Over a hundred Sussex food and drink business
leaders gathered on 7 July at the new Big Reveal event held at Jeremy’s
Restaurant at Borde Hill Gardens in Mid Sussex
to hear the 65 finalists announced in the Sussex Food and Drink Awards 2014/15.
Jeremy’s Restaurant, winner of the Best Sussex
Eating Experience 2013/14, provided an ideal venue to host the many farmers,
butchers, chefs, market organisers, shop keepers, brewers and vintners from the
far reaches of East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton & Hove at the Big
Reveal event. All enjoyed delicious
local food and drink and met the sponsor judges, winners from previous years
and gained top tips about what could make them a winner of a coveted trophy.
“Now in
their ninth year, these unique awards are all about boosting the market for
Sussex produce and letting people in the county know about the fantastic food
and drink grown and made in Sussex, as well as the many great restaurants,
pubs, cafes and food shops where it can be bought and enjoyed,” said Paula
Seager, co-director of Natural Partnerships CIC, which runs the awards.
Hosting the Big Reveal event was BBC Sussex radio
presenter, Neil Pringle who congratulated all the finalists in this year’s
awards. The competition is set to be very
tough this year with an impressive line up of candidates including lots of new
names, as well as some familiar ones, who have made it onto through as a
finalist.
Said Paula, “The quality is consistently high in
this competition and we are urging people to try out the produce on the
finalists list and vote for their favourites to win at www.sussexfoodawards.biz. Voting is
open until 26th September and every vote counts!”
“Aside from receiving their trophies, Grand
Finalists get free tickets to THE Sussex foodie event of the year, the Sussex
Food & Drink Awards Banquet, which is a superb seven-course banquet created
entirely from local produce, to be held on 29th January 2015 – but
most importantly, the winners get huge respect and recognition.”
Awards include:
· Sussex Food Producer of the Year sponsored by The
Southern Cooperative
· Sussex Drink Producer of the Year sponsored by Sussex
Food Network
· Sussex Food Shop of the Year sponsored by Veasey
& Sons and Cheese Please
· Sussex Butcher of the Year sponsored by Bodiam Food
School and Natural Farms
· Sussex Farmers Market of the Year sponsored by
Harvey’s of Lewes
· Sussex Eating Experience of the Year sponsored by
Natural PR
· Sussex Farmer of the Year sponsored by Spofforths
·
Sussex Young
Chef of the Year sponsored by Sodexo Prestige
Nominations for Sussex Young Chef of the Year
remain open until the 20th September, when the top six will be selected
to go forward as usual for the cook-off in October.
Following is the finalists list - you can vote for your favourites at: www.sussexfoodanddrinkawards.biz
Sussex Food and Drink
Awards 2014/15 Finalists:
Sussex
Food Producer of the Year, sponsored by The Southern Cooperative
Beal's Farm Charcuterie, Barcombe, East Sussex
Caroline's Dairy, Sidlesham, West Sussex
Cocoa Loco, West Grinstead, West Sussex
Love Food, Worthing, West Sussex
Mud Foods, Midhurst, West Sussex
Nell Ball Farm Foods, Plaistow, West Sussex
Ouse Valley Foods, Piltdown, West Sussex
Piglet’s Pantry, Worthing, West Sussex
Sussex Gold, Partridge Green, West Sussex
The Hungry Guest Bakery, Chichester, West Sussex
Sussex
Drink Producer of the Year sponsored by the Sussex Food Network
Ambriel Sparkling (Redfold Vineyards), Nutbourne,
West Sussex
Blackdown Spirits, Lurgashall, West Sussex
Gran Stead’s Ginger, Portslade, East Sussex
Hastings Brewery, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex
Highdown Vineyard, Ferring, West Sussex
Kings Beer, Horsham, West Sussex
Langham Brewery, Lodsworth, West Sussex
Plumpton College Winery, Plumpton, East Sussex
Ridgeview Wine Estate, Ditchling, East Sussex
Wobblegate, Bolney, West Sussex
Sussex
Food Shop of the Year sponsored by Veaseys and Cheese Please
Charlie’s Farm Shop, Bury, West Sussex
Crates Local, Horsham, West Sussex
Hisbe, Brighton
Rushfields Farm Shop, Poynings, West Sussex
Rye Delie, Rye, East Sussex
Tablehurst Farm Shop, Forest Row, East Sussex
Tottingworth Farm Shop, Heathfield, West Sussex
Townings Farm Shop, North Chailey, East Sussex
Sussex
Butcher of the Year sponsored by Bodiam Food School and Natural Farms
A. C. Coughtrey, Pulborough, West Sussex
Allan Martin Meats, Ashurst Wood, West Sussex
Bramptons Butchers, Kemptown, Brighton
Busters Farm Produce, Salehurst, East Sussex
Holmansbridge Farm Shop, Barcombe, East Sussex
John Murray Butchers, Loxwood, West Sussex
Leppards Family Butchers, Mayfield, East Sussex
May's of Stockbridge, Chichester, West Sussex
Old Spot Farm Shop, Piltdown, East Sussex
Steyning Butchers, Steyning, West Sussex
Sussex
Farmers Market of the Year sponsored by Harvey’s of Lewes
Arundel Farmers Market, West Sussex
Chichester Farmer Market, West Sussex
Horsham Local Produce Market, West Sussex
Lewes Farmers Market, East Sussex
Shoreham Farmers Market, West Sussex
Steyning Farmers Market, West Sussex
Uckfield Farmers Market, East Sussex
Sussex
Eating Experience of the Year sponsored by Natural PR
24 St Georges, Kemptown, Brighton
Amberley Castle, The Queens Room Amberley, West
Sussex
Restaurant Tristan, Horsham, West Sussex
The Bell Inn Ticehurst, East Sussex
The Coach and Horses, Danehill, East Sussex
The Crabtree, Lower Beeding, West Sussex
The Curlew Restaurant, Bodiam, East Sussex
The Royal Oak Inn, East Lavant, West Susssex
Wingrove House, Alfriston, East Sussex
Zari’s Restaurant and Lounge, Crawley, West Sussex
Sussex
Farmer of the Year sponsored by Spofforths
Carole Uridge (Townings Farm), North Chailey, East
Sussex
Charlie Burrell (Knepp Castle Estate), West
Grinstead, West Sussex
Charlie Hughes (Southview Farm), Bury, Nr
Pulborough, West Sussex
Howard Corney (Court Garden Farm), Ditchling, East
Sussex
John Ford (Priors Byne Farm), Partridge Green, West
Sussex
Simon and Julia Feakes (Sussex Lamb), Green Street,
Nr Horsham, West Sussex
Simon and Shon Sprackling (Rother Valley Organics),
Rogate, West Sussex
The Goring Family (Wiston Estate), Washington, West
Sussex
Tim and Charles Harrison (Pallinghurst Farm),
Rudgwick, West Sussex
Tim Hassell (Goodwood Home Farm), Goodwood, West
Sussex
