Jeremy Clarkson isn’t the only motorhead with a country pub. Jodie Kidd bought hers, the Half Moon in West Sussex, in 2017, and is thoroughly involved — she’s a strong advocate for the traditional British boozer.
The pub, in West Sussex, sits just above the South Downs, and so is ideally situated for those planning a bracing autumn walk before winter sets in. From the front, the building looks cottage-like in red brick, the sort of place you imagine a great Victorian author to live having moved down from London post-bestselling novel.
That is ultimately what Kidd has done: a splendid career has allowed her to go full country, sport Wellington boots and put up fancy umbrellas. The Half Moon is distinctly upmarket; the village of Kirdford is moneyed enough to support a higher-end proposition. It’s still a pub, though: stroll in and have a pint and a Scotch egg with brown sauce (£6, not at all bad) if that is all that’s required by way of sustenance.
As for its famous landlady, you might see her pulling a pint of Long Blonde on a busy weekend, even after a stint racing, or modelling, or riding a horse on TV. She has helped to build a rural enclave, postcard-pretty thanks to a sweeping English garden, impeccably kept and with a lawn that must necessitate serious work. Inside is of wood, stone and pleasing trinkets, not to mention a roaring fire.
To drink, Birra Moretti, Guinness, cask ales and high-end spirits. As mentioned, it isn’t a cheap pub but it’s worth splashing out in: there’s a £75 tasting menu to be enjoyed — produce is bought within a 20-mile radius, Kidd once told me — a surefire win for those turning up in supercars. To see a Ferrari parked outside is not at all uncommon.
Those looking for a simpler experience might get a £22 burger, which is one of the most proficient in the Home Counties: local beef, cheddar and chorizo jam in a potato bun. No nonsense brioche here. But a truly enormous helping of French fries.
