Congratulations to Ian and Ellen Brunsdon and all the staff at Orla, which has been crowned Best Restaurant in the annual Muddy Stiletto Sussex awards.

It’s a great achievement for the popular restaurant which opened its doors on the village High Street just over a year ago. “The award means a huge amount to us, and we keep pushing forward” said owner and head chef Ian. “Making the shortlist with other amazing restaurants and chefs I look up to, such as Gravetye Manor and the Fig Tree in Hurstpierpoint, was wonderful but winning feels fantastic. It’s been a real team effort.

The Muddy Stiletto Awards celebrate independent small businesses in Sussex with nominations coming from the customers who then vote online to select the winners. Awards were presented at a glittering prize ceremony, with Front of House Manager James and Sous Chef Steff traveled To Brighton a were presented with the Award with all other winners and enjoyed a canapes and drinks reception.

“I’d like to thank all our local customers for their support during our first year,” added Ian. “They have been our ambassadors and without them spreading the word we couldn’t have achieved so much so quickly.”

Ian, who made the quarter finals of Masterchef, The Professionals in 2024, added that the restaurant has been named as one of Open Table’s Top 100 restaurants in the country.

“To achieve such recognitions within seven months of opening was a great achievement,” he said. “It’s lovely for us and for the village of Lindfield.”

Several other Lindfield businesses also made the shortlist in a wide range of categories. They were: Best Café - Little Broomsticks; Casual Dining - Le Flamant; Family Experience - Goddenwick Farm; Fashion and Interiors – Pepperbox; Florist - Bella June Flowers; Hair Salons - AT The Salon; Sport/Fitness Instructor - Esther Featherstone at Swoove; Fitness/ Wellbeing specialist - Happily, Healthily, Holistically; Yoga/ Pilates studio – Cove.

Previously featured in the January issue of this magazine, where Lindfield resident Ian Brunsdon had got to the quarter finals of MasterChef, we are now happy to report that Ian has opened his own restaurant on the High Street.

Ian and his wife Ellen met working in hospitality back in 2015, and vowed one day to open their own place together. Orla Restaurant & Rooms is the reality of that vision, which they have named after their two children.
“We have felt so welcomed into the village,” Ian said, “with people looking through the windows and popping in for a chat while renovations were ongoing. “Now that we are open, we are looking forward to welcoming both familiar and new faces into the restaurant.”

Ian has been working in kitchens since he was 15, and has worked in France and Australia, returning to work in Jeremy’s at Borde Hill and, more recently, head chef at Bolney Wine Estate – which he did for six years.
“Ellen and I had been researching and looking around for a few years, but when we found 67 High Street, it felt like the perfect location.”

They have been hands-on for the refurbishment, which took five weeks, and now includes a ‘sit at the pass’ area where guests can be fully immersed next to the chefs. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Orla offers an a la Carte menu with lunchtime classics and evening tasting menus with wine pairing.

Lindfield restaurant Orla wins award

Orla now serving in Lindfield High Street