Ansty's Dark Star Brewery has recreated a beer first enjoyed by the villagers of Lindfield back in the 1800's. Regulars to Lindfield's Stand Up Inn will soon be enjoying a pint of 'Durrants' Ale, which was last served to the villagers of Lindfield back in 1906, when Durrant's brewery in Lindfield High Street closed for business. But thanks to the imagination and hard work of licensee at the Stand Up Inn, Nicola Whatford, and head brewer at Dark Star, Mark Tranter, visitors to the Stand Up Inn will soon be able to taste a piece of Sussex history.

Back in the 1800's, Edward Durrant built a beer house adjoining the brewery site, then nicknamed the "Stand Up" Inn (due to the lack of any seating). Later, the beer house was given the name "The Linden Tree" before reverting back to its original title in 2005, when Dark Star took the reins. It was in this very beer house that visitors could enjoy a pint of Durrant's Ale. "Since taking on the pub last year we have been searching through old records and talking to experts to try and find the recipe from which the beer was originally brewed. At first we thought it would just be a bit of fun, but I think it's fair to say that it has turned into a bit of an obsession, with the team looking to recreate the beer as close to the classic Sussex style that we believe the locals would have enjoyed all of those years ago," said Nicola Whatford, licensee. The production of Durrant's Ale coincides with the anniversary of the brewery's closure, in July 1906. Visitors to the Stand Up Inn can still see remains of the old brewery at the back of the pub, though the new beer was brewed at Dark Star's brewery in Ansty, near Haywards Heath. Head Brewer, Mark Tranter describes the beer as: " A rich Sussex style bitter based on a recipe from the 18 th century; originally brewed to quench the thirst of the hard working rural folk of Mid Sussex."

The present day team at the Stand Up Inn were also able to locate Martin Durrant, a relative of the last head brewer at the inn - Fanny Sara Durrant, who was Martin's Great Grandmother. Commenting on the new version of the old Ale, Martin, now a manager at Cooksbridge based, McBean's Orchids, said: "I really enjoyed the beer and of course being part of the development process that lead us to produce this lovely Ale; I hope visitors to the Stand Up enjoy it as much as I do."