Published on 1st October 2025

Horsham hosted the inaugural Tap and Vine Takeover on the weekend of 5 -7 September. The event saw pubs, restaurants, taprooms and cellars serving beer, wine and cider from some of the finest producers in Sussex.  

The event was jointly organised by Your Horsham and Firebird Brewing Co, in partnership with Horsham District Council and Visit Horsham. Venessa Alexander of Firebird said: ‘Having seen the success of the Worthing Tap Takeover, an annual event which champions independent breweries and venues, I felt we could offer something similar in Horsham. I met Rachel Noel, Director of Horsham BID (Your Horsham), who shared our enthusiasm and secured the support of the Council and Visit Horsham.’  

‘Our aim was to promote Horsham’s rich offering of local produce whilst showcasing the wonderful venues in the town centre. Horsham has been buzzing this summer, thanks to the success of Friday Lates. We wanted to maintain some of that momentum by launching the event on a Friday evening, with live music from Paul Stanworth’s Half a Horse Apiece Band and DJ Brian Mole on the Bandstand.’

‘We organised the event over an entire weekend to complement the Sussex Six market in the Carfax. Therefore,we felt it was important to showcase drink producers from across the whole county, not just the Horsham District. We left it up to venues to choose which drinks they offered, as many have forged their own relationships with suppliers, breweries and vineyards. The only stipulation was that they had to offer something that wasn’t elsewhere on the trail.’ 

RAISING THE ROOF

Called the Tap and Vine Takeover (at the suggestion of Paul Davies, owner of At Home Estate Agents and a member of the Horsham BID committee), the trail included 13 venues across town. Thanks to the Council’s support, those taking part were able to pick up a stylish ‘passport’ from participating venues, which could be stamped with a purchase. Those obtaining the full set of stamps could enter a competition, with prizes including food and drink experiences, as well as local produce. 

Venues included Wolfpack (serving Everflyht wine), The Red Deer (Three Acre Beer) and The Black Jug (Bolney wine and Ascension cider), as well as The Beer Mine in the Carfax, which offered cask ales from Downlands Brewery in Small Dole and keg beer from Beak Brewery, Lewes. The King’s Arms in Bishopric served beer from 360° Brewing Co in Uckfield, while at The Bear in Market Square, Ben Hewson was pouring customers a personal favourite.  

‘I first came across the Gun Brewery during a cricket tour,’ said Ben. ‘It was a beautiful beer, produced in a stunning barn in Heathfield. They have a fantastic range including an award-winning milk stout, but for the Takeover, I brought in a bitter and pale ale. They’re so good that I’m thinking about keeping them on!’ 

The Rock in East Street offered beers by UnBarred in Brighton, while Horsham Sports Club served craft beer by Kissingate in Lower Beeding. The Takeover was also supported by Piries Bar, which has seen the benefit from other town centre events...  

Ross Andrews said: ‘Friday Lates was a phenomenal success. They provided great entertainment and gave us a huge boost too. This has meant that we’ve been able to afford a new roof in the conservatory, which was 30 years old and needed replacing. So, we were only too happy to support the Tap and Vine Takeover, promoting Nyetimber wine and Burning Sky Brewery in Firle, both producers we regularly work with.’

WE THREE KINGS

Epitomising the collaborative nature of the event, three local brewers came together for the first time to establish a pop-up taproom. Brolly Brewing (which operates a taproom on the Redkiln Way Industrial Estate in Horsham) and Horsham Brewery (which has its own taproom at nearby Blatchford Close) teamed up with Rudgwick-based Firebird Brewing Co at the pop-up.  

Rachel Noel, Director or Horsham BID (Your Horsham) said: ‘From the outset, Firebird didn’t want to have priority over any other producer at the event, so we established a pop-up offering beers from three breweries. This triggered some good-natured banter on social media leading up to the event, but they really worked well together and gave the event a focal point in the Carfax. We have many excellent breweries in town and the wider Horsham District, but our feeling was always that the event should offer much more than craft beers. So, we broadened its appeal by welcoming Sussex wines and ciders too.’ 

Wines included Boco by House Coren (based at The Haven) at The Anchor Tap in East Street, while at D’Arcy’s Wine Bar in Piries Place, visitors sampled sparkling rosé from Coolhurst Vineyards, located near Mannings Heath. Only a mile or so away, you’ll find the vines of Leonardslee, whose wines were available at The Horsham Cellar, along with Silly Moo cider from Cowfold-based Trenchmore Farm and beer from Lost Pier in Burgess Hill. 

Luke Smith, owner of The Horsham Cellar, said: ‘Our new window display, introduced in the summer, has been sponsored by Leonardslee, and we stock its Blanc de Blancs, Brut Reserve and Brut Rosé. Customers love Leonardslee’s branding and appreciate the synergy between the gardens and the wine too. The wines themselves are incredible, considering they are the estate’s first releases, and testament to Johann Fourie’s talents as a winemaker. As for the Vine and Tap Takeover, it’s been very well organised and even on the Friday evening, it created a real buzz around town.’

 FUTURE PLANS

Following the success of the event, it is hoped that the Takeover could become a regular feature of Horsham’s annual events calendar. Rachel said: ‘The whole event has been a truly collaborative effort and a labour of love for all involved, with everyone contributing to its success. We will have a proper debrief, but my hope is that we can learn from this year’s event and host something similar in future. We wouldn’t want to expand the number of venues, as asking people to visit more than 13 pubs and bars over the course of the weekend might be a little excessive! But there are other ways we can support businesses and offer variety; perhaps some of the venues that didn’t take part this year might express an interest next time around. 

‘We have already seen how Friday Lates evolved, growing from relatively small crowds to huge events, with residents even attending with friends and relatives from further afield. So, we will consider what has worked with the Takeover and what we could do differently, as it would be lovely to continue with this theme. It’s not about drinking lots of different beers and wines: it’s more about supporting Sussex produce and it’s another small way in that we can help businesses and put Horsham on the map.’ 

WORDS: Ben Morris / PHOTOS: Alan Wright 

Further information: www.yourhorsham.com/tap-and-vine/