If you’re coeliac, vegan, or vegetarian, you’ll know the drill: you call ahead, you ask the same careful questions and too often you still end up with a sad side salad whilst everyone else enjoys the full menu.
It’s a genuinely common complaint. Gluten-free in particular is a medical necessity for coeliacs, not a lifestyle choice, yet it’s routinely treated as an afterthought by kitchens that would rather you just didn’t ask.
At The Three Horseshoes Inn, in Lickfold, near Petworth and Midhurst, our Gluten Free, Vegan and Vegetarian options are built into the menu, not bolted on beside it.
Gluten free options that we’re proud of
Rather than a single apologetic dish, our menu is clearly marked so you know exactly where you stand: dishes marked GF are gluten free as served, and dishes marked GFA are gluten free available, meaning they can be adapted for you on request.
It’s a small detail, but it’s the difference between guessing what’s safe and knowing before you’ve even ordered – which, if you’re coeliac, is exactly the kind of clarity that’s too often missing.
And it isn’t just a token dish or two. Most of our dishes can be gluten-free! Starters like our Ham Hock Terrine, Lightly Spiced Squid and Aromatic Duck Salad are all GF without any requests, as well as mains such as our Battered South Coast Haddock, BBQ Baby Back Ribs and Pan Fried Calves Liver.
Some of our most popular dishes like our Signature Double Cheeseburger and Roast Sirloin of Beef on a Sunday are GFA. Even pudding is covered, with our Sticky Toffee Pudding and Basque Cheesecake both being GF.
Our team is always happy to talk you through the menu and answer any questions before you order, including on our Sunday roast. You can also view all of our menus yourself before you visit.
Vegan and vegetarian, done with the same care
The same goes for vegan and vegetarian diners. On a Sunday, our Butternut Squash & Lentil Wellington is served with all the same trimmings as the meat roasts, rather than a smaller, apologetic version of the main event.
During the week, our Vegan Gnocchi with wild mushrooms, thyme and wilted kale and our Plant Based Burger are proper mains in their own right, not menu afterthoughts, and our Roast Harissa Tomato Gnocchi and Bean & Beetroot Burger give vegetarians just as much choice.
Whether you’re vegetarian, vegan, or just fancy something plant-based, you’ll find proper options rather than an apologetic single line on the menu.
Why this matters more than it should
It shouldn’t be unusual for a pub to take dietary requirements seriously, but for anyone who’s been handed a menu with one grim gluten-free option scribbled at the bottom, you’ll know it still is. We’d rather you left able to say the food was genuinely good, not just “fine, considering”.
Handy for Petworth, Midhurst and Haslemere
Tucked in the West Sussex countryside at Lickfold, we’re an easy trip from Petworth, Midhurst and Haslemere – close enough for a relaxed lunch or dinner without having to trek into a bigger town to find somewhere that caters properly for gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian diets.
We’re also less than half an hour from Goodwood and the Weald & Downland Living Museum, and just a 10-minute drive from Cowdray Park – so whether you’ve spent the day at the races, wandering the museum, or watching the polo, we’re the perfect stop afterwards, with a menu that means everyone in your group can actually eat, whatever they need to avoid.
Booking your table
Whether it’s a Sunday roast, a midweek dinner, or a celebration, we’d recommend booking a table in advance to avoid disappointment.
