We love The Lanes with all its nooks and crannies and jewelery shops and maybe the odd tourist, but it’s easy to get Lost In The Lanes. And that’s a terrible line about a very nice place. Food editor Gilly Smith found out more

LOST in the Lanes has been a bit of a tranquil refuge in the middle of tourist Brighton, a place for a coffee and a sit down away from the buzz since it opened in 2017. But who knew that its owners were all about local produce, that it had sustainability at its core? 

Since August, its launch of LOST Nights has been showcasing an evening menu, plucked from Brighton’s natural pantry, with meat from the South Downs, fish from the day boats, dairy from our neighbours at Downsview and wines from Wiston, Stopham and Hallgarten. 

Owner Natalie Demetriou and chef Sophie Taverner are keeping it simple and slow, evolving it gently to keep its values at its heart. One day, all restaurants will be like this. I asked chef, Sophie Taverner why local sourcing is so important to her.

“The reasoning behind keeping a short and changing menu in the evenings at LOST is that it really allows us to work closely with local suppliers and make the most of produce when it is at its peak. 

“Sourcing locally isn’t just an ethical choice but also means getting the best produce at the peak of its flavour. Part of the ethos we have built is grounded in excellent relationships with suppliers who will tell us what the best catch is coming in off the fishing boats, or they’ll send us a message when new crops are being harvested. It means being able to put food on a plate that has been harvested that same day which then allows us to create menus that really showcase those ingredients”.

Tell me about your favourite local product right now and what you love to make with it.

“Right now we are coming to the end of the season for the most wonderful Culver corn from Culver Farm in Sussex. It is exactly what corn should be, so sweet and fresh with a perfect crisp to it. We have been serving it as fritters with a chilli vinaigrette, keeping it simple to allow the flavour of the corn to really shine through. It is also the most amazing time of year for fruit and we have strawberries, raspberries, redgages and damsons dotted around the menu and plans for preserving so we can also enjoy these later in the year. Part of really working with the seasons is thinking ahead to what we can make into jams or ferments so that in those months where less is growing, we have stores of things that can add some interest to our menus”. 

How do you let your customers know how much care you put into sourcing well? 

“We keep telling our story and reflecting our ethos in the menus we are creating as well as constantly highlighting our suppliers and the work they are doing. Shrub, who are our produce supplier for LOST Nights, work with small organic farms to get their produce to restaurants like LOST and that means we know exactly where our produce is coming from and who is growing it. That kind of transparency we hope will translate in what we are doing and is something that customers increasingly value. 

What’s the stand out dessert on the menu right now? 

“Like the rest of our menu, our desserts change regularly to reflect the seasons and what´s coming from the farms. This week’s standout favourite was fresh Sussex poached quince, baked cream and almonds. The quince right now is perfect and sits so well to balance out the tart sweetness of the lemon. It was so good we might keep it on for another week”.

Lost In The Lanes, 

10 Nile St, BN1 1HW

01273 525 444