Nobody who follows the news in Sussex will have failed to have heard that Worthing Pier is currently closed due to safety concerns with the structure. Nick Mosley talks to chef-patron Johnny Stanford of Tern, one of the two restaurants that have been impacted.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I’ve been in Sussex for 12 years now. I originally moved down from Edinburgh to Brighton to take the job as Matt Gillan's sous chef at The Pass, with intentions of only staying a few years. Eight years ago I met my partner Sophie and my daughter Bluebell and made my decision to stay.
I’ve been living in Worthing for six years now, we also have a five year old son called Skip and I think its safe to say that Sussex and Worthing have become home.
Tell us about Tern
Tern is the culmination of three years worth of conversations, research and ideas.
I made a decision after 2020 to use only British produce on my menus. We work exclusively with produce which has been grown, farmed and fished in the UK; everything we serve is made from on-site from scratch and we serve wines, spirits and cocktails that are exclusively produced in the UK.
It was the drinks offering in particular which was most challenging to many people’s expectations, and we are always delighted to show people quite how fantastic our British beverage culture is.
We work only with the most dedicated producers and suppliers from West Sussex and beyond. Our guests aren’t only supporting us, they are also supporting numerous other local businesses which rely on restaurants like Tern to prosper.
How did you find the venue on Worthing Pier?
A friend of mine, Tom Flint currently of Wiston Estate mentioned in early 2023 that the Perch Group had an opportunity to open a restaurant within Perch on the Pier. That night myself and Sophie designed a menu and some concept branding which I sent in the form of an enquiry and they contacted me first thing the following morning. I popped down to take a look around and fell in love with the space. That was 18 months ago and the rollercoaster hasn’t stopped since.
Was becoming a restaurateur rather than chef planned? What are the challenges of having complete oversight of a restaurant rather than only the kitchen?
As a chef who has worked from the ground up for more than two decades, owning a restaurant was always the goal. But in reality achieving that requires more than just talent and ability to bring it to fruition. There is always a high degree of luck involved and I was very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time when the opportunity arose.
In reality the whole experience has been everything I thought it would be, everything I had never considered it could be and so much more. It can be all consuming and far more of a lifestyle than an occupation, not just for me, but for my entire family at times.
Having the freedoms to make the choices in every way for the restaurant is of course liberating, especially having worked in other people’s businesses for so long.
It is fun in many ways – I try to ensure that as much as possible – but it is so much more than just fun in reality though. It’s really an exhilarating and fulfilling experience, but the other side of that coin is that sometimes it’s also frustrating, daunting and overwhelming. As with anything that truly matters, it tends to be all these things simultaneously!
What caused the pier to close? Did it come as a surprise?
The closure of Worthing Pier – and hence our business – came as an utter surprise to us. One of the drawbacks of owning a restaurant in such a unique location is how vulnerable we are to the elements, and ordinarily we do have odd services which have to close due to high winds. Our guests are aware of this and are always really accommodating and understanding.
However this level of closure, first for 10 days, and then extended by a further six weeks until the end of November is completely devastating. The damage that has been done to the structure is really very worrying, and while we trust the assertions of the surveyors and engineers, there is an underlying concern for how long this may take to resolve in reality.
As a business owner and employer, how has it impacted you? Has there been support from the landlord of the pier?
We have had to act very fast when we have received notification of the emergency closure. We’re a tiny business in every way. We have no fat to trim, no contingency pot. The landscape is harsh for all independent businesses, but it is especially brutal for hospitality.
This was why it was so crucial that we secured a pop-up venue immediately following the initial closure. Even a two week closure could have caused irreparable damage, so in light of the subsequent developments, we are extremely glad that we came to the arrangement we did as fast as we did.
How are you pivoting as a business to ensure continuity and that your team can still work?
We’ve had to think on our feet a lot, but we have often been put in the position of having to readjust and make big decisions very quickly. We have a huge responsibility to not only our guests but also our team, and they have both been incredible in terms of willingness and readiness to adapt.
We have asked for a high level of trust in our decisions about how we recreate a comparably remarkable experience in terms of venue. In terms of offering, we’ve had to streamline things so will only be providing dinner services and have put brunch on hold for the moment the moment.
The most significant influence on this has been to ensure that ultimately what we offer our guests during our stay at East Beach Café on the promenade in Littlehampton will knock their socks off. The stakes are as high as the expectations, and it’s crucial to us that we deliver in every single way.
Are suppliers, colleagues and customers supportive?
Over the last two weeks we have received the most remarkable outpouring of support in every way; far more than we could have ever anticipated. That has really been the main thing that has enabled us to work through the first part of this saga. It has really galvanised so many connections, and has been truly humbling to be on the receiving end of.
We really need these communities to continue to support us by sharing our story, supporting our events and ultimately booking with us in order to ensure we are able to return to Worthing Pier once it is safe to do so.
In reality, dining with independents is the only thing which makes or breaks not only our businesses, but largely the wider culture of small independent hospitality as a whole. We’re really lucky to be part of a thriving culture of indie businesses in Worthing and are so grateful for the people – whether returning guests or new – who see the difference that just booking a table and letting us show you what we do makes.
What can we expect from Tern in the coming months?
At the moment we are focusing only on delivering a consistently excellent and memorable experience to our guests at East Beach Café to ensure our eventual return to our home in Worthing. Despite recent events, we are thankful to now have a degree of stability in that we know we will be operating from Littlehampton for the rest of October and November.
All bookings to Tern x East Beach are being taken via email to
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