For some, the jewel in Essex's crown could be Southend-on-Sea's famous pier, Colchester Castle or the historic woodland of Epping Forest. But for others, the county's beating heart lies within the four walls of the Sugar Hut nightclub in Brentwood. The celebrity hotspot, made famous by its appearances on The Only Way Is Essex (TOWIE), is now preparing to shut its doors for good.
A bidder can , but what made the venue so famous? Having opened on Brentwood High Street in 2004, it was six years before Sugar Hut shot to fame. It quickly became the backdrop to arguments and drama on the ITV show TOWIE when the hit series premiered in 2010. But before its new-found TV fame, the venue was the town's most historic pub - The White Hart.
Planning documents showed the old coaching inn dated back to at least 1500, offering a convenient place of rest for those travelling between London, Colchester and further afield in Suffolk and Norfolk. Richard II, whose crest was a white hart, was said to have inspired the pub's name when he in the 15th Century. "It must have been packed with people for much of its 500-year life," one document reads.
Today, its architectural importance is recognised in the Grade II* listed status bestowed upon the building's first-floor galleries. The prominence of Sugar Hut was ramped up when its owner Mick Norcross was introduced as a TOWIE star in his own right. Under his stewardship, stars including Pamela Anderson, Frank Lampard and Teddy Sheringham all partied a.
