Brighton Foodie August leaders announced

Brighton & Hove Foodie Awards August leaders were announced today for the last time until the public’s first choice for best Brighton & Hove restaurant, food pub, café and food shop is revealed on October 3.

Public voting closes at midnight on September 12 and the top ten finalists in each of the four categories will be invited to a grand finale party, sponsored by We Talk Law and Gourmet Britain, where winners will find out if they have won and receive their trophies from Juice FM’s Andrea Fox and foodwriter Andrew Kay, in the beautiful Dome room at Pub du Vin.

With voting up almost 20 per cent on last year, well over 3,000 votes have been registered in the Brighton & Hove Foodie Awards in the past four months since it was launched as part of the city’s Spring food festival, according to organisers Natural PR.

So what’s happening on the leaderboard as we go in to August?

Best Restaurant: Terre a Terre and the Chilli Pickle have maintained their stronghold on the leaderboard staying first and second respectively. Indian Summer has for the first time dropped off the leaderboard losing out on third place to Kemp Town favourites 24 St Georges. It remains incredibly tight with everything to fight for in the last six weeks of voting.

Best Food Pub: The battle for first and second places goes on and this month it is The Prince George who leads, pushing the Ginger Pig back into second place. For the second month running we have a tie for third place with The Foragers in Hove coming onto the leaderboard for the first time since voting opened in April, sharing third position with the Lion and Lobster.

Best Café: Iydea in Trafalgar Street is still holding on to the top spot, whilst Cloud 9 has regained second place in its jostle with Metro Deco, which moves to third position. Can either of them catch Iydea as we enter the last six weeks of voting? That’s up to you!

Best Food Shop: There’s still no change in this category – the wonderful Infinity Foods holds its lead, with the brilliant Taj in second place and the Real Patisserie coming in third. Will there be a shock change in position next month? Only you can make this happen so get voting!

“No more news now until September once voting has closed and finalists are announced. Traditionally there is a rush of voting in the final weeks which can impact tremendously on the final results,” said Paula Seager, MD of Natural PR, who runs the awards.

“Thank you to everyone who has voted and all the food outlets which are so enthusiastically taking part. But remember there are still six weeks to go until voting closes on 12 September and much can change in that time, so come on people in Brighton & Hove, you must have a favourite restaurant, food pub, café and food shop, so please vote now!”

Vote and keep up to date on the leaders board at www.brightonfoodawards.com - everyone has one vote per category.

Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival 2011

The Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival is back all September, offering a month of delicious and quirky events in the UK's most trendy city by the sea. Superb Sussex seasonal fare will blend with Brighton's unique city foodie culture, offering an eclectic mix of tasty events for food lovers, visitors and local families.

Every weekend offers up a major public foodie event, including the centrepiece 'Big Sussex Market' on September 10-11 by the Royal Pavillion, with an exciting Live Food Show with chefs demos.

Kicking off a 'new tradition' this year, 'Sussex Cheese Bowling' will be part of the People's Picnic on 17 September at Preston Park, a great family day out with morris dancers, a real ale bar, and plenty of food stalls; and the Fiery Food Chilli Festival, the biggest UK chilli event, runs September 17-18, offering cult chilli followers an eye-watering, spicy experience.

Sussex will also show off its world-beating bubbly at the Champagne and Sussex Sparking Wine Festival on September 25 at Hotel du Vin.

Every weekend, Sussex Gourmet tours are on offer, with a guided tour of local producers in the stunning Sussex Downs countryside - hop on the vintage bus to discover the provenance of some of the best produce Sussex has to offer - but do book ahead.

Families can also enjoy the 'Sussex and the World Market' by the sea on Hove lawns on September 24, running alongside the Children's Food Festival, with lots of foodies fun for kids.

Lots of other ticketed events and special festival menus are on offer across the city, including 'Make your Case', giving local vintners six minutes to argue why their chosen wine is the best (£15 max per bottle), on September 9 - limited tickets available so get in their quick.

As the festival comes to an end, Brighton Oktoberfest toasts the awards with a showcase of the best Sussex beer and continental beers available from Friday 30 September - Sunday 2 October (ticketed) before the festival curtain closes with the Brighton & Hove Foodie Awards 2011 ceremony in the ballroom of Pub du Vin.

For more information see http://www.brightonfoodawards.com/

Centre of Excellence for local food opens

The centre of excellence for regional food and drink in the south east opened this month at the Brinsbury Campus of Chichester College, to support local farmers, producers, distributors, retailers and hospitality businesses in East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey and Kent.

