Old Town pub is crowned a winnerin the local 1066 Business Awards

The Crown won the ‘Best Place to Eat and Drink’ Award for the second year running at this year’s 1066 Business Awards held at Bannatyne’s in Hastings.

Judges commented on the welcoming atmosphere, homemade food and locally sourced ingredients.

The popular Old Town local is also proud to announce that for the second year running it is one of the Top 10 finalists in the Sussex Food and Drink Awards 2016.

The Crown’s two year anniversary was also celebrated last week with regulars and neighbours welcomed to the pub for a free drink and nibbles and a visit from Michelin starred chef Tom Aikens.

A party was also thrown for all of the staff to celebrate all of the pub’s achievements.

On Sunday the Crown entered into the fun of Pirate Day making large flagons of dark rum punch and playing sea shanties.

The Crown lay empty for a few years until it was spotted by Tess Eaton and Andrew Swan, a young couple who had moved down from Leeds.

They set about transforming it and putting local craftspeople and suppliers at the heart of the business.

The beautifully fashioned crown inn sign was made by local sculptor Lee Dyer, who also created the winkle sculpture on Winkle Island, a stone’s throw away. Tables in the pub have also been made by local artisans.

The walls of the pub provided a showcase for local artists and crafts-people to exhibit their work.

The pub currently has an exhibition by talented local painter Adam Dando.

The Crown also supports small local craft breweries such as the Three Legs at Brede, a few miles away, and Franklins at Bexhill.

The Crown has been praised in the national press and described, in the Telegraph, as ‘stealing the hearts not just of the hip and arty crowd, but also of old-school stalwarts, hippies, fishermen and a host of other characters’.

The Crown is now looking forward to Hastings Old Town Week - and the Bike Race which happens right next to the pub on Crown Lane.

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