René Fay was only a teenager when she set off from her home town of Orsa, Sweden on an intrepid European tour, riding a yellow bicycle. Since then, René has lived all over the world and is now settled in Horsham, where she owns Johansson’s Café in the Bishopric....
Childhood friends Chloe Breen, Clarissa Hall and Jodie Kidd were inspired to launch their own business, Indios Food, during the lockdown. As parents, they set out to create a range of home-cooked meals for children, using fresh, local ingredients. However, its target...
New Street Butchers have survived many downturns and shifting shopping habits over the years. We meet owner Rob Ayling, who believes that more people are turning back to good quality, locally sourced produce... How long have you been a butcher? I started here when I...
The Horsham Cellar opened in the Carfax in 2018 and has been praised for its wine range of high-quality wines from all over the world. With special tasting events too, the shop offers something new and exciting to wine drinkers. Owner Luke Smith explains how he plans...
Having started out making her own chilli sauce for family meals, Pollyanna Hutchinson has built an acclaimed business. A combination of distinctive branding and delicious flavours has seen West Chiltington-based business Pollyanna’s Kitchen scoop several prestigious...
Tom and Chesca Scanlon founded their own cider business, Nuthurst Orchard, after finding an ideal plot while on a tandem bicycle ride. Since then, they’ve been perfecting the art of combining the distinctive tastes of English and French apples. Tom explains how it all...
The Pure Oyster Company was no doubt a fitting name for the business when it was founded by Janet Tabor with her sons Joe and Harold in 1907. More than a century later, the business remains in family hands, now fronted by brothers Nick and Tom Tabor. But while oysters...
The Horsham District’s fine reputation for wine has been enhanced by the launch of ‘Boco’ by House Coren. Located in The Haven, near Slinfold, House Coren has achieved a first among Sussex vineyards by creating a sparkling wine using the Charmat method. Charmat is a...
Monte Forte opened at 18 East Street in Horsham on 31 July. The business is run by brothers Paolo and Luca Malavasi, who started out selling street food from a converted horsebox just four years ago. AAH met them while tucking into a delicious Capricciosa pizza… When...
The White Lion in Thakeham, an e idyllic 16th century coaching inn, has long been at the heart of village life. However, it had been closed for 18 months before the arrival of Ashley Chapman and Julia Sullivan. They hope a combination of good food and a homely...
After earning a reputation as one of the UK’s leading winemakers, Dermot Sugrue founded his own company. Working alongside wife Ana, the winemaker launched Sugrue South Downs, and it wasn’t long before the Washington-based couple were receiving acclaim for their...
Brolly Brewing was founded in 2017 by husband and wife, Brook and Holly Saunders. The brewery was based on a farm in Wisborough Green, where they organised the annual Brollyfest music and beer festival, and established a fanbase for its unfiltered craft beers. As...
Chalk Restaurant opened at the heart of the Wiston Estate in 2023. Under head chef Tom Kemble, the restaurant serves dishes that celebrate the heritage and purpose of the land, which has been owned and managed by the Goring family for 280 years. AAH met Richard and...
Firebird Brewing Company in Rudgwick celebrated its 10th anniversary in September. Its craft beers have become an increasingly familiar sight at pubs and bars in the Horsham District and beyond, thanks to contemporary branding and a burgeoning reputation for exciting...
While many pubs may claim to be unique, The Hen & Chicken in Southwater’s assertion has more substance than most. It serves classic English dishes alongside authentic Indian cuisine, and bears all the hallmarks of a traditional inn while also embracing a younger...
Even if you have never been to The Fountain in Ashurst, you may have heard about two of its famous patrons. One was actor and director Laurence Olivier, who lived a short walk away with his wife, the late Dame Joan Plowright. Baron Olivier had a favourite spot in the...
Published on 4th May 2017 When did you first have the idea for a solid chocolate egg? I’ve had the idea for about 20 years, since when I was a teenager. I realised that at any time of the year you could buy a chocolate bar for about 60p and yet at Easter the...
Published: 1st November 2022 The White Lion in Thakeham reopened its doors in October. The idyllic 16th century coaching inn has long been at the heart of village life, but had been closed for 18 months before the arrival of Ashley Chapman and Julia Sullivan. They...