A chef preparing to open his first restaurant has said customers can expect a more relaxed approach to fine dining.
Johnny Stanford will open Tern on the first floor of Worthing Pier’s southern pavilion, which is home to restaurant Perch on the Pier, this summer.
The 38-year-old said the opportunity to open the fine-dining venture, which focusses on seasonal UK produce, in Perch’s “Nest” was too good to pass on.
Nest is a scheme from restaurant brand Perch on the Pier to give budding restaurateurs the opportunity to launch their own business in the space for 18 months.
Johnny hopes to open the doors to hungry guests in July and said customers can expect a simple and stripped back décor.
“People hear fine dining and I think they think it’s all uptight and that’s not what we’re about,” he said.
“We’re casual fine dining, I don’t want a dress code.
“If you’ve booked and turned up in your shorts and flip flops that’s awesome, come as you feel comfortable.
“Just enjoy yourselves. We want to be a part of the Worthing’s food community.”
Manchester born and bred, Johnny began his career working with Paul Kitchin at his restaurant Juniper in Altrincham, before heading to Cumbria, Edinburgh and finally settling in Sussex in 2012, working as sous chef at the Michelin-starred restaurant The Pass at South Lodge in Horsham.
In 2017 he took the reins at Pascere in Brighton as head chef and most recently he headed up the fine dining restaurant AG’s at Alexander House Hotel, Crawley, retaining its three AA rosettes for the last three years.
“I started working in restaurants when I left school,” said Johnny.
“The idea of opening my own place gradually sneaked up on me.
“I’ve always wanted to open up my own place, but it’s never really become a reality.
“This opportunity sort of came up by accident and initially I wasn’t going to do anything about it.
“My friend put it my way. And I thought do I really want to do it?
“But it was too good to turn down. It’s so exciting.”
In his new endeavour he wants to showcase Sussex and UK produce and create plates which “sing of the seasons”.
He says he wants to tell the stories behind ingredients and what goes into creating them.
“I think with supermarket chains being able to get strawberries all year round it takes the shine off what we do in the UK,” he said.
“We make phenomenal wine, cheese, artisan products and to have a platform to showcase the things that excite me is incredible.
“And air miles and sustainability is really key to me.”
Johnny describes his fare as modern British.
“I want it to be fun,” he said.
“It’s got to be fun for the guys in the kitchen, on the floor, on the bar and the guests.
“That’s what makes it a great restaurant experience. And I think the food represents that in its playfulness.
“But it’s also about not overworking it. If you’ve got a carrot it should taste like a carrot.
“It’s about using ingredients in a way that makes them special.”
The father of two, who lives in Worthing, said a “weight has been lifted” after releasing the news last week.
“I was really nervous about putting it out there but the response from everybody has been way more than I could have hoped for,” he said.
“It’s put me more at ease that people are interested.
“It’s been crazy, we’ve had loads of people saying nice things.”