The TOWIE hotspot made famous by its celebrity guests

For some, the jewel in Essex’s crown could be the famous pier of Southend-on-Sea, Colchester Castle or the historic woodland of Epping Forest.

But for others, the beating heart of the province 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 close its doors for good.

A bidder can buy it for £3.85 millionbut what made the location so famous?

After opening on Brentwood High Street in 2004, it took six years for Sugar Hut to become famous.

It quickly became the setting for arguments and drama on the ITV show TOWIE when the hit series premiered in 2010.

But before its new TV fame, the venue was the city’s most historic pub: The White Hart.

Planning documents revealed that the old coaching inn dated back to at least 1500 and provided a convenient rest stop for those traveling between London, Colchester and further afield in Suffolk and Norfolk.

Richard II, whose coat of arms was a white heart, is said to have inspired the pub’s name when he reportedly spent the night there in the 15th century.

“It must have been full of people for much of its 500-year existence,” one document reads.

Today its architectural importance is recognized in the monumental status granted to the galleries on the first floor of the building.

Sugar Hut’s fame increased further when owner Mick Norcross was introduced as a TOWIE star in his own right.

Under his leadership, stars such as Pamela Anderson, Frank Lampard and Teddy Sheringham all partied at the venue.

Their performances followed those of TOWIE regulars Joey Essex, Mark Wright and Gemma Collins who all graced the dance floor.

Despite the increasing exposure the ITV cameras provided, Norcross left the show in 2013, saying it had damaged Sugar Hut’s brand.

told The Sun at the time: “My club is a chic location where people come to drink champagne and feel pampered.

“All these arguments they keep filming don’t show the club in a good light and I’m afraid it will put people off coming, which is the last thing I want.”

However, the bar still retained its magnetic appeal to celebrities, hosting wrap parties for Love Island and Celebrity Big Brother and using so-called “Sugar Hut Honeys” to draw the crowds in.

British reform leader Nigel Farage even held a meeting there in 2019 when he was in charge of the Brexit Party.

Norcross eventually sold the venue that year, two years before his death in 2021, as he no longer wanted the TOWIE association.

When it reopened in October 2022, the nightclub promoted itself on its website as appealing to a “new generation of beautiful partygoers”, with immersive theater events and different music genres for “something for everyone”.

Simon Ryan, who appeared in the first series of the ITV programme, said it was once “a Mayfair club in Essex”.

“If you went to Sugar Hut you didn’t know who you were going to meet,” he told BBC Essex.

“They had a very high profile clientele there. It was central to a lot of TOWIE drama and storylines.”

Ryan said Norcross and his son, Kirk, have built a “fantastic experience” for punters looking for a night out.

“You just didn’t know who you were going to see in there and it was a great atmosphere,” he added.

He said it would be “the end of an era” if the building did not continue as a nightclub.

When the building last changed hands, it was bought by Karma Assets Limited in 2012 for £1.3 million.

According to Companies House, the Essex company is led by managing director Zivile Milusauskaite, and still owns Sugar Hut.