In a recent visit to Arundel, I was lucky enough to be treated to lunch at The George at nearby Burpham.
Burpham
Burpham is a small village tucked away down the end of a long and winding little lane with views of Arundel and its castle. The village church is Grade I Listed and dates back to Saxon times. A number of interesting people have lived here over the years and the village is home to a 17th century pub, The George, formerly known as The George and Dragon (I wonder what happened to the dragon).
The pub was set for closure but was rescued and has been owned by the community since 2006. It is currently leased to a local husband and wife team, Martin and Charlotte Bull and has had a recent refurbishment.
Embracing local
In December 2023, The George was awarded its first AA Rosette and featured in the AA 2023 Pick of the Pubs guide! They describe their vision as simple, “To deliver delicious, quality, local, fresh food which is served to your table with a friendly smile on each and every visit! We aim to source the majority of our produce from within 20 miles of the Pub.”
Happy days, and in fact, when you arrive, a list of their suppliers is chalked above the bar. There is Arundel beer, Chichester coffee, sourdough from Felpham, West Sussex fish, cheese from Brighton, cured meats from Ashurst and the list goes on. It was also good to see a Sussex wine (Stopham) and a Kent wine on the wine list too. The pub cum restaurant has a lovely stylish feel with deep sofas around an open fire and hops hanging from the beams.
Let’s eat
The local staff were utterly charming and very attentive. The menu had some really interesting dishes which included vegetarian and vegan options. I chose roasted carrots with goats curd, green sauce and lentils because it sounded so intriguing and it was really very good. Other offerings included squash and ricotta gnocchi with tomato and sage, rocket, and parmesan, and whole Dover sole with Ratte potatoes, samphire, and caper butter or venison & pancetta pie.
We didn’t mean to stay for dessert but who could resist a slice of delice, or local sorbets and ice cream.
We had a super lunch and I was thrilled to learn about the community and local ethos. Great food, great location and yes, I’d definitely recommend The George at Burpham.
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