Worthing restaurant raises £65,000 in just TWO days to fund move to new location

Tern, a fine dining restaurant currently located on Worthing Pier, set up a Crowdfunder to help it pay for a bigger space in Warwick Street.

The bid to raise £65,000 was launched on Tuesday, July 1, and by Thursday, July 3, the full amount had been secured. The restaurant has said it has now set its sights even higher, and is leaving the crowdfunder open as originally planned until July 31.

Chef/director of Tern Johnny Stanford revealed his restaurant would be moving to a new spot in a Facebook post at the end of May. He started Tern in 2023, and said it has now outgrown its current spot above Perch on the Pier, and needed space to grow.

“We are humbled and energised by this response,” said Johnny. “Raising the full target so quickly proves there is real appetite for change — and for rebuilding our food culture in a way that works for the land, farmers and communities. Now we are asking: how much further can we go?”

With the original goal achieved, the team will now pursue stretch targets that will enable an expanded space, deeper sustainability measures, and wider collaborations with independent British growers, makers and artists.

“This project has always been about more than a restaurant,” Johnny added. “It is about creating a lasting, regenerative network — from the soil to the glass — and giving people a way to invest in a food system that has integrity. Every pledge beyond our base goal brings that vision closer.”

The Crowdfunder remains open until July 31, with further details on stretch goals to be announced in the coming days. Supporters can choose from a range of rewards, including early bookings, unique dining experiences, workshops and collaborative events with leading British producers and creatives.

Tern will continue to operate on Worthing Pier for dinner and Sunday brunch until August 16, before relocating to a larger permanent site on Warwick Street later this autumn — featuring an open kitchen and what is believed to be the UK’s only restaurant bar serving exclusively British wines, spirits and cocktails.

To support the campaign see www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/ternrestaurant