We celebrated 20 years at The Old Forge last October.

It was 20 years ago today..................

Well not quite 20 years and Sgt. Pepper didn't teach the band to play. But it was around that time that Cathy & Clive Roberts, not long married, decided that they would rather work hard for their own success than for someone else.

And so after looking for somewhere suitable for a home and a business they came upon The Old Forge in Storrington. At that time the premises were trading as a small restaurant and had previously been for many years a tea room.

With an imposing black front door, deep beams, low ceilings and a kitchen of reasonable size (if not well equipped) The Old Forge success in the hands of Cathy and Clive commenced.

In just one room and barely seating 18 customers with Clive in the kitchen and Cathy running the restaurant the reputation of The Old Forge recovered and with Clive's particular interest in wines started to become well known for the wine list as well as some innovative menus.

Time rolled on as it does and the family became three, and then four and the owners of the adjacent pet shop retired. This gave the Roberts the opportunity to enlarge The Old Forge adding another 10 places, new customer facilities and an office area.

The extra diners meant extra work and apprentice chefs joined to help Clive (now an Elected Master Chef of Great Britain) stayed a while and left to go onto other challenges. Among these Wills Murgatroyd now the owner of The Meadow in Hove.

Children went to school, Food & Wine Evenings and an annual Jazz Evening commenced, other business interests were created and Cathy took an increasing role in the kitchen in addition to making the most wonderful desserts.

The hairdresser on the other side of the building retired and this space too became part of the Old Forge, but as a small wine shop selling the wines from vineyards that Cathy and Clive had discovered and enjoyed over the previous years.

The wine shop became a separate business and the space became The Old Forge Deli and suddenly twenty years have passed, the building has returned to it's original structure, the children are thinking of careers and Cathy and Clive are still here, involved as they have been since the beginning in the daily running of all their businesses.

Another twenty years? Perhaps not. But if the second generation continue to make flapjacks and soup as well as they can at present who knows; The Old Forge might become an inheritance.