The top line: Nearly five years on from the closure of the highly rated Jeremy’s, Borde Hill once again has an ambitious restaurant. Managing director Jay Goddard has made a significant investment into the F&B offer within the famed West Sussex gardens her family have been custodians of for five generations. A striking glasshouse has been built, and an equally impressive team has been assembled to lead one of the most ambitious hospitality projects the West Sussex countryside has seen. The kitchen at Isca is overseen by executive chef Jack Hazell (formerly of Marcus at The Berkeley and Claude Bosi at Bibendum) and head chef Philip McEnaney (most recently at Trinity). Translating the estate’s ‘garden-led’ ethos into a multifaceted F&B experience is head of hospitality Ruth Osborne, who worked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York State, one of the world’s most influential farm-to-table restaurants, before spending several years running a food systems project in Stockholm. Opening concurrently is the more casual Edie’s Kitchen, which occupies the original site of Jeremy and Vera Ashpool’s Jeremy’s, which closed in 2021 after 24 years. The project had originally been set to open under Chantelle Nicholson, but the Apricity chef pulled out for family reasons.
On the menu: Isca’s menu is shaped by estate-grown produce and a low-waste approach. The walled garden at the front of the restaurant is packed with edible flowers that are used extensively, and there is also an adjoining two-acre biodynamic market garden. The kitchen team’s experience at top flight restaurants is evident in dishes including roast Sussex scallop, ‘nduja, milk bread and sea beet; Basque cheesecake with pickled magnolia and rhubarb; and confit potatoes served with an impossibly tasty mayonnaise containing the ingredients of Café de Paris butter. Given the high-spec nature of the project and who is involved, pricing is approachable, with starters ranging from £12 to £19 and most mains under £30. The drinks programme mirrors the food with a sustainable approach. Low-intervention wines are organised not by country, but by the environments in which they are produced - maritime, river, mountain and plateau - with wines from nearby Sussex vineyards given top billing. Alongside these is a creative list of house-made kombuchas, shrubs, teas and cocktails showcasing flowers and fruits from the garden, including the signature Magnolia Margarita.
The vibe: Packed with botanicals, the glasshouse is nothing short of stunning, with the doubtless eye-wateringly expensive structure’s gently curving arches echoing those of Borde Hill’s Grade II-listed mansion house. Designed by Nicola Harding, the interiors bring the garden indoors through natural materials such as wood, marble and stone, soft lighting and abundant planting, including magnificent magnolia grandiflora trees in terracotta planters within the dining room. Tables adorned with estate-grown foliage create a warm, immersive environment.
And another thing: Isca is named after a rare magnolia tree in the garden.
Borde Hill Lane, Haywards Heath RH16 1XP