Great British Menu winner Matt Gillan has successfully raised over £89,000 through crowdfunding to launch his own restaurant 'Heritage', at the Chequers Inn, near Horsham in Sussex.
The Kickstarter had the original target of £60k, and the project achieved this in just six days. A month later, Matt has exceeded this target by nearly £30, 000, to restore the former fish-focused business, which has been closed for the past two years. Former owners failed to keep the business afloat, and the situation was worsened when access roads from the A23 were changed.
He explained: “You used to be able to come straight off and within a minute you’d be at the Chequers, so people would drop off, stop off, eat and then get back on, whereas now you have to go through the next village along, so it takes about 15 minutes.”
But, he said, “whereas that’s a negative for that business, for me, it’s quite positive, it’s almost like it’s part of the journey to the destination, it makes it special."
“It’s a bit like going to L’Enclume; it isn’t the easiest place to get to, but it’s kind of special once you get there."
In a post on the chef's Instagram account, he gave a quick tour of the current site, explaining that Heritage will be partitioned into at least four areas, including a casual pub area, a separate lounge area, a breakfast room and the restaurant.
The property also has five bedrooms and a garden which can seat 40 people and offers a view of the surrounding countryside.
The chef insisted that because of its location, the venue would have to do more than 'just good pub food.' Instead, he said, it will serve high-end food at accessible prices.
The food offering will include a set lunch menu, an a la carte menu and the chef's signature tasting menu, featuring local, seasonal ingredients, and the drinks selection will favour local producers, but others, including bespoke items, will be available.
He explained:
