Worthing restaurant teases future plans – 'we're quietly excited’

The Perch on the Pier, based on Worthing Pier, currently houses fine dining restaurant Tern in its upstairs ‘Nest’. Term announced last month it would be leaving the space, and opening its own permanent base in Warwick Street.

This will eave the Nest empty, leading to The Perch on the Pier commenting on it on its Facebook page yesterday. The post read: “We’ve received many kind messages and questions about what’s happening next in the Nest space. Thank you. The honest answer is: we’re not ready to share anything just yet.

“Right now, our focus is on supporting Johnny and the team at Tern as they prepare for their next chapter. They’ve earned the spotlight, and we want to give them the space to finish strong and make the next stage a success, including their upcoming fundraising round.

“It’s also the middle of summer, and like many in hospitality, our energy is squarely on looking after our guests and teams. When the time is right, we’ll have more to say, and we’re quietly excited for what’s coming.

“Thanks for your patience and for continuing to support independent hospitality in Worthing.”

The Perch on the Pier opened in April 2022, and is run by Alex Hole, who also runs Perch Café, in Lancing, and Perch on the Parade, also in Worthing.

Tern opened in July 2023, with three-time rosette-winning Johnny Stanford – the former head chef of AG’s at Alexander House Hotel – at the helm.

In October last year, The Perch on the Pier and Tern were forced to close for several weeks due when Worthing Pier was closed for safety reasons after part of the structure suffered storm damage.