The English pub is a very important place, especially for villages across our land. And with more and more people expecting only the best dining experience from their local, it has a lot to strive for.

My husband Paul and I were invited to spend a sunny July evening atThe Half Moon in Plumpton to sample the newly refurbished pub’s menu. The Half Moon, a beautiful two hundred year old half-timbered pub, is situated in the heart of the South Downs countryside, minutes from the beautiful village of Ditchling, and a few miles from the great town of Lewes.

Under new ownership, newly refurbished and with a new chef and management, we were keen to see how this quaint little pub lived up to how it had previously been run.A few years ago, Paul and I had both popped in as a halfway point for a drink during a country walk. Back then it was basic.

Upon entering, it was immediately clear that the refurbishment had lifted the whole feel of this Sussex country pub. The décor, in comparison to its former tired dark uncared-for look, was now fresh and up-to-date but with a traditional twist. Manager Karen Paxton informed us that she was given almost free reign by the new owners to have a hands-on interior input: “It’s been a great project to take on. So far, I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, from the décor to the recruiting.” And it shows. For, as with all well- run businesses, it starts at the top.And Karen is no exception. From the décor of olive green, chocolate brown leather chairs and thick chop block tables, right through to the friendly and efficient staff and relaxed atmosphere, it quickly became clear to us that this is down to Karen’s strict and capable running. She oozed passion for the business as she told us about every nook and cranny of the pub. How wonderful that must be for the owners’ piece of mind.

This is a first joint effort for owners Matt Short and Dan Chester. Both Brighton guys, Matt already owns pubs in and around Brighton, while Dan works in recruitment.

We took some cool drinks, served with olives and home baked bread, outside up in the field owned by The Half Moon. It was a delightful way to star t our evening. Karen informed us that this is the area where BBQs often take place. Being very children- friendly, it is also a great (and safe) space for kids to run around and let off steam without encroaching on the adult guests.

After our drinks we were shown inside to our table, which was next to large open doors so we felt we were still enjoying the outside. The menu was one of those that Paul and I initially struggle with. Not because we couldn’t find anything we liked; on the contrary, there was so much to our liking. And there is something for ever yone; if you’re a veggie, a cheese lover or meat devourer, there’s a nice selection for each.To start, Paul settled for the Fresh Rye Bay Crab Tagliatelle (£9) and me, the Golden Cross Goats Cheese Tart (£7). Presentation for both was more than we had expected. And both were divine. For mains Paul opted for the Fresh Cod Fillet In Beer Batter (£12), which he thoroughly enjoyed (especially the beer batter and home cut chips and mushy peas that it was served with.) I chose the Free Range Chicken Breast (£14) served with oyster mushrooms, potato dumplings (which were delicious) in a wine and cream sauce. All of the dishes are freshly prepared from fresh local produce, and to prove it, the menu has a ‘miles menu’ of who the suppliers are, their contact details and how many miles away they are based. The chef heading up this wonderful menu and food is Richard Willis, who has a good background working in ‘well-known kitchens’ across Sussex. And although he may share his passion for culinary know-how with Gordon Ramsey and such chefs, thankfully he does not share such temperament. Karen informed us, “Richard is such a calm and meticulous chef to work with. The waiting staff never have any stress from his kitchen, however run off his feet he is, which is very unusual.” After a short break Paul and I gazed over the selection of inviting desser ts. Paul chose the Cheese Board (£8) while I chose Strawberries and Cream; once again, lovely options, that now brought to an end an enjoyable evening.

The two owners Matt and Dan, and Karen, have done a remarkable job at transforming a basic country pub to one that offers comfort, style, friendly staff and fantastic food. It is well worth a drive to Plumpton through the English countryside. You won’t be disappointed.

The Temptations’ My Girl is playing as we walk into the Half Moon in Plumpton Green, and it’s pretty appropriate. It’s 7.15 on a Wednesday evening in May, but there’s precious little sunshine. In fact, it’s unseasonably cold. Nobody has taken the option of dining in the restaurant’s sizeable garden, with its oddly shaped shed, and its splendid views of both Down and Weald.

One result is that it’s already fairly full inside, and we (I’m with my girlfriend, Suzie) look enviously at the couple sitting at the table in front of the splendid flint fireplace, and its even-more splendid roaring flames. There are a few nooks you can dine in, and, when told we can sit where we like, we find a table for two with a view of the sumptuously framed specials board.Ordering the starter is easy, because there’s a seafood ‘sharing platter’ for £11 on the set menu. We both choose our mains from the board: the pan-fried sardines are hugely tempting, but I can’t ignore the swordfish and crushed new potatoes and caper butter (£12). Suzie, as I know she will, goes for the lamb. Or, to be more precise, the ‘Lamb lamb – herb-crusted rump and confit shoulder served with truffle mash, baby onions and red wine jus’ (£16). After we’ve ordered, I realise we’ve forgotten bread, so I go to the bar to make amends, spotting, as I do, that the couple who’ve been sat at the table by the fire are moving. I change track, take off my jumper and throw it over one of the chairs, nip into the other room, gesticulate madly for Suzie to come over, go back and sit down in front of the fire, and smile. Operation ‘Vulture’ has been a complete success: within a minute or two we’re both ensconced at the best table in the house. I’ve ordered a large glass of Chilean Merlot in one of those long-stemmed flutes: not apt for fish, I know, but what the hell. When our seafood arrives, on a large wooden slab, we dive in, gorging on rollmop herring, smoked salmon, shrimps, mackerel, anchovies on a (double) bed of crunchy salad leaf and a bowlful of crayfish in Marie Rose sauce. Between courses, we get chatting to the manager about the fire, which she discovered behind an ugly eighties cover, while refurbishing the place. The flue is fashioned in flint, and there’s a frieze over the fireplace with an elegant inscription, by its maker, John Skelton (master engraver and disciple of Eric Gill): ‘WOOD FEEDS FIRE: WORDS IRE’.

We throw a couple more lumps of wood on, and the second course arrives. Suzie seems happy with her lamb: I find my swordfish to be succulent and cooked to perfection, juicy and chewy at the same time. Nice mash, too.

We decline dessert, and the manager returns with a framed cheque ‘paid’ to one of her predecessors, by Skelton, in 1978. It promises to pay ‘ye Landlord of the Half Moon hostelry in Plumpton the princely sum of one penny on the settlement of the debt incurred for one cigar. “There’s no herb like it, under the canopy of heaven.”’ There’s no chance of such a treat under a pub roof nowadays, sadly, but we’re loath to leave the fire, so I order a cognac instead, to warm up internally before heading back into the chilly May night.