Award-winning pub marks success
How long have you been at the Crate & Apple?
I have been here 18 months and it has flown by. Before then, I was in the hotel industry and spent a lot of time overseas. My work has taken me to some wonderful places.
What is your vision for the Crate & Apple?
I think the Crate & Apple is many things to many people. We open for breakfast, a lot of people come along and use us as a quiet coffee house in the day time and then we are busy through lunchtime and into dinner.
Our food is locally sourced wherever possible – there are so many fantastic producers and growers in the area – and is cooked with real passion and flair. But we are also very much a casual pub and bar, too. I want people to be able to see us as somewhere they can relax,haveabusinessmeeting, host a party – whatever they want. But when they come we will always try and wow them with great service, great food and attention to detail.
You are an award-winning establishment. Blow your own trumpet and tell me more!
It’s so great to see that our efforts are not going unnoticed.
In the time I have been at the Crate & Apple, we have done very well, recently winning an award for the ‘Best Sunday Roast in the UK’. We received the announcement on Christmas Eve, so it was quite a Christmas present!
We were also announced as the ‘Best Bar and Restaurant – West Sussex’ at the National Bar and Restaurant Awards for the second year in a row.
Almost everything is homemade, including ice cream, sorbets and sauces. The emphasis is always on quality. This year, we would love to apply for a Rosette and achieve a Cask Mark. It would be an incredible achievement for our brilliant team.
You are also a real community establishment. How you involve the locals?
We have a monthly pub quiz and our quizmaster Simon is fabulous! We also host a weekly coffee & knitting group and the monthly Residents Association meetings. We are part of the community and we like to really feel we play a part.
Pubs were traditionally the focal point of communities and the Crate & Apple has a long history. It has been a pub since the mid 1800s, but this building was rebuilt in 1936. I would love to research it properly. The Records Office is just next door, but I never have the time. I bet there is a lot to discover.
The most important thing is getting the right staff. I am very lucky to be surrounded by a fabulous team of people who share my goal that we want everyone to have the most wonderful experience from the moment they step through the door.
Where can we find you?
At 14 Westgate, Chichester; call 01243 539336 or look at www.crateandapple.co.uk.