Restaurant Interlude Wins National Restaurant Award

The 2024 National Restaurant Awards feature Restaurant Interlude, at Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens in Horsham, as one of only two Sussex restaurants in its Top 100. Launched in 2007, the awards celebrate "the brilliance and vibrancy of the UK's eating out scene, and reward the very best chefs, front of house staff and restaurants the country has to offer."

Restaurant Interlude, which is open for lunch and dinner, was ranked at number 83 in the awards and was nominated for the Estrella Damm Sustainability Award category. South African chef Jean Delport and his team also won a Michelin Green Star earlier in 2024, one of the first restaurants in Sussex to receive the accolade. It recognised Interlude's outstanding sustainable practices and ethically sourced seasonal cuisine.

The National Restaurant Awards judges commented how Delport, born in South Africa, arrived in the UK with his wife Anya in 2017 to oversee the launch of Restaurant Interlude at the invitation of the estate owner Penny Streeter OBE. At the time the plan seemed ambitious, foolhardy even for the 28-year-old, the judges said:

"Delport and the estate's South Africa-based entrepreneur backer Penny Streeter's decision to jump in at the deep end with a high-end dining experience raised eyebrows at the time. Yet Streeter's faith in Delport's abilities turned out to be well-placed, with Interlude winning a Michelin star in less than a year.

"Delport's cooking is grounded in French technique but also explores his South African heritage. Nods include spiced vetkoek (a South African-doughnut) served with lobster and wild garlic parfait; a take on traditional Afrikaans onion salad with lamb and magnolia vinegar; and crispy, painstakingly-deboned chicken feet that celebrate the population's willingness to eat every bit of the animal. The main course is always a celebration of braai, for example chicken paired with juniper berries and confit chicken hearts.

"Much of the produce is sourced from the estate itself, with Delport having drafted in foraging experts to help identify all manner of ingredients including elderberries, mushrooms and even birch trees. The drinks list is focused on wines from owner Penny Streeter's Benguela Cove winery in South Africa but - more recently - Interlude has launched its own wines made with grapes grown on the estate."

In June 2024, the Streeter family launched three new sparkling wines - Blanc de Blancs, Brut Reserve and Brut Rosé - produced exclusively from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes from the 38-acre Leonardslee Family Vineyards estate.

Leonardslee Estate

Delport's seasonally-inspired tasting menu connects guests with the Leonardslee Estate through its flavours, he says: "Each week we forage our woods and gardens to see what's available to harvest. Guests can truly taste the seasons reflected on their plates, from berries in summer, to mushrooms in autumn, to preserved fruits and vegetables in winter."

Chef Delport leads a team of seven kitchen staff in preparing unique multi-course dining experiences, such as braised estate rabbit with winter purslane and estate venison with juniper-infused sauce. An onsite vegetable garden, chicken enclosure and beehives that produce estate honey supplement foraged goods.

Guests arriving at Restaurant Interlude are welcomed in the grand hallway, with drinks in the bar and then seated together around 6pm in the restaurant, enjoying views across the English Heritage Listed woodland gardens in the steep valley below, as well as east and south towards the South Downs.

The Michelin Green Star award also recognised Leonardslee estate's considerable work in the restoration of its historic buildings. Restaurant Interlude is within Grade II Listed Leonardslee House, built in an Italianate style in 1855. It features ten luxury en-suite bedrooms, with each featuring the fabric and wallpaper style of a quintessential British interior design house, with a strong commitment to sustainable and artisan composition.

Penny Streeter and her design team from the Johnston Parke Interiors studio focused on British-based suppliers. They sourced antiques to reduce any environmental impact and commissioned furniture suppliers who make their products in the UK. This included David Seyfried for upholstery, Hypnos for beds, BTC Original for lighting, as well as Edward Bulmer, and Farrow and Ball for paints.

Restaurant Interlude offers environmentally-conscious diners the opportunity to taste the best of West Sussex's natural produce. Reservations are available Thursday to Sunday with seatings beginning at 6pm. Book online on the restaurant's website. 

Dinner: Thursday - Sunday from 18:00. Lunch: Friday – Sunday from 12:30

Visit www.restaurant-interlude.co.uk 

Ends

Editors notes

Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens is a family-owned vineyard estate, near Horsham in West Sussex, which features ‘the finest woodland gardens in England’, Grade I Listed, as well as a Michelin Star restaurant and luxury vineyard accommodation.

The 240-acre estate was established by Sir Edmund Loder, the great Victorian plant collector, and now includes a Sussex Wine vineyard, with the first release of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier sparkling wine in 2024.

The estate features outstanding displays all year round. In the spring this includes rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, magnolias and bluebells. The collection is exceptional in its diversity and maturity, with several rare ‘champion’ trees, threatened in their natural habitat.

The gardens offer a protected ecosystem for rare wildlife such as Emperor Dragonflies and Damselflies, White Admiral and Purple Hairstreak butterflies and migratory and native birds - Kites, Great Tits, Tree Creepers, Nuthatches, Woodpeckers and Nightingales.

The estate reopened in April 2019, following acquisition and two years’ intensive work by entrepreneur Penny Streeter OBE to restore the woodland gardens after eight years of closure and neglect under previous ownership. It was the largest garden restoration project in the United Kingdom since Heligan 30 years before.

Since further restoration work in 2021, visitors can also stay in the luxury vineyard hotel after dining at Restaurant Interlude in Leonardslee House, the Grade II Listed Italianate mansion house, to experience the Michelin Star multi-course tasting menu created by chef Jean Delport.

The estate offers a great family day out and is one of the top places to visit in West Sussex. Visitors can view a magical world in miniature at the Beyond the Doll's House exhibition, which depicts the Edwardian estate and neighbouring villages at 1:12 scale. There is also an exciting new 2,500 sq m play park designed to mix recreational play with the natural attractions of the Grade I Listed woodland gardens, and a spectacular winter festival annually when the gardens are illuminated, attracting many thousands of visitors.

For great days out, there is an extensive programme of entertainment that includes winter garden illuminations and light trails, wine and beer festivals, photo and art exhibitions, live music events, cooking and gardening demonstrations, arts and crafts fairs, modelling and toy shows, and children’s events and adventure trails.

Leonardslee Family Vineyards in numbers

· Acquired 2017 · Total Estate 750 acres · 38 Acres of vineyard, 73,000 vines

· 2017 First vines planted · 170 Tonnes of grapes, 2023 harvest · 100,000 bottles annually produced · Sparkling wine cultivars 60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier · 2024 First release of wine