Sussex


<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/11/2026/06/padel.png" alt="Two people playing padel" class="wp-image-84974" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/padel.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/padel-800x533.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/padel-1000x667.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/padel-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-serving-up-something-new-in-shoreham">Serving up something new in Shoreham</h3>



<p>Attention padel fans! Club Padel has secured a site in Shoreham Harbour for a new six-court indoor complex. Along with changing rooms, parking and coaching, the Fisherman’s Wharf club will deliver a high-end bar for pre-match energy boosts and post-match lounging. It’s set to open this autumn and there’s still time to become a Founder Member. We reckon it’d make a pretty special Father’s Day gift, too.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-celebrity-boogy-time">Celebrity boogy time</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/goldblum.png" alt="Jeff Goldblum" class="wp-image-84976" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/goldblum.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/goldblum-800x800.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/goldblum-400x400.png 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/goldblum-768x768.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/goldblum-500x500.png 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image credit: Jeff Goldblum</figcaption></figure>



<p>Did you catch him? We hear Hollywood legend Jeff Goldblum was precisely the gent you&#8217;d hope him to be when he swung by Brighton&#8217;s Resident Records late last week. He was there to launch his new album, Night Blooms, and signed copies, chatted, and even spun an employee round its dinky shop floor. As well as starry career in blockbuster movies, he&#8217;s sung and played piano for over 30 years with his jazz band, the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-taste-of-the-top">A taste of the top</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/02/interlude2.jpg" alt="Interlude, Sussex" class="wp-image-83334" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/02/interlude2.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/02/interlude2-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/02/interlude2-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/02/interlude2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/02/interlude2-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image credit: Interlude</figcaption></figure>



<p>Two Sussex restaurants are celebrating this week after ranking in the National Restaurant Awards’ top 100 UK restaurants. In at number 60 is Maré by Rafael Cagali. The Hove newcomer is the laurelled Da Terra chef’s first venture outside London, and has already scooped a Michelin star – the city’s first in some half a century. Judges praised this ‘major addition to the seaside city&#8217;s increasingly serious dining scene’ for it relaxed style and versatile cooking designed for sharing, citing dishes like lobster rice finished with ox tongue and Freedown Hills picanha with chimichurri.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Interlude at Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens secured a spot at number 80. It’s over a decade since South Africa chef Jean Delport oversaw the launch of a restaurant that’s already won gongs galore, including not only a Michelin star but a Michelin green star, too. Judges were impressed by tasting menu’s blend of French technique, nods to his South African heritage, and foraged ingredients from the estate.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-english-wine-week-incoming">English Wine Week incoming</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/05/bolney_picnic-1000x667.jpg" alt="English Wine Week at Bolney Wine Estate, Sussex" class="wp-image-84762" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/05/bolney_picnic-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/05/bolney_picnic-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/05/bolney_picnic-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/05/bolney_picnic.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The 20th English Wine Week runs from 20-28 Jun, and Sussex is bursting with ways to toast homegrown success stories. Bolney Wine Estate, one of the country’s oldest vineyards, has a full programme of events from tours and tastings to picnics in the wines. You can even try your hand a blending your own wine. We’re liking the sound of Château du Muddy but what would wine legend Oz Clarke make of it? He’ll be hosting Vines, Vintages &amp; a Very Good Lunch at The PIG-in the South Downs on 26 Jun. Tickets remain for your chance to enjoy a three-course English Wine Week feast filled with plentiful pours.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Meanwhile, Lewes’ Winelands festival of English wines is getting ahead of game, celebrating from 8-13 Jun with everything from pairing evenings and masterclasses to a spot-the-fake-wine tasting and launch of a cosy crime caper by oenophile Olly Smith (check out Muddy’s interview with him).&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-90th-birthday-facelift">A 90th birthday facelift</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/capitol_newseat.png" alt="New seating at The Capitol, Horsham" class="wp-image-84977" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/capitol_newseat.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/capitol_newseat-800x800.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/capitol_newseat-400x400.png 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/capitol_newseat-768x768.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/capitol_newseat-500x500.png 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Good news from one of our favourite local arts venues, The Capitol in Horsham. It celebrates its 90<sup>th</sup>&nbsp;birthday this month and while its doors shut on 4 Jan for its first major refurb in over two decades, Muddy can report that it’s on track for completion by early Nov – just in time for panto season. </p>



<p>What can theatre and cinema-goers expect? Aesthetic and practical changes are set to improve comfort and accessibility while preserving the venue’s art deco vibe. We’re especially excited to see the new theatre seating, upholstered in a classic and aptly dramatic red. Booking is already open for the likes of Hidden by dance-circus company Motionhouse (16 Jan 2027), master ventriloquist and America’s Got Talent Winner Paul Zerdin (27 May 2027) and of course this year’s panto, <em>Dick Whittington</em> (from 11 Nov). </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-amaze-ing-seasonal-fun">Amaze-ing seasonal fun</h3>



<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/11/2026/06/cowdray_sunflowers_BIG.png" alt="Sunflowers at Cowdray Estate" class="wp-image-84978" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/cowdray_sunflowers_BIG.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/cowdray_sunflowers_BIG-800x533.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/cowdray_sunflowers_BIG-1000x667.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/06/cowdray_sunflowers_BIG-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Sorry, we couldn’t resist! Diaries out though because Cowdray’s set a date for the opening of its Maize Maze 2026: 31 Jul. Word is there’ll be a stamp-based trail, a sunflower and wildflower picking patch, a sandpit and a brand-new play area. And just in case one maze isn’t enough for you, a bale maze is also promised.&nbsp;It&#8217;s just as well the Cowdray Maze Café will be on hand with refreshments. </p>



<p>Peering even further ahead, we hear that seed drilling has already taken place for another of the county&#8217;s top seasonal attractions, Sompting Pumpkins. Farmer Andy planted a whopping 20 varieties just in time for the recent deluges. The weekend&#8217;s warm promised sunshine should have green shoots a-stirring. Here’s to a bumper crop!</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-retreats">Retreats</h3>



<p>We love a retreat here at Muddy and Ockenden Manor’s latest offering is definitely one for your local wellbeing bucket list. Following on from its sell-out sound bath series, the hotel and spa is launching Under the Stars Sound Bath &amp; Dine. Beginning on 17 Jun and with monthly dates into Oct, it packages a one-hour sound bath experience with treats including full use of the hotel’s spa facilities from 4pm and dinner with a glass of Sussex fizz. You’ll also get to take home an organic sleep spray. </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />



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



<ul>
<li><a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/home/dining-at-home/vine-dining-a-sussex-centred-salad-for-british-tomato-fortnight/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vine dining! A Sussex salad recipe for British Tomato Fortnight</a></li>



<li><a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/this-month/whats-on-in-sussex-near-me-june/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jam-packed June: 30+ things to do near you this month</a></li>



<li><a href="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/gotta-have-it/cin-cin-6-top-local-tipples-to-try-as-national-gin-week-nears/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cin cin! Top Sussex craft gins to sample for World Gin Day</a></li>
</ul>


Superflash! Hollywood sightings, facelifts and padel power

You may also like