Said Shelagh Legrave, Principal of Chichester College, “We have created this centre to help bring together and provide special support for the thriving food and drink industry in our region.

“We will provide networking and experience sharing opportunities, quality training and information for the sector, as well as supporting special projects to promote local produce.”

Over 50 leaders in the food and drink industry enjoyed a Sussex sparkling afternoon tea at the launch, with speakers including William Goodwin, a leading local dairy farmer and Vice Chair of the South of England Show.

Cllr Roger Paterson, Cabinet Member for the local economy and Governor of the college, planted a Sorbus torminalis – more commonly known as a chequers tree – as part of a ceremonial opening for the centre, because of its close association with food and drink in the region. It will form part of a rare-breed fruit orchard being developed by the college.

The logo for the centre of excellence has been inspired by the chequers tree, a native to this locality, with an ethnobotony steeped in food and drink.

Said Alison Read, Head of Brinsbury Campus in Pulborough, where the centre is based, “Local pubs and hostelries named Chequers will usually have a chequer tree on or in the locale and the fruits use to be used as a form of hops for brewing to flavour beer. They also have culinary uses and in years gone by were regularly used in desserts and pies.

“The symbolism of this humble tree is fitting with the creation of this centre of excellence which will be working with the food, drink and hospitality communities across the South East region.”

Afternoon tea was made by the students, including sandwiches filled with local free range egg and Sussex Gold mayonnaise, Sussex Farm dry cured gammon, Burwash Rose and Olde Sussex cheeses, home-made cakes and scones, all washed down with Sussex bubbly, apple juice and Hepworths beer.

Hilary Knight from the Sussex Food & Drink Network will be ‘local food expert in residence’ at the centre of excellence, providing advice and expertise to businesses and the centre will be holding the first of a series of planned networking events, bringing producers, retailers, restaurateurs and hoteliers together on 12^th July from 5pm - 7pm. The topical subject of social networking in business ‘to tweet or not to tweet’, will be the first topic and will be free for the food and drink community.

More detail of upcoming plans / specific centre services please contact Alison Read, Head of Brinsbury Campus on 01243 786 321 ext 1172.

Voting opens for Sussex Food & Drink Awards

The sixth annual Sussex Food and Drink Awards is open for votes, with a formal launch at the South of England Show, at the President’s VIP Sussex breakfast, inviting the public to choose their local food heroes online at www.sussexfoodawards.biz.

Awards include:

Sussex Food Producer of the Year – sponsored by The Southern Co-operative.

The winner will be a producer of a single food ingredient or a prepared food product, which is delicious and local to Sussex.

Best Sussex Food/Farm Shop – sponsored by the South Downs National Park and Collabor8. The winner will creatively sell mainly Sussex produce and could be a farm shop, gate sale, a farm delivering local produce, a delicatessen or independent local/high street shop.

Best Sussex Eating Experience – sponsored by Mayo Wynne Baxter.

The winner could be a restaurant, hotel, pub or café which uses and promotes mainly Sussex produce and offers consistently high quality food in an enjoyable atmosphere.

Sussex Farmer of the Year – sponsored by Knill James. The winner will be a Sussex Farmer who has made the greatest contribution to promoting local produce in the county – first round votes should be in by July 29^th for shortlisting and voting re-opens in September.

Sussex Drink Producer of the Year – sponsored by Sussex Food & Drink Network.

The winner will be a drink producer whose products are high quality and delicious. New for this year, the three finalists will include one brewery, one vineyard and one producer of non-alcoholic drinks.

Sussex Butcher of the Year – sponsored by Natural Farms. The winner will be a top quality butcher’s which sells and promotes local farmers’ meat and offers that little bit extra in terms of quality and service.

Sussex Young Chef of the Year – sponsored by Natural PR. Aged 25 or under, the winner will be working or studying in Sussex and be passionate about local produce. First round votes by July 15^th to decide who goes through to a master-chef style cook off.

Best Sussex Farmers Market – sponsored by Harveys. The winner will sell an exciting and varied range of local produce and offer an experience which shoppers, producers and stall holders really enjoy.

Voting will stay open until October 2nd, when a shortlist will be vetted by a panel of experts, chaired by food industry expert, Clive Beddall OBE. Winners will receive their trophies at the awards ceremony, renowned as the Sussex foodie event of the year, on 26^th January 2012.

