Sussex


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seasonal-menus-with-bells-on"><strong>Seasonal menus – with bells on </strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/InterludeWinterMenu.jpg" alt="Winter seasonal menu at Interlude restaurant, Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens, Sussex" class="wp-image-82458" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/InterludeWinterMenu.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/InterludeWinterMenu-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/InterludeWinterMenu-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/InterludeWinterMenu-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/InterludeWinterMenu-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/InterludeWinterMenu-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/InterludeWinterMenu-1100x1100.jpg 1100w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image credit: Interlude</figcaption></figure>



<p>Furna in Brighton is one of three local restaurants to make the latest edition of <em>Harden&#8217;s</em> Top 100 UK Restaurants list. Its festive menu has us craving a Christmas pudding Madeleine, made from a veritable Santa&#8217;s list of ingredients, including dried fruit and chestnuts, a slug of Courvoisier XO Cognac, brown butter, and miso brandy butter caramel. They&#8217;re served with ice cream, of course. </p>



<p>Interlude, the Michelin-starred, much-laureled restaurant at Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens also made the list. Head over for a Christmas treat and you&#8217;ll find a seasonal menu featuring windfall acorn, bracken fiddleheads, and a Wagyu beef tartare, elevated with blackened shallots and roasted Grain Royale, an apple cider beef consommé and caviar. </p>



<p>Highest ranking of the Sussex trio is Gravetye Manor at 61, another Michelin star holder. Festive private dining menus include Smoked Loin of Roe Venison with celeriac, wilted kale, venison stuffing and roasted field mushroom, and a Tangerine Posset with cranberry sorbet, shortbread and an almond tuile. We&#8217;re in!  </p>



<p>OpenTable has also been making a list (&#8217;tis the season), with two local stars among its annual selection of 100. Like the Harden&#8217;s list, it&#8217;s voted for by regular diners, who were full of praise for La Follia in West Harting and newcomer Orla in Lindfield. You can read the Muddy verdict on that last one <a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/restaurants/restaurant-review-orla-lindfield/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-say-cheese"><strong>Say ‘cheese’!</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/WaitroseXmasAd.jpg" alt="Waitrose Christmas ad 2026 starring Keira Knightley and Sussex Charmer cheese" class="wp-image-82449" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/WaitroseXmasAd.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/WaitroseXmasAd-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/WaitroseXmasAd-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/WaitroseXmasAd-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image credit: Waitrose</figcaption></figure>



<p>It’s been a whirlwind end to 2025 over at Bookham Harrison Farms near Horsham. As a Muddy reader you clearly have exquisite taste, so it’s unlikely you’ll need an introduction to Sussex Charmer, Keira Knightley’s lip-smacking co-star in the Waitrose Christmas ad. And we don’t mean comedian and Hove-resident Joe Wilkinson, although if beards do it for you, his does look very plush. Nope, we’re talking the cheese that brings this cutely unlikely couple together. </p>



<p>Crumbly, mature cheddar whose creamy taste packs a zingy kick, Sussex Charmer has won accolades aplenty but its newfound fame has sent orders and enquiries through the roof. &#8220;We are delighted and honoured to have been featured&#8221;, managing director Rob Bookham told Muddy, &#8220;But we have entered uncharted territory and to be honest it&#8217;s all unbelievable and a bit crazy&#8221;. </p>



<p>If you can get your hands on a wedge, it&#8217;ll fill out your stocking toe nicely. Stunning on a cheeseboard, it also grills beautifully – perfect no-fuss feasting for when you’re home from that Twixmas stroll. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-and-speaking-of-which-nbsp"><strong>And speaking of which…&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/CuckmereHaven-2.jpg" alt="Cuckmere Haven walk near Seven Sisters, Sussex, in winter" class="wp-image-82456" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/CuckmereHaven-2.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/CuckmereHaven-2-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/CuckmereHaven-2-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/CuckmereHaven-2-768x1152.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Beaches: not just for summer! Is any Sussex Christmas complete without a blustery, blow-the-cobwebs-out seaside stroll? Or even, for the hardiest (respect to you but nope, not for Muddy&#8230;), dip? </p>



<p>The county&#8217;s Cuckmere Haven has been picked by BBC Countryfile as one the&nbsp;best UK beaches to head for during the chillier months. Given its iconic views of the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs and excellence for wildlife watching, we’re not surprised. It certainly brought out the poet in Countryfile, which said: &#8220;Here, brisk sea breezes refresh your mind, rippling dazzling-white chalk cliffs test your cardio fitness and amazing beach and ocean vistas provide the ultimate setting for an open-air yoga session.” </p>



