The Forge in Arun

This is a very busy place sometimes we have to wait but the service and quality of food is worth waiting for. There is plenty of choice and the staff are always very polite.

While cycling through the South Downs, I came across this superb little cafe/shop. I only wanted a snack so opted for the homemade sausage roll which was full of top quality sausage meat. I couldn’t resist the Dorset apple cake to give me the sugar rush I needed to help me on my way!!! There’s also a well stocked shop with plenty of local produce available.

Quaint, village shop and cafe, The Forge is a bit of a hidden gem - especially after a long walk through the nearby Slindon Estate. Potion sizes here are generous and reasonably priced, from cakes and sausage rolls through to more substantial fare. We had some warming home-made soup - parsnip was the choice though carrot was also available on the day we visited - and the children had sandwiches - it was great that there was a high chair and changing facilities, too. They even do beers, ales and wines for those wanting something more adventurous than tea and coffee. If you’re walking through this way, I’d highly recommend popping in and trying them out. We were indoors given the time of year but they had outdoor seating, too. Dog walkers will be pleased that not only are dogs welcome, they also have their own food menu!

Staff are really nice, cakes and snacks are absolutely amazing, great environment. Staff are really caring and even my dog loved it

Dropped in with a view to getting tea and a light lunch. Lady serving very unwelcoming, coming up to us the moment we stepped foot in the place asking brusquely if we "needed" anything. We decided to forgo the lunch. I'd have left the tea too, except I was gasping for a brew! And so she took our order for tea, with no small amount of sourness it seemed. On the positive side, the space is lovely, the tea was good and the pricing fair. But due to the unfriendly, almost accusatory attitude of the lady serving I don't think we would return. Which is a shame as we visit the village often.

Love this place! We often stop here, as it is part way through our country walk. The staff are very friendly, the cakes and milkshakes are really yummy. Would definitely recommend!

My friend and I visited for coffee and cake and were generally very impressed. There was quite a wait as others have noted, so be prepared for this, even when not every table is taken. I had an amazing pink battenberg cake with pink icing; the cake was excellent, the icing perhaps s little too sweet. My friend had an apple flapjack. We both had large coffees (cappuccino and decaf latte), which were not quite warm enough for my taste. I bought some items in the shop which has a considerable range, and stocks fresh veg, cakes, chocolate etc. Would visit again.

We turned up without booking and there was 9 of us all meeting up after a family wedding,the staff all helped us find room ,moved tables to accommodate a wheelchair,We had delicious breakfast coffee .A total gem of a place,can’t recommend enough . Thank you so very much 😃

Lots of lovely scrummy food but also lots of customers with very smelly dogs in quite a small space. If you can get past the pong (especially on a rainy day) it's a great little cafe.

Take away coffees waiting 20 minutes is a joke you either pay for more staff or people that work a bit quicker won't be returning.

It's just a trivial post to say I waited half an hour and then gave up after no one so much as looked at me let alone served. I would suggest to avoid on a Sunday morning.

Lovely small local place, very friendly staff and super shop with daily essentials. I have been a few times after walks with my friends for a quick lunch and have been most impressed with quality of the food available, especially the homeade soup which is outstanding. The lady that makes the soup really should consider making it available in the shop to take home!

I visited on 17/09 with two friends and a dog and was immediately impressed with the variety of food and cakes on offer. The prices were incredibly reasonable, too! As a vegan I ordered a jacket potato with baked beans and this came with a lovely, large salad. I even had vegan cheese on the beans! Along with a pot of tea this all came to less than £10! Amazing! It was absolutely delicious! The tea came with soya milk, which was an extra bonus. Staff were great, very patient and friendly. There are lots of places outside and inside to sit, plus a little shop. Will definitely visit again.

Wonderful filling afternoon tea, choice of sandwich, homemade cake with scones. The sandwich was great having the choice and not being stuck with some that are disappointing. The cake - wow ! Again the choices are endless! I’ve done afternoon tea here 3 times and would throughly recommend. Also the staff are so amazing, altering requirements for food allergies and fussy eaters. I will definitely return!

