Sussex restaurant named among best in UK

Michelin-starred Restaurant Interlude at Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens near Horsham has been named among the best restaurants in the UK in this year’s National Restaurant Awards.

The restaurant is headed by South African-born chef Jean Delport who arrived in the UK with his wife Anya to oversee the launch of Interlude in 2017.

His decision, along with that of entrepreneur and Leondardslee owner Penny Streeter, to jump in at the deep end with an inflexible, high-end dining experience, raised eyebrows at the time.

But the award judges say that Penny’s faith in chef Jean’s abilities turned out to be well-placed with Restaurant Interlude winning a coveted Michelin star within less than a year. Jean’s cooking is grounded in French technique but also explores his South African heritage. Nods include spiced vetkoek – a South African-doughnut – served with a 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. Much of the produce is sourced from the Leonardslee estate itself, with Jean having drafted in foraging experts to help identify all manner of ingredients including elderberries, mushrooms and even birch trees.

The restaurant’s drinks list is focused on wines from Penny Streeter’s Benguela Cove winery in South Africa but more recently Restaurant Interlude has launched its own wines made with grapes grown within Leonardslee’s grounds.

Among his many recent achievements Jean Delport was among the finalists in BBC Two TV’s Great British Menu 2025.

Launched in 2007, the National Restaurant 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. The awards are organised by industry leading title Restaurant magazine.