insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 10 - December 2015 | Page 20

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

THE PICTUREHOUSE CINEMA
AND RESTAURANT, UCKFIELD
Scooping up the accolade for 2015’s ‘Best Independent Cinema in Europe’ at the recent Event
Cinema Association Conference and Awards, and with a great restaurant celebrating its first
birthday on the 4th of this month, The Picturehouse Cinema and Restaurant in Uckfield has
recently undergone a massive refurb to bring it right into the digital age. Polly Humphris went
to check it out (accompanied on screen by Daniel Craig, which is always nice…).

The Picturehouse Cinema stands out brilliantly
for so many reasons. Firstly, I haven’t been to
a cinema other than a big, commercial one for
years. Walking in to one of three screens at
The Picturehouse to a refreshingly small room
decked out with nothing but rows of plush and
spacious red seating was a joy. I felt like taking
my shoes off and snuggling down as I would
on my sofa at home. It’s intimate, but still has
a sense of occasion, not least because of the
whopping great screen ahead of you and the
stonking Dolby Digital surround sound. In fact,
the clarity of the sound was by far the most
significant improvement on being in a larger
cinema; it was amazing and really draws you
in. I could hear Mr Bond’s every breath and
felt at times as though I was running over the
rooftops of Mexico with him.
Stand out reason number two? The fact
that it’s an exhibitor and a keen supporter of
Event Cinema. Digital cinema has massively
changed the whole landscape of film and The
Picturehouse, through investing hundreds
of thousands of pounds, has ridden this
technological tide with aplomb. 25 per cent
of the content they show is Event Cinema,

or ‘Arts on Screen’ as they refer to it, which
means they broadcast all manner of events,
from opera and ballet to exhibitions, music
concerts and theatre – many of which are
screened live from all over the world. Their
screenings of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Hamlet
live from the National Theatre was so popular
that they had to schedule four recorded
encores, all of which sold out. That’s clever
cinema.
Besides a new foyer decked out with a bar
and, of course, a selection of pick and mix
sweets, The Picturehouse has gone one
step further to make itself a complete night
out; cue stand out reason number three: The
Picturehouse Restaurant. Sat right opposite the
cinema building, the restaurant has a French
bistro feel and serves good food – much better
than pub grub, but not fine dining either, the
dishes served deliberately fall somewhere in
between and are perfect for a light pre-film bite,
a best-selling Kevin ‘Bacon’ Burger (geddit?),
or a more refined three-course meal. I had a
delicious and very fresh autumn salad made
with just the right balance of tangy cheese and
bitter chicory, and a lamb shank served with

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piping hot, creamy mashed potato. The lamb
was tender and fell off the bone as it should
and special mention should be given to the
gravy, which had a tasty depth of flavour.
There were some really good looking puddings
on offer too, but I was full and too excited
about my date with Daniel to try one; I will next
time. And there will be a next time. I travelled
for 30 minutes to reach The Picturehouse, but
it was so worth heading out of town for the
independent cinema experience. Make a night
of it and book a table at the restaurant too and
you won’t be disappointed.
The Picturehouse Cinema and Restaurant
High Street
Uckfield
East Sussex
TN22 1AS
www.picturehouseuckfield.com
01273 855 572
/picturehouseuckfield
@PictureHouseUck