Drusillas Park is a family run business founded in 1922, when the late Captain Ann brought a derelict farm and 20 acres of land and opened the cottage to sell teas to passing motorists.
He named the tea rooms after his first wife Drusillas, adding attractions and animals to help boost trade.
Drusillas remained in the Ann family until 1997 when it was acquired by current owners Laurence and Christine Smith, after selling a nationwide recruitment business. Joined today by daughters Cassandra and Caroline, the Smiths have invested heavily in the Park over the past few years, including successfully securing a deal with HIT Entertainment to bring Thomas the Tank engine to Drusillas.
Going from strength to strength, in 2009 Drusillas scooped the prestigious Company of the Year gong in the 21st Sussex Business Awards, in addition to the much coveted Best Customer Service. This success came after an earlier triumph at the South East England Tourism Excellence Awards, w here Drusillas received the Silver Award for Large Visitor Attraction of the Year.