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his is a momentous year in the long and star-studded life of Brighton based stalwart seafood restaurant, English’s of Brighton, as present owner, Simon Leigh-Jones, celebrates 50 years of working at the restaurant.
English’s has been on site for over 100 years and has been frequented by many famous ‘fans’ of the restaurant from stage and screen over the years, from Charlie Chaplin and Sir Ian Mckellen to Julie Waters and Dame Judi Dench. The restaurant also has some haunted history, with guests often saying in the past that they can hear a ghost ‘knitting’ in the ladies’ toilet!
“The first mention I can find of the present site we’re on is no.30 (oyster bar building) used as a fishmongers in 1850 until 1876 and then used as an oyster store until 1880 when the Brazier family opened the oyster bar,” said Simon, “Mr A W English managed the oyster bar from 1893 and took the business over in 1910 when it became English’s.
My father, Clifford Leigh-Jones, bought the business in 1945”, he continued. “In the mid-1950s, he acquired No.29 East Street, the four-story 18th century house cafe adjacent to Nos. 30 and 31. A local artist was commissioned to paint murals on the wall of the downstairs restaurant in the style of Toulouse-Lautrec, and they’re still there today giving the restaurant its unique feel.”
Simon took on many roles in his first days of working at English’s, including cleaning the walk-in fridge and he soon found himself ‘mucking in’ in the kitchen, restaurant and office and generally helping out where needed.
The business has changed in many ways over the years including, for a period of time, having a successful off-licence and wine shop, which listed over 100 wines from around the world, many beers, waters and minerals as well as a large selection of miniature spirits and liqueurs.
One of the greatest assets of the restaurant other than it’s original oyster bar, is its legendary outside dining terrace which is now taken for granted, but chairs and tables weren’t on the public highway up until 1990! Simon said “As soon as we were allowed, we applied and were granted a licence to use most of the outside area for the business and this has proven to be a much loved place to dine and people watch from Spring to Autumn. It was also a star attraction once the recent lockdown restrictions were lifted and we saw a significant upturn in bookings because of it.”
Despite seeing some tough times over the years, especially recently through Covid and the present cost of living crisis, when restaurants have been closing their doors at a rapid rate across the country, English’s continues to thrive on its present site, providing the finest blend of modern and traditional seafood across the city of Brighton, proving that class certainly is permanent.
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