Chalk the restaurant wears its name like a manifesto. The food is proudly unflashy, rooted in the estate’s own larder and the fishermen and farmers of the Sussex coast. A sample “estate menu” reads like a love letter to local produce: wild-farmed sourdough focaccia with cultured butter; buttermilk-fried pheasant with pine salt; estate pumpkin soup with bay leaf cream; tempura pollock and fallow deer loin served with braised shoulder ragù. These dishes are not about virtuoso tricks, but about the elegant exploration of season and supplier, allowing the provenance to do most of the talking.

At the heart of Chalk lies the walled garden, a living thread between the kitchen and the land. It’s a source of vibrant, seasonal produce that inspires the chefs to craft dishes celebrating the rhythm of nature and the beauty of simplicity. Every plate reflects a respect for the soil, a sense of place, and an understanding that the best flavours are often the most honest. It’s the kind of cooking that feels genuine rather than hyped and the reason guests come not only from the surrounding countryside but also make the pilgrimage from London and beyond.

Chalk draws deeply on the bounty of locale, sourcing most of its ingredients not just from the Wiston Estate itself but from neighbouring farmers and artisans across West Sussex. Tom Parry of Sussex Wildlife Trust supplies estate-Herdwick lamb, bringing both animal welfare and regional flavour into the kitchen. The Bee Butler, based nearby in Findon, supplies Chalk with honey from single apiaries, emphasising local flora and pollination. HG Walter provides great quality meats. Goodwood Estate contributes organic dairy products-milk, cheese and cream-enhancing Chalk’s menu with richness and provenance. Hildon natural mineral water is also featured on the menu. Together, these suppliers help Chalk deliver food that is rooted in place-every dish reflects a sense of season, soil, pastures and community.

The Wiston Estate, within which Chalk sits, is itself a remarkable expression of time and care. A historic, family-run estate on the South Downs, Wiston brings together centuries of stewardship and modern innovation to produce award-winning English sparkling wines, sustainable farming, and a deep connection to its chalk-rich landscape. Crafted using traditional Champagne methods, Wiston Estate wines capture the purity and precision that the local terroir provides; lively acidity, fine structure, and an unmistakable minerality born from the chalk beneath the vines. These wines are a natural pairing for Chalk’s menu, each glass echoing the same clarity, restraint, and respect for provenance that defines the kitchen.

For wine, the porous chalk ground allows roots to dig deep, regulating water and drawing out a mineral clarity that translates directly into the glass, that lively acidity, precision, and elegance. The same qualities make chalk aquifers the source of some of the world’s purest waters, like Hildon, where rain is slowly filtered through ancient chalk strata eventually emerging rich in natural minerals, balanced and fresh. Whether in a sparkling wine or a still glass of water, chalk imparts a signature of freshness and finesse that cannot be replicated.

The building that houses Chalk is a masterclass in sympathetic restoration - a former flint and timber barn reimagined with quiet elegance. It feels both agricultural and refined, its wide windows framing the rolling South Downs like living artworks. Inside, the textures tell the story of the land itself: chalk-white walls, pale oak beams, and a central open kitchen glowing with gentle theatricality. Modern yet grounded, every detail reflects the estate’s ethos of balance and belonging. It’s a space that invites calm, where conversation unfolds slowly, food speaks softly, and time seems to stretch, as if the land itself were urging you to linger.

Chalk is open Wednesday through to Sunday for morning coffee and pastries from 9.30am and for lunch service. Evening dining (the set Estate Menu) is offered on Fridays and Saturdays. We strongly recommend booking to secure a table. Of course, walk-ins are allowed, but availability can be limited.
For groups of more than eight, you can opt to reserve the private dining room.  Enjoy.