REVIEW: Roast arrives at Bills restaurant, Horsham

There is no more traditional a venue in Horsham than the old town hall.
You can now enjoy a succulent roast at Bills.You can now enjoy a succulent roast at Bills.
You can now enjoy a succulent roast at Bills.

So it’s rather appropriate that the restaurant which now occupies this historic edifice is experimenting with a dish that is as traditional as they come.

When restaurant group Bills transformed the building into its unique brand at the heart of the community a year ago - it provided a menu and as interior style that was a neat mix of old and contemporary.

Enjoy a roast at Bills.Enjoy a roast at Bills.
Enjoy a roast at Bills.

But for Sunday diners there was one ingredient missing.

A roast with all the trimmings.

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Now, in response to public demand it has set out to put that right.

It’s also, in the way that Horsham always does these things, breaking new ground for its sister Bills restaurants.

If the pilot project in Horsham proves a success over the next few weeks it could be repeated throughout the chain.

Early signs are that it’s a real winner.

When we visited as a family on Sunday, Bills was full of diners who had spilled out on to the tables and chairs in Market Square.

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Within half an hour all the roasts were already sold. It’s just as well we had booked.

But the quality and value are superb.

The roast is £13.95 with UK beef striploin from the West Country.

The breed is Angus Cross with Limousin & Charolais - and is served a perfect medium pink.

Accompanying it are maris piper potatoes roasted in goose fat, with honey and garlic roasted carrots and parsnips, savoy cabbage with butter and thyme, and tender stem broccoli.

But the crowning glory are the Yorkshire puddings.

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There’s nothing artificial or mass produced about them. They are supreme.

And every roast is served with an extra Yorkshire and a top-up jug of beef gravy (gluten free made from reduced stock).

It’s a real plateful - with meat that is extraordinarily tender and tasty.

When you add a starter and dessert from the Bills menu, you have a Sunday lunch to remember for all the right reasons.

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Critics of a conversion to a restaurant wanted the building kept at the heart of the community.

Ironically that is precisely what has been achieved.

The place is buzzing, the staff are incredibly welcoming and good humoured, and the local management have a real desire to be part of Horsham.

That is why they have sponsored local events, like a reception for a piano charity fund-raiser for The Chairman’s Trust.

It’s why, too, they are pushing boundaries within their own group - to ensure they deliver what local people tell them they want.

Bill’s Restaurants, The Old Town Hall, Market Square, Horsham, RH12 1EU, 01403262970 www.bills-website.co.uk.

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