Jodie Kidd names her perfect pubs for a Sussex road trip

The Sussex supermodel turned pub owner bought The Half Moon in Kirdford, near Billingshurst, in 2017.

"Our wish is to establish a home from home, somewhere vibrant, welcoming and charming, where guests can enjoy exceptional British produce with international flavours inspired by my travels," the 42-year-old said.

Having grown up in the Sussex countryside, the renowned petrolhead also has an immaculate knowledge of the best drinking establishments in the surrounding area.

Jodie Kidd 

It is no surprise, therefore, that when travel magazine Conde Nast Traveller asked her to create an "ultimate pub road trip", West Sussex venues dominated the list with three out of her four selected pubs coming from her home county.

She opted to start the journey slightly further north, at The Hand and Flowers, below, in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.

The pub, which has two Michelin stars, is owned by friend and celebrity chef Tom Kerridge. She said it was a perfect place to start the road trip as it had several "amazing rooms that you can rent, dotted all around Marlow".

"Tom’s done them up beautifully," she told Conde Nast Traveller. "This is a lovely place to start with an overnighter."

The Hand and Flowers

Jodie's next elected stop in her tour of South East pubs takes drinkers into Sussex - the county where they will remain for the rest of the journey.

She chose The Duke of Cumberland Arms, below, near Haslemere, for its qualities as a "truly hidden, off-the-beaten-track little pub".

"It’s on tiered levels with big open areas and you have this watercourse that goes all the way through it," Jodie told the travel magazine.

"There’s a lovely, lovely restaurant there. The food is also exceptionally good, all cooked using local produce. The best element is (I hope they still do it) when they pick your fish from these large ponds and grill it for you."

The Duke of Cumberland pub near Haslemere

Next, Jodie advised beer-lovers to make a beeline for The White Horse, below, in Chilgrove.

The former Maserati racing driver, who recorded one of the fastest-ever laps on Top Gear's popular Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segment, highlighted the pub's proximity to Goodwood as a major plus, saying fellow petrolheads could visit for the day to enjoy a day of motoring.

Jodie also lavished praise on winemakers based nearby such as Nyetimber and Bolney Wine Estate, saying she believed that these sites could overtake some of their French competitors over the next two decades.

Of The White Horse, she told Conde Nast Traveller: "In the last five or ten years, the pub has had a real makeover and some fabulous chefs have come in, and it’s very locally minded.

The White Horse pub in Chilgrove

"They really support all the local produce, especially meat from Goodwood. It’s a lovely hidden gem and has some great ales from local breweries."

Jodie also recommended her friend's B&B, called Saddlers B&B in Funtington, as a place to stay in the area ahead of the road trip's final stop the next day.

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And, as a last port of call on a tour of the South East's finest pubs, where better to stop than Jodie;'s own Half Moon in Kirdford?

"You’re eating and drinking among fragrant herb gardens and raised vegetable patches – you can see our chefs coming out and pulling up the carrots, cutting rosemary that will literally land on your plate half an hour later," Jodie said.

Jodie Kidd is supporting Long Live The Local’s campaign to cut Beer Duty to support Britain`s pubs and breweries

"It’s a beautiful spot to sit out and have a glass of rosé. We’ve got two rosettes so the food is gastro-pubby but still pubby, not quite Hand and Flowers level, but it’s a lovely little gem in a pretty Sussex village."

For visitors, she recommended ordering one of the site's homemade pies, truffle macaroni cheese or a scotch egg from the bar menu, saying she liked to "keep it simple".

And to drink? An intriguing proposition of an Old Fashioned cocktail made with tequila rather than the customary Scotch whisky or bourbon, which Jodie says has become her go-to tipple.