About

The Jolly Sailors is part of Anglian Country Inns (ACI), we are a family run business rooted in a love of good food and proper old fashioned hospitality. Everything from the service our staff provide, through to the outstanding quality of our suppliers and ambiance of our pubs, builds towards making the ordinary extraordinary. The same attention to detail is put into every element of our business from the big to the small. So if our chefs are preparing a fresh lobster or a simple hearty soup, or our bar staff are shaking an espresso martini or pouring a pint of ale; everything gets done with a sense of pride and care, because we believe it makes all the difference.

ACI was set up twenty years ago when Cliff Nye (now our Chairman) was blown away by the view out of the back of a run-down pub on the North Norfolk Coast and felt that more should be done to do that view justice. Now that run down old pub is our coastal Inn The White Horse which won the Good Hotel Guide Seaside Hotel of the year and Editor's Choice award two years running. From there came The Fox in the beautiful Hertfordshire village of Willian, The Jolly Sailors in Brancaster Staithe, Hermitage Rd in Hitchin, Water Lane in Bishop Stortford, The Cricketers in Weston and The Kings Head in Leteringsett Norfolk. We have also experimented with our very own microbrewery Brancaster Brewery, sister interiors shop Hermitage Rd & Co and most recently a Post Office and village store.

No two places are the same, but in each you will find superb quality, stand out food, a wide selection of well-kept beers, ales and wines from around the world and friendly, personal service from our teams of enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff.

We are incredibly proud to be a business that has grown each and every year, thanks to our loyal customers and staff. Cliff, now joined by his sons' James and Howard at the helm, continues to grow ACI with the same sense of fun and pride as it started out with twenty years ago.