Chez Joel

Chez Joel is what used to be Betty’s, a Steyning institution in which the staff all wore mob caps and gave the maypole dancers free ice cream on May Day. It was taken over a few years ago and restyled as a smart delicatessen with a little café attached. Despite the cream teas being expensive even by Brighton standards, it’s done well since, selling delicatessen wares in the left half and tea and cake in the right. The deli is a good selection of excellent bread, savoury pie and homemade quiche and Spanish omelette, with fairly decent takeaway coffee as well as the drink-​in variety (which, perhaps illogically, tastes better despite having come from the same machine. Maybe it has Evil Twin Syndrome?) The deli also stocks Kendricks’ coffee for cafétières and filter machines, and a variety of lovely treats from Italy and Spain including fresh pasta. There’s a good organic selection which includes things that are made free of certain allergens, with a favourite being the spelt-​flour biscuits which despite an unprepossessing appearance are delicious. Altogether the only gripe I have with this place is the prices — Steyning being something of a climbing-​middle-​class ghetto, the prices have been hiked until they’re approaching the ridiculous. It is, however, uniformly delicious, and as close to being worth it as possible.