Country pub of the week: Jodie Kidd's the Half Moon, West Sussex

Jeremy Clarkson isn’t the lone motorhead with a state pub. Jodie Kidd bought hers, the Half Moon successful West Sussex, successful 2017, and is thoroughly progressive — she’s a beardown advocator for the accepted British boozer.

The pub, successful West Sussex, sits conscionable supra the South Downs, and truthful is ideally situated for those readying a bracing autumn locomotion earlier wintertime sets in. From the front, the gathering looks cottage-like successful reddish brick, the benignant of spot you ideate a large Victorian writer to unrecorded having moved down from London post-bestselling novel.

That is yet what Kidd has done: a splendid vocation has allowed her to spell afloat country, athletics Wellington boots and enactment up fancy umbrellas. The Half Moon is distinctly upmarket; the colony of Kirdford is moneyed capable to enactment a higher-end proposition. It’s inactive a pub, though: stroll successful and person a pint and a Scotch ovum with brownish condiment (£6, not astatine each bad) if that is each that’s required by mode of sustenance.

As for its celebrated landlady, you mightiness spot her pulling a pint of Long Blonde connected a engaged weekend, adjacent aft a stint racing, oregon modelling, oregon riding a horse connected TV. She has helped to physique a agrarian enclave, postcard-pretty acknowledgment to a sweeping English garden, impeccably kept and with a tract that indispensable necessitate superior work. Inside is of wood, chromatic and pleasing trinkets, not to notation a roaring fire.

To drink, Birra Moretti, Guinness, cask ales and high-end spirits. As mentioned, it isn’t a inexpensive pub but it’s worthy splashing retired in: there’s a £75 tasting paper to beryllium enjoyed — nutrient is bought wrong a 20-mile radius, Kidd erstwhile told maine — a surefire triumph for those turning up successful supercars. To spot a Ferrari parked extracurricular is not astatine each uncommon.

Those looking for a simpler acquisition mightiness get a £22 burger, which is 1 of the astir proficient successful the Home Counties: section beef, cheddar and chorizo jam successful a murphy bun. No nonsense brioche here. But a genuinely tremendous helping of French fries.