Portland Road, Worthing
01903 820189

Open: Tues-Fri 9am-5pm,
Sat 9am-5pm, then 7pm-late,
Sun 10am-3pm. Closed Mon

Review: November 10, 2006

His friend catches the fish, fruit and veg comes from just around the corner and game comes from the butcher across the road. We often hear people speak of sourcing local produce but Lewis Harris is a true devotee.

Former head chef and manager at Tin Drum, Kemp Town, Lewis believes his new venture is the first of its kind in Worthing.

The cafe and restaurant aims to serve as much local, organic and Fairtrade produce as possible and about 60 per cent of the ingredients used in dishes are available to buy from the deli. “We strive to be as ethical as possible. This isn’t us jumping on the bandwagon – people have been doing this sort of thing for years, just not in Worthing,” says Lewis, who started his career as a kitchen porter, working his way through the ranks.

A well-known building in Worthing, the site was empty for some time before Lewis took over. Previously home to a Thai restaurant, the Portland Tavern pub and, going way back, party bar Central Park, it’s now fully transformed to a cosy eatery.

Pestle And Mortar opens seven days a week for breakfast and lunch, as well as for dinner on a Saturday night, serving up honest, wholesome food.

“It’s very informal on a Saturday night. We get talking to people and customers talk to each other. They can see it all happening in the kitchen and can ask me anything about the food. I’ve got no secrets. I’m offering straightforward food cooked with honesty.”

The evening menu changes weekly, depending on what deliveries Lewis has had that day. It could well include fish – in a bid to escape the rat race, a friend of Lewis built his own boat and fishes off Worthing beach. His catches, which have included mackerel and Dover sole, end up on diners’ plates hours later.

Lining the shelves in the deli is an interesting selection of Sussex products – chutneys, sauces and relishes come from Woody’s in Shoreham, there is beer from Hepworth Brewery in Horsham, cakes come from Battle Bake House in Bexhill and five types of Sussex wine include bottles from Sedlescombe Vineyard, in Robertsbridge, which is the country’s oldest producer of organic wine.

A big draw is the cheese counter. Of the 30 varieties, ten are from Sussex, including Turners Dairy in Patching, and Lewis is in the process of sourcing more. “We want to keep food miles low. There’s no point buying sausages in from Scotland and have to pay for them to be transported down here.

“But saying that, I’m not being precious about these things. Obviously, some products, such as cured meat, have to come from abroad, because they’re just not available around here.”

Future plans include the introduction of a kids’ teatime menu, from 3pm-6pm, which will include favourites such as fish fingers but cooked with fresh ingredients.

• If you are interested in restaurants in Brighton, Hove and Sussex, visit www.theargusfoodguide.co.uk