Belle In The ‘Burbs @ Sussex Pass

In the spirit of gastronomic knowledge, Belle about Town has left the building, and is now in the ‘Burbs’. But do not fret, it is only temporary and for penmanship purposes only (who am I kidding?).

I find myself in rolling hill country, in the depths of Sussex, or in the Weald as those in the know would say, on the borders of Kent. Launched originally in December, like many hospitality venues it closed and then launched again recently. I am glad it did.

By now, I had glanced through the menu, and as Adam Sear, Head Chef would say ‘to live a full life, you have to fill your stomach first’. Who am I to argue? It is also the philosophy of Sam Maynard, the founder, who concurs with the creative ideas on the menu and with a background including Hotel du Vin and Gallivant, he knows a thing or two. Adam also hopes to create a new dish every week, all sustainable produce.

The decor is understated as a restaurant, sort of ‘oldie-worldie’, but not in your face. But it is the menu that counts, and that said it all. Every dish is sourced from local produce, literally as near as possible (fish such as salmon and mackerel are collected by the team, fresh from the boat, every day and from only a few miles away). But the intriguing element of this menu is the involvement of locals, who lovingly grow their produce in their own tiny gardens or balconies and supply the restaurant. Honest ‘injun’!

We chose to eat indoors, even though there is an outdoor dining terrace, I always feel the need to sit close to the ubiquitous fireplace, whilst out of town, I just cannot explain this desire. Was it the view of the tempting range of 30 different gins on offer? I digress. The menu also provides the choice of wine flights or pairings, very reasonably priced, so the gin stayed on the shelf!

The restaurant is all about sustainability and bringing great food to the venue, located in The White Hart Pub, so you get the best of all worlds and keep that good, warm family-style atmosphere. It’s by no means pretentious and welcomes children, so much so that their other enterprise, Sussex Patch (farm) plans for a kind of ‘mini’ cooking lesson for kids, who will pick their vegetables and see how they are cooked, right in front of the, thus expanding their organic range. Whilst the restaurant has a warm and slightly intimate feel to it, by including children as part of a family dining experience, they have hit the nail on the head for all markets – and they really care.

Did I mention the menu? Probably not as I am still pouring over it. It is a good job they take the time and effort to source locally, as their style of cooking and their philosophy means it just would not work with food that just is not fresh. The menu is compact, but not limited.

We began with a starter of torched mackerel, grapefruit gel and pickled salad, lovely fresh flavours with the mackerel torched to perfection. It cleared the palate, at the same time leaving a ‘zing’ on your tastebuds. Paired with a crisp Gaspar Goriska Brda, a Slovenian pinot grigio, with just the right balance of acidity.

It was good to have something light, as we followed this with Paley Farm Fillet of Beef, so tender and moist you almost did not need a knife. This local beef will struggle to be beaten in any top restaurant. Paired to perfection with a rich red Macquin St-Georges St Emilion, all was at one with the world. So, so good was the beef, that I could not tell you whether the chips were twice or thrice cooked!

Couldn’t manage a dessert but you could choose from sweet treats such as chocolate fondant, salted caramel millefeuille, lemon posset – all regular in name but with Adam’s usual flair. A mention must be made of their amazing cheese ‘trolley’ with some great British cheeses and various accompaniments – and pretty generous. Worth a go if you have enough room.

This was a delightful experience, with great food and atmosphere. We were there for dinner – perhaps I will venture out of town again and try their sumptuous brunch next time, or a family ‘Big Green Egg’ dining experience – intrigued? Pop in and find out about all there is to offer at the Sussex Pass.

• To visit the restaurant’s website click here. By car around 40 miles from London. Nearest railway station:  Wadhurst.  Easily accessible from London Bridge, London Cannon Street or London Charing cross in just over 1 hour. Instagram: @sussex_pass Facebook: @sussexpass.
• Charlotte was offered a complimentary meal for the purposes of a honest review.