By Lisa McLoughlin
Copyright standard
Jodie Kidd has temporarily closed her award-winning Half Moon pub in West Sussex after staff reported being subjected to a series of abusive incidents.
The model and TV personality, 46, announced the three-day closure in a statement on the pub’s Instagram page, saying her team had endured both verbal and physical abuse in recent weeks.
“We’ve worked hard to create more than just a pub – we’ve built a home. A place for people to come together, enjoy good times, and make memories,” the post read.
“While we know we won’t be to everyone’s taste, it saddens us that in recent weeks we as a Team have faced abuse – both verbal and physical.
“We’d like to remind everyone that behind The Half Moon is a team of people who care deeply about what we do. We are human.”
A follow-up message confirmed the 15th-century Grade II listed pub, which Kidd bought in 2017, will reopen on Thursday 25 September after taking “time to rest and recharge”.
The post added: “As many of you know, the work never truly stops behind the scenes, so taking some time to rest and recharge is essential.
“We will be closed on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week, and will reopen on Thursday 25th September at 12 Noon as normal.”
The Half Moon in Kirdford has earned praise since Kidd, who rose to fame as a teenage model in the 1990s, took over, with food critic Tom Parker-Bowles naming it one of the best celebrity-owned pubs in the UK.
Review magazine described the restaurant as “comfortable and relaxed” and highlighted Kidd’s reputation as a “hands-on” owner.
The Standard has contacted a rep for Jodie Kidd.
In 2017, Kidd spoke to The Standard about taking over the pub alongside business partners Chris Lee and Dan Elson.
“The pub closed down last year and was for sale. There were rumours that a developer was going to turn it into houses,” she told us at the time.
“I live a few miles down the road and I’ve been coming here most of my life. One day I drove past with two friends and said, ‘Let’s just buy it’. The next thing I knew, it was ours.”