Meet your hosts, Katy and Tim Neal....

Tim and Katy have now entered their seventh year of business at The Chequers. In this time they have suffered power cuts, and burst pipes, which are just some of the joys in store when you work at an isolated fifteenth century pub.

But they have refused to let the hazards of running The Chequers dampen their passion to establish a high quality food operation in rural West Sussex.

The couple were quick to recognise the potential of The Chequers, Tim said, "We spent a long time looking for the right pub, but when we saw The Chequers Inn we knew it was perfect".

"At first people had a low opinion of the pub's food", says Katy, "But by introducing a carefully crafted menu which included roast cannon of lamb on cumin roasted carrots and crisy confit duck served with sauteed potatoes and truffled French beans, we were able to quickly lure the trade back. We have changed their minds and have built a strong reputation by word of mouth".

Tim, whose CV includes a Master Chef accolade and three AA rosettes, and Katy are committed to sourcing the finest ingredients has resonated among an increasingly food-conscious clientele. Tim says, "All of our game is local and is provided by one of our regular customers. We obtain only the best local produce, where possible, and I buy the finest fillet steak and fresh mussels from Scotland".

The duo's dedication to gastronomy has attracted recent critical acclaim. The Chequers Inn has received praise as one of the UK's top 50 gastro pubs by author and food writer Diana Henry in an article for The Independent.

"When we saw the comments we were delighted", enthuses Tim. "It's been great for our business and we have had customers travelling down from London to try our food".

Despite their success, they are unlikely to adopt a second venue, says Tim. "We are not prepared to compromise the quality of service", he explains. "We'd rather run one excellent fod pub than two average ones. I would also rather do 40 good quality food covers than attempt to cram more customers in to the pub. If people feel rushed they won't come back".

Katy agreed, "We are very content with what we are doing. It's about giving customers great food and top quality service and not just trying to make as much money as possible".