Stopped by for the first time and enjoyed it. Lemon meringue pie is insanely good. sausage sandwich was great. Coffee was good. Friendly service

We had the vegetarian breakfast which was fantastic. The coffee was excellent too. The service was great and the staff were very polite.

A cup of tea, cup of coffee and a piece of cake. After a twenty minute wait nothing had arrived. Went to enquire on progress and was told that they were very busy. Five minutes later a waitress brought the cake! I asked about the tea and coffee and she immediately turned on the sarcasm, said she was sorry about the wait. (though her voice said otherwise) A further five minutes and the Manager came over and slammed two plastic cups on the table and glared at us and said...alright! I said not really and he went into a full on hissey fit asserting that everyone was waiting but we were the only ones making a fuss. He then asked if we wanted our money back which seemed the best option so I said yes. He snatched up the drinks and cake and flounced off in high dudgeon , returning shortly with a ten pound note which he slapped into my hand (we had paid £7) He then turned on his heels and called out that we could have any extra refund on him. Obviously an off day for this crew, I have no doubt that if there were only a couple of customers they could probably cope reasonably well . If tea or Coffee served in McDonald's style plastic but needing a half hour wait is your thing, this place is for you. Nice setting though.

Stopped here for a coffee after a long walk. Very pleseant and dog friendly. Didn't have any food but looked amazing and has extensive Gluten Free / Vegan options. Reasonable prices.

Friendly hub providing food (indoors and out) and a very good village shop. They kept going all through Covid and are well valued in the village

Stopped here, once again for breakfast on the way to the FoS at Goodwood. They’ve made some changes since covid but it’s not lost it’s charm and the quality of food offered is still excellent. The staff as always are full of enthusiasm and give you a great welcome.

Very poor breakfast! Very poor ingredients, seems too focused on catering for those with dogs. Place looking very tatty!

The best coffee of our entire half term (and we’ve drunk plenty in this rain), mostly in the West Country where cafes are abundant. The cakes were equally delicious. Next time we shall try the amazing looking breakfasts! Also artwork & jewellery for sale, along with all the essential farm shop fodder. We shall return! Thank you for an oasis in the rain. X

Lovely staff, delicious breakfasts, can't wait to return. Catered for professionally and with care, veggie delish and tasty, thank you

Delicious homemade pasties & pies - excellent chips and an enormous baked potato. The choice of cakes looked great too but we were too full sadly.

Thank you to Andy and the team for two days of faulous breakfasts. The whole team are so kind and friendly and made myself and my family so welcome. We will be back.

Had a lovely cream tea here scones were huge and warmed up. Bought some tasty bread in the shop. Friendly staff lovely service. Will go back again it was very reasonable.

Come down to the south coast to spend a couple of days with a friend and stayed at a nearby Travelodge and heard about here as it has a very good reputation. We were travelling back to the Midlands so decided to go and have breakfast here . Sat outside in beautiful weather and ordered a Full English and a half one must say it was very nice and filling and set us up for the journey home. A little gem and can see why it is well thought of.

I love it here, lovely little shop with treats galore and a cosy cafe that makes the best breakfast, toasted sandwiches and fantastic homemade cake! Friendly service and dog lovers. Perfect after a walk around Slindon woods,

Fantastic food, snuggle atmosphere, very friendly staff. Freshly cooked produce.Just left the Forge where we took the family for breakfast. Definitely the best vegetarian breakfast ever!Wonderful sausages full of flavour, complemented by the avocado, mushrooms, hash brown and egg on toast oh and the beans! Would recommend the food and the wonderfully stocked store.Well done Slindon!

We came last Thursday and it was closed. Not a good start. Decided to give it another go and we will be back. This is the first five* I've given. Nowhere is without fault but this is as good as it gets for a village cafe. Plenty of choice, quality food friendly service. I had the ploughmans with cheese and ham. It was 'real' ham with fat on the edge. Thick cut and a large slice. Loved the bread and the trimmings were more than all I could eat. My friend had the sausage roll with salad and loved it.

