Crafty Chooks - “a completely new kind of dining experience for the city”

And, with its combination of craft ales and rotisserie chicken menu, the Second Avenue venue certainly stands alone in Hove.

The group bought the last of the Tin Drum pubs in July, running it under its former name until March when the £250,000 transformation to launch Crafty Chooks began.

“There are lots of similar venues in London at the moment, but no-one is doing a high-end chicken restaurant in the city,” says Day.

The rotisserie is in pride of place behind the bar, with spit roast chicken forming the basis of the menu, with a selection of smoky, sweet and spicy barbecue sauces.

“We’re using top quality free-range chicken,” says Day, adding it is all sourced from local butchers. “Our state-of-the-art rotisserie will ensure it retains all the flavour when it is cooked.”

But the menu isn’t just about chicken, with steak, lamb, and vegetarian options all available.

And the venue has teamed up with city children’s charity Rockinghorse for their craft beer steamed mussels. For every dish sold, £1 will go to the appeal, with the chosen beer changing regularly.

Day was keen to ensure the venue didn’t simply turn into a restaurant with a bar – redesigning the pub’s open space to provide separate dining and drinking areas using simple screens, but retaining the “shabby chic” look of the Tin Drum.

“Even when we took over the Tin Drum we could tell this was a different clientèle from Hove Place,” says Day, referring to the Golden Lion pub around the corner in First Avenue, most famous for its extensive beer garden.

“That was a positive for us – we wanted to go down the craft beer route, streamline the spirits and have different real ales. We don’t have Fosters at the bar. Instead we have three different craft alternatives which most people have been more than happy with.”

The venue also sells cocktails and most of its wine list is available by the glass.

The open space for up to 45 covers inside and 28 outside makes it perfect for families and larger groups, with Crafty Chooks offering both a kids menu, and the chance for parties to share and carve a whole chicken.

The menu was developed with chef Peter Mugan, who heads up a team of six in the kitchen, while Aleks Levente has moved across from The Cricketers in Black Lion Street to supervise the bar, under the auspices of Cricketers’ general manager Kausar Ali.

“Aleks’s big passion is craft beer,” says Day. “He knows what is selling in other places and what he likes. He is passing that passion on to the staff and customers.”

Crafty Chooks is also offering Sunday roasts, home-made desserts and coffee from Roasted.

And it is already proving popular, with booking advised on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Sample the menu:

Starters

Spicy BBQ chicken wings £4.95

Deep-fried chicken and sweet potato beignets £5.25

Crayfish and prawn cocktail £5.95

Grilled buttermilk halloumi and aubergine kebabs £6.25

Mains

Spit roast chicken with house seasoning and choice of BBQ sauce from £8.95

28 day aged 10oz sirloin steak £15.95

Six-hour braised shoulder of lamb £13.95

Wild mushroom and Twineham Grange risotto £11.95

Craft beer steamed mussels £12.95

Salads from £8.75

Sandwiches from £7.25

Children's menu £4.95

Desserts Triple chocolate brownie £5.25

Baked vanilla cheesecake £4.95

Lemon meringue pie £4.95