It will for the first time be held at the stunning new American Express Community Stadium, with a scrumptious seven-course banquet made from the best Sussex ingredients, created by head chef Fred Tobin, supporting Chestnut Tree House, the only children’s hospice in Sussex.

Said Clive Beddall OBE: “Your vote counts, so please do get voting for the wonderful food and drink producers and outlets in our county – and everyone who votes online will be entered into a prize draw to win two tickets to the awards banquet.”

www.sussexfoodawards.biz

Sussex Foodie News June 2011

Click here for Sussex Foodie News June 2011

Top Sussex food event at the Amex

The Sussex Food and Drink Awards 2011/12 awards banquet will be hosted by the American Express Community Stadium, organisers Natural PR announced today.

The event is renowned as the Sussex foodie event of the year and includes a Sussex bubbly and ale reception, scrumptious seven-course banquet made entirely from local produce and a lively awards presentation, attended by leaders in the industry, as well as many die hard foodies.

“This is the first awards event booked at the stadium and we are thrilled to support the Sussex Food & Drink Awards, seeing this as an opportunity to showcase our superb food offer and the quality of our head chef, Fred Tobin, and his team,” said Elliott Moore, General Manager, Catering at the Amex.

The banquet will be held on 26th January 2012, hosted by Danny Pike from BBC Sussex, and tickets will be on sale throughout the year at the awards website – www.sussexfoodawards.biz

Now in its sixth year, the prestigious Sussex Food & Drink Awards is seeking the best food and drink producers, farmer, food/farm shop, farmers market, butcher, eating experience and young chef. Big name sponsors include The Southern Co-operative, South Downs National Park Authority and Collabor8, as well as long-term supporters Mayo Wynne Baxter, Knill James and Harveys Brewery.

Said Clive Beddall OBE, chairman of the judges: “We are excited about holding the event at such a stunning new venue with a chef who has such an impressive track record, which I believe includes preparing banquets at number 10 Downing Street and Chequers, when working as personal chef to John Major.

“We look forward to working with Fred to create a banquet of the exquisite quality which we have grown to expect at this wonderful celebration of Sussex food.”

The Sussex Food & Drink Awards will be launched at the South of England Show on June 9, at the President’s VIP Sussex breakfast, and the public can vote until October 2nd.

Everyone who votes online will be entered into a prize draw to win two tickets to the awards banquet and tickets are on sale at www.sussexfoodawards.biz

Brighton Foodie Awards May leaders announced

Over 1000 people have already voted in the Brighton & Hove Foodie Awards since it was launched as part of the city’s spring food festival last month, according to organisers Natural PR.

Every second Friday of the month, the Foodie leaders – those who have received the most votes from the public – will be announced by foodwriter Andrew Kay and Juice FM's Andrea Fox on her show, until voting closes in September and the final winners are presented with their awards at the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival.

On May 13, in the lead for Best Restaurant is Terre a Terre, with Indian Summer in second place and continuing the Indian theme, the Chilli Pickle in third position.

Best Food Pub: The Prince George is leading the vote in the food pub category, closely followed by the Ginger Pig in second place, with the Basketmakers in third place.

Best Café: Iydea is storming ahead, Cloud 9 is in second place and Temptation is currently third.

Best Food Shop: Infinity Foods is in the lead with Taj in second place, followed by the Real Patisserie.

“We have had a fantastic start with huge enthusiasm from the public and local food outlets,” said Paula Seager, MD of Natural PR. “We hope that by announcing the leaders every month, a spirit of competition and excitement will develop and many other food outlets will join in and encourage their customers to vote for them. It also gives us a great opportunity to highlight our very best food outlets throughout the six months of the competition.”

“In this first month, it’s wonderful to hear vegetarians making their voices heard, with leaders including Infinity Foods and Terre a Terre and we are also hearing support for some lovely traditional pubs, which have combined great ale and local wines with excellent Sussex food.

“The Café category is particularly competitive this year and the food shop category is attracting votes for all kinds of shops, from grocery stores to bakers; from fishmongers to butchers, which is a great way for us to find out about the quality independent food shops we have in the city.

“The full list of outlets which have been voted for can be seen on the website and the competition is still wide open – we have five months of voting to go, so there’s plenty of time for others to get involved and we expect the leaders board to change frequently over the coming months.”

Find out more and place your vote at www.brightonfoodawards.com – everyone has one vote per category.