Called in here with my friend for a pot of tea and cake. The staff were very friendly and obliging. The pot of tea was great and the Apricot, Apple and Almond cake was excellent. It was very relaxing in there and the sausage rolls looked amazing (will have one next time).Definitely recommended.

Popped in for a late breakfast and delighted with the quality and value - really friendly as well. Will be back

We stopped in for a quick lunch which did not disappoint. We ate delicious Thai chicken soup, served with tasty brown bread. The Forge is such welcoming place, friendly staff and delicious food. I haven't been for well over a year and really wish I wasn't on a sugar free diet so that I could have enjoyed one of their fabulous home made cakes. You are doing a wonderful job running this community cafe. I wish we had one like this near us. Well done!

Delightful village shop and cafe. Home made food, dogs welcome. Perfect place for a pop in snack before/after a walk in the countryside

Visited this morning for the first time with my husband, was not disappointed, my husband had the full English breakfast he enjoyed very much, and I had America pancakes with bananas and maple syrup very nice , friendly atmosphere looked around the shop. Will definitely be going back, have recommended to friends and family .

We stopped here today for lunch, having visited the Slindon pumpkins and Apple Day. I have been here before about a year ago and was pleased to see that not much has changed, the staff are still friendly and welcoming, the service is still good and the food is delicious. I had pumpkin soup and bread which was lovely, my husband had the sausage roll, my daughter had childrens sandwiches which came with humous and carrot sticks as well as cucumber, tomato and crisps, which she loved as it was a good variety and a bit more grown up that just a sandwich. There are quite a few tables inside and out so you usually don't have to wait long to find a seat, even though it can be busy.

Paid my first visit for breakfast today and wasn’t disappointed.Was expecting it to be busy and it was but they seemed to cope very well.We were order number 8 and although there was a delay in our order coming boy was it worth it.Will definitely visit again even if it’s just for the hot chocolate.

We again visited and found it to be even better than in previous years. The staff were most helpful, the menu was more varied and the shop was excellent for fresh food. Our dog was made most welcome indoors or outside.

This lovely shop/cafe is well worth visiting. We called in for a light lunch, and really enjoyed it. Nice little outdoor seating area, and cosy inside. Great coffee, and some good value plants for sale. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

Called in for breakfast and it was fabulous. The food was outstanding. All freshly cooked to order. Nothing was too much trouble. Perfect find and well recommended

We were 8 for breakfast so booked ahead. The breakfast was wonderful with everyone enjoying their food. Charming place to eat, we found it on Trip Advisor, but we’re also given the recommendations locally too. Very interesting shop too! The added fun was a beautiful morning so we were able to eat outdoors. Very busy too.

Staying near by and the Forge was recommended. Went for breakfast and what a delight this is. Very good service and good quality food. The shop was an added bonus, stocking good quality supplies. The only negative for us, was allowing dogs in the inside eating area, when there was plenty of tables outside.

We popped in twice on a weekend away for a wedding. The food was really good and the menu vast. Sausage rolls are particularly good.

Wonderful cafe, serving and selling really nice products. Dog friendly. Good drinks and food. Highly recommended.

I arrived with four kids after a bike ride and found a table outside. The Forge was very busy but Adam and his team were fabulous with their welcome and service. We all had a very refreshing and tasty smoothie which we all recommend on a hot sunny day. Thank you Adam you always make our visit to your cafe a welcoming one no matter how busy you are even with a card machine that had jammed.

We enjoyed a ploughman's lunch here on Bank Holiday Monday. It was absolutely delicious and the staff were lovely. It's so nice to have a lovely cafe nearby.

Love visiting this cafe, staff are always friendly and welcoming, chef will customise food to personal requirements.

Great home made food and dogs welcome. Excellent find enroute Bognor and Chichester to home. A small shop ayyacjhed with all the local foods and some goods.

