After first making a name for himself at The Pass in Horsham, Matt Gillan has returned to Sussex for his latest project, though it wasn’t necessarily on purpose. By chance, he stumbled upon the site of an old pub – The Chequers Inn – in leafy West Sussex that was up for sale. As is becoming more common for chefs these days, he turned to Kickstarter as a means of funding his restaurant project and low and behold, raised £89,000 to make his dream restaurant reality.

Thanks to a lot of hard graft, Heritage was open for business just a few months later. Matt has always been a bold, daring chef – his avant-garde cooking won him many admirers at both The Pass and during his appearances on Great British Menu. His cooking at Heritage is a little more pared back and classical, but the sense of adventure that served him so well at The Pass remains. There’s a classic chicken liver parfait in the starters, for example, but also a beetroot tartare with horseradish ice cream. A roasted halibut main course with cauliflower cheese purée and kiwi fruit sits alongside a crowd-pleasing pot-roast chicken, roast garlic and oyster mushroom dish. For dessert, you can have anything from chocolate crémeux and peanut ice cream to vanilla panna cotta, popcorn coulis, soy sauce and orange.

The decor follows the lead of the food in many respects – the bar area is smart and sophisticated, with access to a large garden and gorgeous views of the Sussex countryside. Move through to the lounge, however, and Matt’s unique steampunk-esque style is more evident, with copper-accented furniture, plush seating and unusual modern art lining the walls. The intent has always been to preserve everything the locals loved about The Chequers Inn, but Matt has brought his own flair to the table as well.

With five boutique bedrooms upstairs, Heritage has plenty of space for those who wish to dine and stay overnight. Combined with the bar, lounge and restaurant, this is sure to become an important part of the Sussex dining scene.