Greetings, Hop Sun enthusiasts and welcome to our February blog. The excitement has been building over the past few weeks as our brewery area has undergone a remarkable transformation from building site to, well a proper taproom bar! Get ready for a thrilling February as we unveil what's been happening and what's brewing for our reopening. Plus, we've got an incredible line-up of craft beer and events to bring it in with style!
Our journey so far
Over the last 7 months, the whole team have poured their heart and soul into delivering a space that provides you with an extraordinary taproom experience.
The laborious days and nights were not without their challenges, but our dedicated team pressed on crafting a space that not only reflects the character of the Hop Sun Tap, but is a fitting tribute to the 10 years of hard work and investment that the award winning local Heathen Brewers have put into building the business.
It's important to take a moment to extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has come down, patiently weathering the construction disruption, and continuing to support us through this adventure. To our regulars and local community, you are the backbone of Hop Sun Tap, and your support throughout has really motivated us to elevate the taproom to new heights. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Our reopening...say hello again to the brewery area
So what now… well hold on to your glasses because February brings the much anticipated reopening of our extended brewery area. That’s right, Thursday 22 February we will be opening the new bar area for you all to enjoy. Gone is the cold and sometimes leaky roof and instead we have a wonderful extended space that is purpose built and retains the charm and character of our building and the wider working brewery. We seriously cannot wait for you to see it and be a part of the continuing story of the Hop Sun Tap.
Extended opening hours?... you got it!
And there's more exciting news! From 1 February, our 9pm closing will be a thing of the past allowing you to spend longer with us or simply join us a bit later at a time to suit you.
On Thursdays our extended opening hours will be until 10pm. This is a bit of a trial basis while we get a feel for the general appetite, but we really hope the extra serving time will introduce more people to the taproom.
On Fridays and Saturdays, we will be open until 11 pm, putting us on an equal trading footing with the rest of Haywards Heath and more importantly giving you more time to visit and experience our convivial taproom atmosphere and, of course, sample the exceptional brews on offer!
Have your events at the Hop Sun Tap
With the reopening of the extended brewery space and the later licensing, we're not just expanding our physical space; we're making the Hop Sun Tap more of a place for events and private hires. Many of you have said you would love to spend time with us but the 9pm licence was an understandable issue. Our new licensing removes that barrier, and we are really excited about offering our various spaces out.
If you are looking for a venue in the future, we would love to be a part of your celebration plans. To discuss any type of hire, contact Sharon for details.
Our February events
Alongside our weekly pilates class and our monthly hosting of Paint & Sip and Hop Hack games group, check out and sign up for some of our other events happening in February.
Join us for 'Tabletop Game Day' at the Hop Sun Tap! In partnership with the wonderful peeps at Haywards Heath Board Games, we are running a bi-monthly gaming day upstairs at the taproom. Free entry and open to all
Want to test your mettle with a bit of brass tossing? Our Mid Winter Open Toad Tournament is just what you need. Free entry with prizes to be won. Hurry as places are limited to a maximum of 32 players.
Aside from being our reopening day, Thursday 22 February is the monthly Hop Sun Runs, our social running club with a beer at the end! Always popular and well attended, it’s a great way to meet new people and enjoy a social, conversational run with like minded people. Oh, and there’s a free Heathen beer at the end…which is nice!
Hop Sun Runs - sign up below
For the more cerebral, Mark will be hosting his monthly quiz on Sunday 25 February. Teams of 6 maximum, £1 to enter per person. Lots of general knowledge with some weird and wonderful speciality rounds with a topical twist to them. Starts at 3pm and is another reason to pop down and check out the new bar area.
The Sunday Quiz - sign up below
Follow our socials....share the love!
As a small local business, we rely on word of mouth, recommendations, and of course positive feedback. If you enjoy what we do, it would be great if you could share your experiences on whatever social platform you use – personally, we like Google Reviews but then we would! If you are new and want to keep up to date with our beers, events and general happenings, you can subscribe to our website for notifications on new blog posts or follow us on our Facebook and Instagram socials. We seriously do appreciate your support.
Well, that’s it for now and thank you for your patience throughout the building process. We are almost there and February 22 is just around the corner, so we're counting the days until we can finally open the big new doors. Come on down, we would love to see you!
Much love
Team Hop Sun