Having lived on the Arundel area for three years we took our first, dog walking, venture to Slindon Common. A chance meeting of other walkers pointed us in the direction of this little gem of a village shop and cafe. Very friendly staff, excellent sausage rolls and just the thing of a brief rest whilst walking in this lovely area.

Set in the quaint village of Singleton, this converted old forge not only provides a welcome watering hole for walkers visiting Slindon Woods, but also a small grocery store for the village.

I don't normally do reviews as ( beauty is in the eye of the beholder ) we had the full English breakfast, all I will say is we willl be back, don't take my word try it your self👍🍳👍

Stopped here for breakfast, had the cream tea for two. Couldn't eat it all between us! Very good food, and very nice surroundings. Good selection. Nice service, will go again.

Slindon is now on my radar it’s a pretty spot and this place does the place proud. Simple food freshly prepared with good quality ingredients that I doubt have ever seen the inside of a Brakes Brothers Van.

It is always great to go to The Forge. You are greeted with a heartfelt Hello - a great atmosphere - amazing food for breakfast, coffee, lunch or tea time. I felt very spoilt the other day as I had Welsh Rarebit which was so yummy. So thank you and we really appreciate you all. Yours Jacky - Greville- Cassanova and Taittinger

So pleased we found this place. It is a lovely little place to eat. We came here on Mother's Day after going lambing up the road at Gaston Farm. The food is lovely and reasonably priced. Kids loved it too so that's always good. We came for lunch but may have also bought some cake to take away (they all looked amazing so it was difficult to choose). We would like to come back and try the breakfast! A really lovely find!

Having read the positive reviews my wife and I decided to call in for lunch. Nice place.

We stayed at the Travelodge Fontwell Park...and found this little cafe just a 5 minute drive away! We had the ‘half English’ Breakfast (sausage, bacon, fried egg, beans and a slice of toast....and a good cup of coffee) and all for £6.50 each! The breakfast was lovely, and because it was such a fine day we ate outside at one of the tables! I would recommend this little cafe....totally charming....There is also a selection of foods, sweets, cakes and other items available for sale!

We can not believe what a little Gem The Forge is. We’ve been coming here for a few years and have seen the highs and lows of a small business but with a change of ownership a year or so ago, it has improved greatly. The cafe is a wonderful dog friendly place where you can enjoy light snacks or a hearty lunch with food changing with the seasons and there’s always something different on the specials board. Greet coffee and a fantastic array of sweet treats with vegans and GF folk catered for admirably. The shop attached provides a vast amount of treats and and essentials so much so we do a fair amount of our top up shopping there. The staff are friendly and although are always busy rushing around when we go, nothing is too much for them. A credit to the village and a credit to themselves. Well done guys.

Visited with my in laws and infant daughter. All of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals. Especially want to point to half English breakfast which was great for those who don't want the full size. The fruit pancakes also great value.

Stopped here after a walk as I have done before however with more of the family this time and it was a squeeze !

We went on a day that was packed with cyclists. No tables, so tried another time. That was also busy. Hearty plain food (which could have been a bit hotter). Takeaway food slows down the service for those seated. Handy little shop forms part of the place, selling most essentials that you might need. Roadside parking. Plenty of dogs there, inside and out.

Great cafe with really lovely food. Dog friendly as well. Super cakes. Tasty meals. Outside eating area as well.

We just had the the best Christmas lunch we've had in a long time.The food was cooked fresh and so tasty. I took a quick look at the menu and saw they offered a big choice. They told me that they were going to start doing roasts in the new year also so this place is well recommended and we will be back. My mum is gluten free and they catered for her without any fuss and I saw their counter had many cake options clearly labelled for special diets - so they make a real effort to cater for everyone. Their coffee was great also!

We were recommended to visit and told to try the sausage rolls ! So off we went it was an unusual place having a little shop and greengrocers attached. We had the sausage roll and a quiche which were ok but not really my cup of tea ! I’m used to an every day sausage roll as these were different the quiche was ok ! I can see people liking the sausage roll and recommend going to try it just wasn’t for me perhaps if they made smaller ones it would be better!

