West Sussex's thriving culinary scene boosted by the arrival of Le Flamant in Lindfield

Jackson Heron, previously Head Chef at Kinsbrook Vineyard has been appointed Head Chef and will be supported by Felicity (Fifi) Moseley who was previously at Michelin rated Hide, Piccadilly.

Having started his career in London working at Lee Westcott’s Typing Room amongst others, Sussex born Jackson has quickly become established on the Sussex food scene. At Kinsbrook Vineyard, Jackson oversaw a radical redesign of the menu with a focus on locally sourced produce. Prior to that he was right hand man to Matt Gillan at Heritage in Slaugham and sous chef to Michael Bremner at Brighton’s 64 degrees. Felicity, who is just 19, is one of Sussex’s emerging new talents, having honed her craft at Brighton institution, Riddle & Finns, before becoming the youngest ever hire at Hide on Piccadilly.

The pair have created a menu of tempting plates designed for sharing. Signature dishes will include:

· Pan fried halibut, mussel beurre blanc, shaved fennel

· Seared scallop, risotto, njuja

· Beef tartare, fried brioche, pickled shallot

· Basil and ricotta cappellacci, cavalo nero, parmesan, pine nuts

The restaurant - which was previously a tearoom – is small and intimate and evokes the relaxed feeling of a private members club with a handcrafted marble-topped oak bar, banquette seating, warm colours and hand selected artwork, cutlery and crockery. Interior designer, Taryn Driemeyer, has overseen the reimagination of the space from cosy tearoom to sophisticated retreat.

Jackson comments: “The atmosphere we’re creating at LeFlamant is cosy and inviting – it’s a snug retreat that we hope people will come back to again and again. To complement this the cooking will be unpretentious but imaginative, with a focus on exceptional ingredients and bold, simple flavours. A carefully curated drinks menu – much of which has been sourced from Sussex’s award-winning vineyards and local distilleries – will be another draw.”

The intimate new restaurant which serves 34 covers – is on a mission to reinvent the concept of village dining. Tim Hinchcliffe, Owner of LeFlamant observes: “We want people to be able to enjoy amazing food, drinks and ambience on their doorstep. Our vision is that LeFlamant becomes woven into the DNA of local people’s lives - somewhere they gravitate to for casual meet ups, celebrations, long evenings and on-a-whim suppers. The team we have assembled is young, talented and hungry for the challenge of being at the heart of this reinvention.”

In line with its neighbourhood restaurant vision, LeFlamant will be supporting many local producers including Sussex based vineyards: Bluebell Vineyard, Sugrue South Downs, Hidden Spring Vineyard and Artelium wine estate, as well as Sussex distilled Generation 11 gin and gooseberry-based spirit, Sipello – handcrafted in the Surrey Hills.