On the 14 June, Alex Polizzi is set to launch The Star hotel in Alfriston, a lovely village set in the foot of the East Sussex Downs. On the banks of the Cuckmere river, the sea and the magnificent Seven Sisters chalk cliffs are within walking distance.
The Star is at the centre of this medieval village. Its 16th century frontage and ancient beamed bar opens straight off the high street. Behind it is a small library and large restaurant, all of which give onto a newly formed courtyard which has become the heart of the hotel.
The Star, housed in a mixture of new and old buildings, has been totally rebuilt, with new roofs, new wooden windows, many trees planted and its 30 bedrooms and bathrooms all remodelled and newly decorated.
Chef Tim Kensett has developed a day menu for the Inn, which will offer local ales in an oak-beamed room with an open fire, and a menu for the Dining room. He used to work as executive chef at the Fife Arms in Aberdeenshire, and previously spent four years as senior sous chef at the River Café in London.
The Star is part of The Polizzi Collection, which includes two other hotels: Hotel Tresanton and Hotel Endsleigh.