Popped in as we had been recommend to try the sausage rolls. They were very different to a normal sausage roll but tasty. We also had the quiche was OK, the forge was busy and could do with more seating so get there early!

Friendly staff, good choice of food at a reasonable price. Cute village cafe, cakes are delicious! :)

Good dog friendly cafe, excellent food, welcoming staff and very comfortable seating both inside and out. Fantastic selection of food, excellent shop with locally sourced food. Good toilet, informative notice board with local events.

We have just had a wonderful Curry Evening - the food was amazing as was the service. What a happy an well organised evening. Thank you so much for the fabulous time. Yours Jacky & Greville xx

I came to Slindon with my three year old daughter to see the famous pumpkins, we were early so we visited this cafe and we were very pleasantly surprised. The cafe is clean and bright and the staff are very welcoming. I eat a mostly vegetarian diet so I opted for the vegetarian breakfast which was delicious. The cakes looked amazing and we are planning to come back!

I went here with a friend who lives locally and just loved the place. This is such an inviting place, a community run dog-friendly village shop and cafe, with the most delightful ambiance. I had a luscious bacon, cranberry and brie pastry, served with a very generous side salad, and a coffee. My only regret is that I did not have the time to explore the shop half of the premises and if I am in the area again I will be back.

Thanks to Craig and his team the Forge is again a wonderful village shop and cafe. A welcoming experience for village shoppers, dog walkers, walkers, cyclists and all. The shop stocks the right items. The cafe has a great selection food. The cakes are especially yummy.

Stopped here for a cup of tea and sustenance before exploring the village. Very friendly helpful staff, nice drinks and a lovely scotch egg. Highly recommended before or after a walk in the gorgeous village surrounds.

Extremely friendly staff who make you feel very welcome. A great selection of food on offer - with plenty of outdoor seating if the weather is good (and lots of tables inside as well). And you can buy all your essential food shopping while your there. What more could you want?

This is the most wonderful and inviting coffee shop and also a great village shop.

We visited the Forge café at the midway point of our 3km walk today. It was fairly busy but there were still tables available inside and out. There was plenty of friendly staff to serve us. We had toasted brie, bacon and cranberry sandwiches which were served with salad, coleslaw and crisps. They were delicious! We were there for lunch, but breakfast and afternoon cream teas were also on offer. The adjoining shop served a large selection of local goods, produce, etc. There was one toilet available but it catered well for the disabled and had baby changing facilities. Lovely to find a well-run, friendly café run by locals. Well worth a visit if you are in the area.

As locals, we’ve supported and visited the Forge regularly since it opened and have always been great advocates. However, since the last reorganisation last year, the price of food and produce has risen to a level that is making it unaffordable for regular lunch visits.

What to chose from, the gorgeous homemade quiches, sausage rolls or as I had today salmon and dill scones that were again out of this world.

So we went to the Forge today to use an afternoon tea voucher I got on Groupon. The food looked absolutely lovely & I’m sure it would have been but we never got that far! Shortly after sitting down (inside) we had a wasp join us, that wasp slowly went from 1 to 2, then to 3, eventually getting to about 6! We tried in vain to clear the table & cover cake with a lovely couple from another table trying to help us. When we finally had enough I went to speak to a member of staff. I totally understand that it is summer & that they have no control over what wasps do BUT there was no offer to move us, there was no empathy to how the wasps were effecting us, there was an offer to wrap our cakes (that the wasps had crawled all over!) to take home but the attitude of the member of staff was that it was our own faults because we were making such a “fuss” that we had attracted more wasps. They even admitted that they’d had to call out the pest controllers 3 times this week. As they had already put our voucher through, we have lost that but there was no way we were going to sit there with the wasps. Very disappointed in the attitude of staff & we definitely won’t be coming back again!

