West Sussex's Restaurant Interlude Wins First Michelin Green Star Award
Restaurant Interlude at historic Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens has been awarded a Michelin Green Star, the first restaurant in West Sussex to receive this accolade. It recognises Interlude’s outstanding sustainable practices and ethically sourced seasonal cuisine crafted by executive chef Jean Delport.
The Michelin Star award organisers said: “It’s quite an achievement to hold both a Michelin Star and a Michelin Green Star, but that’s exactly what the team at Interlude have managed thanks to their continued efforts towards sustainable gastronomy.”
“The restaurant sits within the 240-acre Leonardslee Gardens, from which a sizeable chunk of the kitchen’s produce is sourced – including honey from their seven beehives and sap from their birch trees. These ingredients are crafted into creative dishes on a singular, regularly changing menu, designed to reflect the estate and the seasons, as well as to reduce food waste. Vines have been planted too and an orchard is on the way next.”
This is the fifth consecutive year that Restaurant Interlude has won a Michelin Star and its first Green Star since opening in 2018. To qualify, restaurants must meet strict criteria around sourcing of ingredients, waste management, resource efficiency, and communication of sustainability efforts.
“We are thrilled to have won our first Green Star,” said owner Penny Streeter OBE. “Sustainability has been central to Interlude's identity from the beginning. This award is a tremendous endorsement of the hard work of our talented team in creating memorable dining experiences and their care for our environment.
Chef Delport’s seasonally-inspired tasting menus enable guests to intimately connect with the Leonardslee Estate through its flavours, he says: “Each week we forage our woods and gardens to see what’s available to harvest. Guests can truly taste the seasons reflected on their plates, from berries in summer, to mushrooms in autumn, to preserved fruits and veg in winter.”
