THE FOUNTAIN, ASHURST
Published on 1st March 2025
Even if you have never been to The Fountain in Ashurst, you may have heard about two of its famous patrons.
One was actor and director Laurence Olivier, who lived a short walk away with his wife, the late Dame Joan Plowright. Baron Olivier had a favourite spot in the front bar, where his picture hangs on the wall even today, and long-serving locals still tell stories about him. The other is Paul McCartney, who only visited once. However, this is immortalised in the video for his 1979 hit, Wonderful Christmastime. Scenes were shot both inside and outside The Fountain, ensuring a steady trickle of Fab Four fans over the festive period.
Landlady Lindsay Tipping says: ‘People come here from all over the country and beyond thanks to that song. We see a lot of Beatles fans, especially at Christmas, and one even dropped to his knees and kissed the flagstone! Some of the youngsters who were drinking and dancing in the video still come here and reminisce about the day they met Paul McCartney.’
However, The Fountain has not survived solely on past glories. With Alex and Lindsay Tipping at the helm, ably assisted by their three-year-old son Brodie and dog Delilah, the pub has a warm, family-friendly atmosphere, while good food and a lively events programme attracts punters of all ages. Alex arrived at the pub 12 years ago. He previously ran The Chequers Inn at Slaugham. Having helped revive the fortunes of his last pub, a project to widen the A23 led to its closure at Handcross, which had a devastating impact on trade. Alex decided to take a break from the industry, until a chance visit to The Fountain in October 2012.
‘From the moment I walked through the front door, I loved everything about the place and knew it was the pub for me,’ says Alex. ‘Only three months later, I had the opportunity to take it on and signed a 20-year lease with the brewery (then Enterprise Inns, now Stonegate). It was already a very food-orientated pub, but I felt it lacked atmosphere. It operated a stringent booking system and food wasn’t allowed in the bar area. We changed that and offered more casual dining, while we also welcomed dogs once again and improved the garden to attract families.’
FAMILY FRIENDLY
Alex first met Lindsay more than 20 years ago, when they both lived in Brighton. After a chance reunion, Lindsay visited Alex at the pub and never left, forsaking her career at Virgin Atlantic to run The Fountain alongside her husband. Brodie is now part of the family business too and often talks to regulars while wearing his own pub-branded T-shirt. Brodie’s own journey began at the pub when, quite unexpectedly, Lindsay went into labour six weeks early while behind the bar. Having entered the world in such dramatic circumstances, the locals are invested in Brodie’s journey too.
Lindsay said: ‘A lot of pubs are run by managers, so having us run it ourselves creates a different atmosphere. It is our home, so naturally it feels like a family pub, even if it can be a little like Fawlty Towers sometimes! Regulars know the journey we’ve been on and love seeing Brodie grow up, so they’re invested in our story, as well as the pub’s. This building has stood 1581 and there are enough tales for a book, particularly from when Morris and Jean Kane ran the pub from 1978-98. Now it’s our turn to be part of its history.
SKITTLE ALLEY
Social drinking habits have changed, with more of us ordering non-alcoholic beverages and living more health-conscious lives. So, the Tippings have appealed to a wider range of visitors by diversifying. An outside building known as Skittle Alley is hugely popular for private functions. The current décor is inspired by an apres-ski lodge, but it has hosted everything from baby showers to Mexican-themed parties. A more recent addition is Seagrass Bar in one of the side gardens.
Alex said: ‘One side of the pub is very popular with families, thanks to the Wendy house and duck pond. During spring and summer we run the BBQ Shack, serving barbecue and street food, from Thai style chicken to popcorn shrimp to burgers. There’s always a good atmosphere, with lots of youngsters running around. We’ve also hosted a children’s disco and Easter egg hunts in the garden.
‘However, some people don’t want that noise, so we considered ways of utilising a forgotten garden on the other side of the pub. It used to house a shepherd’s hut and then a Canadian Tipi, but they didn’t really work how we would have liked. So, I had the idea for an outside bar, where we could serve seafood dishes, such as crayfish cocktails and monkfish scampi, as well as wine and Champagne. I worked closely with a graphic designer friend to create a heptagonal concept with 20 stalls around the outside.
