Popular pub in West Sussex village set to reopen as 27-year-old landlord aims to bring ‘traditional feel’ back

Jordan Johnson, 27, from Haywards Heath, is set to open The Witch Inn in Sunte Avenue on Friday, September 13, with some live music.

The pub has been closed for two months with rumours circulating that it could be replaced with a shop.

But Jordan told the Middy: “The plan at the minute is to open at midday on Friday.”

He said: “I’ve got the final install for the beers going in on Wednesday.”

Jordan said he was born and raised in the area, having attended Blackthorns primary school and Oathall Community College. This is his first lease on a pub, but before The Witch he was manager of The White Harte in Cuckfield.

Guests celebrate housing development’s community hub near St Catherine’s Hospice

He said: “I’ve been doing pubs for about eight years as assistant managers and things. Then I went to the White Harte as the manager and it was fantastic. We took on a pub just around Covid time and things were sort of risky. Everyone was unsure of what was going on but we really turned it around and brought it back to life.”

Jordan said he signed the lease for The Witch Inn on September 2. He said it has been redecorated with some new furniture and restored windows. He has tried to bring ‘more of a pub feel’ back to it and said there will be games like darts and toad-in-the-hole, as well as plenty of space in the enclosed garden. He said he is looking to bring Sky Sports to the pub, as well as live music nights.

The Witch Inn has a long history with its former landlord being ex-Brighton football player Gerry Ryan who opened it in 1986.

“Everyone talks about the glory days of The Witch being when he was around,” said Jordan. “As we've gone on we’ve heard so much more about him and it seems like our visions are aligning a bit.”

Gerry passed away last year and Jordan plans to hang a photo of Gerry in his honour.

Jordan said he ‘absolutely loves’ Lindfield and said it feels ‘a bit surreal’ to have his own pub in the area he grew up in. He said: “It's a dream I’ve always had and this felt like the right place and right time to give it a go.”