Lunchtime Specials
Lunching Out in Sussex
I was brought up in Sussex.
Lived here all my life.
Born and bred in Brighton.
Moved to Worthing, and then Arundel, which I've enjoyed for thirty years.
So I haven't gone far.
Some places I've been to once enjoyed the experience, but never felt the pull to return.
Others I've gone back to time and time again.
Here's a couple of my current favourites.
Both so very English.
The Artisan Bakehouse.
The Artisan Bakehouse is a relatively new find.
Zoe, who runs the Dinky Donkey Delights in
Tarrant Street, and I
Tarrant Street, and I
were taking a friend for a birthday lunch.
By the way if you visit Arundel pop into Dinky Donkey
http://www.arundel.org.uk/details/dinky-donkey-delights/14
By the way if you visit Arundel pop into Dinky Donkey
http://www.arundel.org.uk/details/dinky-donkey-delights/14
So where to go.
"I know just the place, " said Zoe.
As she drove us along country lanes, I wondered where she was taking us.
Even thought she had got us lost and wasn't saying.
I would never have known it was there.
It's like a secret haven.
The lunch tables fill up with excited chatty diners.
They are only open a few days each season.
The reason being they also run courses for artisan bread making,
which they are totally passionate about.
You'd need to check their website for the dates.
And you will need to book for lunch.
They only take cash, by the way.
They can't get a signal for the card machines down there.
Afternoon tea is a gorgeous affair.
All their cakes are homemade.
You will find low sugar, low fat, options.
They have cottages available for self-catered hideaway country breaks.
Run by husband and wife Les and Louise Nicholson, its in the small village of Ashurst near Steyning.
Just as an aside, Sir Lawrence Olivier lived in the village in his latter years and was a regular at the Fountain Pub just along the road from the Bakehouse.
(Another wonderful place to eat)
Les is originally a Brightonian, but has moved around and spent 8 years in rural West France, where he learnt the art of traditional artisan bread making.
So what makes this place so special?
The ambiance for one thing.
A friendly warm, family run, atmosphere.
The food is gorgeous.
Simple.
Fresh.
Healthy.
Vegetarians are catered for.
In the summer the garden is filled with tables dotted around.
Sitting in the shade of the trees on a hot day with friends.
That's when it's the perfect English country afternoon.
As well as breadmaking they also run Christmas wreath making days.
As well as breadmaking they also run Christmas wreath making days.
Bluebird cafe
The beach down by the Bluebird Cafe at Ferring is a wonderful place to walk.
If you have a canine friend to go with, even better.
It's doggie heaven.
When Elsa was small it was a great place to socialise her.
She met with 20 to 30 dogs every time.
I check the tides and walk along the beach one way, then back along the grass on the return.
Elsa dries off.
Sometimes if I'm not rushing back, I sit on one of the benches and stare at the horizon for a while.
Take a breath.
Advantages of being self-employed.
I'm happy to work late into the evening.
Lunch at the cafe can be a hectic affair.
It's right on the beach.
Holiday times can get really busy.
Sometimes people are queuing out the door.
Jostling for space inside.
But it's worth it.
The food is fabulous.
There's a large outside seating area.
On a sunny day it fills up quickly with walkers and their dogs.
They have an extensive lunch menu.
Simple tasty food.
Nicely presented.
Served pretty fast considering how busy it gets.
I met up with five friends and Herbie the dog.
It was hard to get a table space together, but we managed.
I didn't take Elsa, she's still excitable in busy places.
Wants to say " hello" to everyone.
We all had something different.
Everyone seemed happy.
