More Meal reviews online at www.aahorsham.co.uk
31
You’ll find that good restaurants stay that way, recession or no recession. “We just lost our way, led the quiet life, and now we have to claw back those eight years of lost trade.” But since the hotel re-opened many customers have returned. We won’t go on about the hotel side too much, as this is a restaurant review and not the AA Hotel Guide, but the hotel has retained its warmth and charm - most notably with the exposed stone walls and the Inglenook fireplace in the lounge area - whilst adding modern essentials such as free Wi-Fi in bedrooms and Sky TV. It is hoped soon that a new function room will be built that will help make Random Hall more appealing as a weddings and events venue. But also, there is the Flagstones Restaurant. There’s no need to be confused by the name it is all part of Random Hall Hotel, and most of the people dining out there are guests. But like the Camellia at South Lodge, and Yokebourne Restaurant at The Mill House Hotel in Ashington, all are welcome to dine out there. Head chef at Flagstones is Jonathan Gettings, who has worked with Nigel Evans for many years. Jonathan was in charge of the kitchen when the restaurant was called The Tapestry, and also at The Red Lion in Ashington, which Nigel ran before taking on Random Hall (incidentally, Nigel also ran what is now The Red Lyon in Slinfold for four years). Jonathan has kept the menu fuss free, competitively priced and items are sourced locally where possible. For a while, the restaurant had been charging extra for side orders, but now each main has a set price (£14.95) and each comes served with
vegetables or salad with hand cut chips, minted charlotte or mashed potato. The main course menu currently consists of roast lamb shoulder, pork belly, a fish of the day, and a butternut squash and pine nut risotto, but the menu is changed each month. Six speciality steaks a beefburger, rump, sirloin, ribeye, T-bone and fillet - are menu constants. They are well priced too - the beefburger costs £13.95, the rump is £14.95, and the fillet tops the price list at a reasonable £22.95. The lamb, pork and the beef is all sourced locally, with farms in Itchingfield and Ewhurst amongst those supplying Random Hall. Jonathan gets his fish from Worthing, Shoreham and occasionally Newhaven too. But despite the hotel setting, the prices are comparable with most of the good pubs in Continued on Page 32
David Millichamp’s Austin 7 July’s edition featured perhaps the only surviving example of an Austin 7 van in the UK. David Millichamp still takes the van, which was his very first motor vehicle, out to shows during the summer.
Old editions of AAH can be viewed in full at www.aahorsham.co.uk