<p>It features on our own list of stellar strolls, along with Rye Harbour and Littlehampton’s East Beach, which also happens to feature the UK’s longest bench.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-happiness-is-nbsp"><strong>Happiness is…&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/Hove.jpg" alt="Hove, Sussex" class="wp-image-82453" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/Hove.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/Hove-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/Hove-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/Hove-768x1152.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Could all this sea air be the secret to happiness? Rightmove’s list of the happiest places to live in the UK suggests it just might have something to do with it.&nbsp;Sussex makes the table of 200 with eight cheery spots, which include Horsham, Chichester and Crawley. However, five are coastal:&nbsp;Hove, Hastings, Brighton, Eastbourne and Worthing, which was also regional winner of the Muddy Best Places to Live 2025.&nbsp;Just saying! </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-staycays-nbsp"><strong>Star staycays&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/TheStarAlfriston_candles.jpg" alt="The Star, Alfriston, Sussex" class="wp-image-82468" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/TheStarAlfriston_candles.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/TheStarAlfriston_candles-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/TheStarAlfriston_candles-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/TheStarAlfriston_candles-768x1152.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image credit: The Star, Alfriston</figcaption></figure>



<p>Considering a staycation come the New Year? The Good Hotel Guide has handily named its latest César winners, with four Sussex hostelries making the cut. You can tap some of that seaside happiness in Brighton with a stay at the Artist Residence. Our insider’s tip? Make it merrier still with a <a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/best-sunday-roasts-in-sussex-muddy-reviews-pearly-cow-brighton/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sunday roast</a> at Pearly Cow. Mindfulness awaits in Midhurst at the Park House Hotel and Spa – with still more to be had at the famous <a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/10-reasons-to-visit-the-cowdray-estate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cowdray Estate</a>. Wend your way to West Hoathly, and The Cat Inn, one of the best pubs with rooms, awaits. </p>



<p>All three were recognised in the Editor&#8217;s Choice Awards, but top of the local list was hotelier and TV regular Alex Polizzi&#8217;s The Star. A former Tudor coaching inn, it was praised for being &#8216;curated, not contrived&#8217;, and scooped the Best Hotel for Walkers category. You&#8217;ll find it in Alfriston, a village that&#8217;s in the running for Muddy’s Best Places to Live 2026. </p>



<p>Can&#8217;t wait for it to be warm enough for sleeping beneath the stars? Make a note of Woodfire at Westerlands, which has just been named winner in the Most Unique Site category at the 2025 Campsites.co.uk Camping and Glamping Awards – for the second consecutive year. It was praised for its distinctive approach to outdoor hospitality. Added bonus: it’s less than 10 mins from Petworth, another of our Best Places to Live in 2026.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-perfect-pairings-nbsp"><strong>Perfect pairings&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/vineyard.jpg" alt="Vineyard" class="wp-image-82454" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/vineyard.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/vineyard-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/vineyard-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/12/vineyard-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>But back to that cheese… For a perfect pairing, as your virtual sommelier may we suggest you head to one of two Sussex producers that just happen to be among the world’s 50 best wineries? Yes, it’s official: according to Forbes,&nbsp;Wiston Estate and Nyetimber are world-class when it comes to quaffability – plus heritage, innovation, sustainability and mentorship. Nyetimber was singled out innovations including drone-guided vine cultivation and the use of sheep-grazed green fertiliser crops for chemical-free soil enrichment. Sheep are also part of Wiston’s success, together with beehives and solar panels. Both have had a corking 2025: Nyetimber won Best Drinks producer at the BBC Food &amp; Farming Awards and its sparkling Blanc de Blancs 2016 triumphed in the International Wine Challenge, while Wiston’s Cuvée 2016 was served at Windsor Castle&#8217;s State Banquet for President Trump earlier this year.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Bolney_twilight.jpg" alt="Bolney Wine Estate, Sussex" class="wp-image-82134" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Bolney_twilight.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Bolney_twilight-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Bolney_twilight-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Bolney_twilight-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Meanwhile, Bolney Wine Estate also has an excuse to crack open some of its own top tipples, adding to its trophy cabinet a Visitor Attraction Accolades from VisitEngland. Fancy checking it out for yourself? It’s hosting Twelve Wines of Christmas tastings and Festive Fridays from now until Christmas Day.&nbsp;</p>



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<p><em>In the mood for more? </em></p>



<p><a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/restaurants/restaurant-review-orla-lindfield/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Review: lunch at Orla, Lindfield </a></p>



<p><a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/xmas/let-it-shine-16-reasons-to-book-now-for-wakehursts-glow-wild/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">15 reasons to stroll Wakehurst&#8217;s all-new, ever-enchanting Glow Wild</a></p>



<p><a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/its-a-wrap-55-things-to-do-in-sussex-this-december/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">It&#8217;s a wrap! 55+ things to do in Sussex this December </a></p>


Delivered: Your extra twinkly December newsflash!

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