 members. To find out more about local accommodation and tourist attractions, visit www.simplysevenoaks.co.uk