‘It took a while to complete, but has been hugely popular, as it reminds people of being on holiday. It’s perfect for a drinks reception at weddings or other celebratory events and means the pub has different vibes at different times of the year, with a vibrant atmosphere in the garden in summer and the cosiness of indoors in winter.’
TWIST ON CLASSICS
While outside events present opportunities to have fun with food, the pub’s regular menu focuses on quintessentially British classics. Starters include chicken liver parfait with chutney and toast (£8.50) and prawn cocktail with apple and bread (£10). We chose the delicious spam fritter with pea puree and pickles (£7), with subtly salted pork encased in a light batter. We also ordered a leek and cheddar pudding with Hollandaise and crispy egg (£9), an elegant dish that we would also happily recommend.
Large plates include a steak burger (£19), veggie burger (£18), battered cod and chips (£18.50), crayfish linguine (£20) and a chickpea tagine with braised rice (£18). There’ s a good value children’s menu too, with young diners selecting from chicken goujons, fish fingers and a burger, with ice cream included too.
We chose the pie of the day with mash, peas and gravy (£18.50). The thick, home-made, golden-topped pastry contained a generous filling of succulent chicken. Having heard that chef Matt Smith likes cooking spicy dishes, we also ordered Indian malai kofta with curry sauce, pistachio, chapati and fries (£19). This vegetarian dish comprises three well-filled crispy-fried potato paneer balls in a sauce that packed great flavour and a pleasant tang, although it didn’t quite deliver the silky smoothness I personally prefer with kofta.
All the puddings at The Fountain cost £8 and these include spotted dick, sticky toffee pudding and chocolate brownie. We chose a sublime New York cheesecake with a generous dose of fresh cherries and cherry-flavour ice-cream. Overall, dishes were of a consistently good standard and we look forward to returning to The Fountain soon, to discover if its reputation for serving one of the best Sunday roasts around is justified.
Alex said: ‘I have always said that we are a destination pub, rather than a community pub, so it’s important to serve good food in a welcoming environment. We now have a lot of regulars, as well as locals, who travel from Steyning, Henfield, Horsham or even further afield to eat here. We are particularly well known for our Sunday roasts and even in January we serve 120 meals a day. This number rises considerably in the summer and this is why it’s great to be able to offer seafood and a barbecue outside, as it eases pressure on the kitchen and ensures customers don’t have to wait long for food.
‘Matt Smith has been with us for about five years and is a great chef, having trained under Bruce Wass at The Jolly Sportsman at East Chiltington. He makes everything from scratch and has a pure passion for cooking, always experimenting with dishes. While we offer classics on the menu, Matt adds his own twists and regulars often choose something from the Specials board, where he likes to add a surprise or two. We have established good relationships with local suppliers as well, with beers from Harvey’s and Long Man, while our meat is sourced from local farms and butcher’s, including Calcot Farm in Steyning.’
For a small village with fewer than 300 residents, The Fountain is a vibrant pub, with something always going on. In addition to food-focused summer events, it hosts occasional live folk and jazz music, as well as quiz and comedy nights, while members of SADCASE Classic Car Club meet in the car park once a month. Going forward, the owners hope to build on its family-friendly reputation...
Lindsay said: ‘We attract families with our events and the pub has a friendly, homely atmosphere. People do not go out as often as they perhaps used to, as they cannot afford it. So, we put our heart and soul into giving them the best experience possible. We always say that we’re a 16th century pub with a 21st-century vibe and I think that suits us. However, many people still don’t know we are here, despite the pub’s history. So, we need to shout about what we’re doing from time to time. Maybe it’s time to get hold of Paul McCartney and see if we can get him back down for another sing-song!’
WORDS: BEN MORRIS
PHOTOS: ALAN WRIGHT FOR AAH
FURTHER INFORMATION: Visit The Fountain at Ashurst, West Sussex, BN44 3AP
For bookings: mail@fountainashurst.pub
Tel: (0)1403 710219