If you like home made sausage rolls and home made food then try The Forge at Slindon. We had lovely sausage rolls and a home made scotch egg - very good and can’t wait to return. Thanks yours Jacky & Greville

This cafe is a lovely place to enjoy afternoon tea worth family or friends. From the wide range of milkshakes, smoothies, huge slices of cake and pastries. The cafe itself is quite small, but feels homely and welcoming. It was great to see that if you did not want tea or coffee as part of the afternoon tea they still offered milkshakes at no extra cost!

Had a very enjoyable Afternoon Tea for my husband’s birthday. Extremely good value for money with lovely staff. Set in National Trust land so lots of pleasant walks to be had x

This place is a gem! We popped in for a cup of tea but had to stay for lunch(with cake) because it all looked so delicious. Everything is home made and we wish we could have eaten our way through everything in the chiller cabinet and on the cake stand! Staff very friendly and nothing too much trouble.

My family had a great afternoon tea everyone enjoyed themselves even the children and they loved the huge slices of cake along with the big milkshakes the only downside were the other customers as everyone was so tightly compacted you could hear everyone’s conversations and you can feel people’s stares however that is not the cafes fault it was also really hot but we did go in the heatwave period

Really dog friendly here, sell doggy ice cream and doggy pop corn.

Looking for a full English breakfast ,would recommend this hidden gem, the food was so good, high quality, the sausages were amazing , staff friendly , beautiful , quaint little cafe and farm shop the cakes looked delicious will definitely be back

A real treat after a good walk round the Slindon Estate (NT). Friendly staff and excellent snacks and a very good village shop.

We stopped in here on the way to a walk in the beautiful Slindon woods and again on the way back.

Bought a Groupon afternoom tea for 4. Definitely would Recommend went down well with the children and husband fab choice for cakes and sandwiches which moast palces have set menu for afternoon tea. Very filling. Friendly staff.quickly seated and served. We will definitely be using again.

We enjoyed a really nice lunch here. We brought our dog who was welcomed with a biscuit. The cafe is opposite a public footpath so ideal for a walk before or after. Great choice of food for vegetarians and a lovely selection of cakes! We will definitely be back.

We dropped by late one afternoon. Simply put, great little cafe, helpful staff and good food. Would recommend you drop by.

We went for lunch and we ordered a cauliflower cheese tart and sausages and mash. The sausages were finished so changed to a steak pie with mash & vegetables. Unfortunately when our meals arrived there was no mash and no veg with the pie, just a pie on a plate with some leaves and coleslaw. Apparently the mash & veg were off the menu and they did not offer a refund of any kind (although we did speak to the staff at the end and they did give us a refund). The cauliflower tart looked very unappetising, couldn't find anything that resembled a cauliflower and it was just a flat tart covered in melted cheese. Not impressed with the farm shop either, the veg looked like they had seen better days, the olives were so shrivelled up and the shelves were pretty bare.

We had afternoon tea on Saturday. The venue is cosy and dog friendly. The menu choices were fantastic. Sandwiches warm scones, personal choice of cake. Had a lovely time.

A lovely little cafe with a really friendly atmosphere. Had the sussex blue ploughmans which was divine. Great prices as well. Is worth booking a table as does get busy

Arrived in time for morning coffee and I checked how many shots in an Americano. The answer was one, so I asked for two and a delicious cup of fresh coffee arrived, alongside three others including a decaf.

After a terrific walk, we headed to The Forge to sample the afternoon tea that we had heard much about. We were welcomed to this busy little establishment and looked after well, even down to the home-made dog treats!

Although the food was good, a mistake was made with our order therefore one meal had to go back and...

My family visited Slindon Forge for afternoon tea, I must say it was one of the best I have ever...

My wife and I went here for afternoon tea we were given a voucher for afternoon tea as a Christmas...

Visited The Forge today, they were very busy, but attentive, polite and such a friendly atmosphere throughout. The food was incredible. Well presented and tasted amazing.

The National Trust is trying to be ''trendy'' and inclusive and all those things it should leave well alone. No fear in this little outpost, it's a cute little light bite eating coffee place; once an old blacksmith's forge, hence the name. It is located in a little village with nice walks around in the nearby Slindon Estate.