Five Sussex farmers shortlisted for awards

With only a month to go before voting closes on October 2 in this year’s Sussex Food and Drink Awards, the shortlist for Sussex Farmer of the Year, sponsored by Knill James, was revealed today and the public invited to choose their favourite.

Five of the cream of the crop have beaten over 50 farmers nominated for this prestigious prize, to reach the judging panel’s shortlist, sponsored by Knill James. They include Robin and Kevin Ashby of Willetts Farm in Blackham; Tim Hassell of Home Farm in Goodwood; Steve and Phil Hook of Longleys Farm in Hailsham; Jenny and Trevor Passmore of Church Farm in Lancing; and Rother Valley Organics’ Shon and Simon Sprackling at Sandilands Farm in Rogate.

“All five candidates have been chosen for going the extra mile in promoting Sussex food and farming and all have really made a mark on the local produce industry,” said Suzanne Craig of Knill James, who co-leads the firm’s specialist agriculture, food & drink team with Kevin Powell.

“I am delighted to have seen so many superb farmers, from the full length and breadth of Sussex, entered into the awards and it’s been very tough narrowing down the shortlist this year. We now ask the public to vote – at www.sussexfoodawards.biz - for the one they think is most deserving of this year’s trophy.”

Details follow:

Robin and Kevin Ashby, Willetts Farm, Blackham, East Sussex

Father and son Robin and Kevin Ashby are fourth generation Sussex farmers. Robin, now 73, returned to what was then a traditionally-run farm after completing his National Service and by the late 1980's decided to expand and diversify the farm. His wife Audrey had always produced wonderful home-made ice cream using milk from their own award- winning dairy herd and so the idea was born for Willetts Farm Ice Cream. Now produced in 16 flavours plus four sorbets, the ice cream is sold primarily through local farm shops and delicatessens and is much loved by foodies across the county.

Tim Hassell, Home Farm, Goodwood, Nr Chichester, West Sussex

Tim Hassell became Farm General Manager at Goodwood in October 2009, moving to Sussex with his wife and two children to take over this huge concern, with a staff of 13. Born in Sheffield near the steelworks, his family worked in the steel industry, but he lived near a farm as a child and loved agriculture and rural life from an early age, so went to Agricultural College rather than the steelworks. He started his working life on a Youth Training Scheme on a farm in Burton, moved around the country gaining experience, and has lived in Tamworth near Gloucester, Newcastle then Basingstoke, where he worked on his first organic farm. Innovations which Tim has overseen include rearing Christmas turkeys and a new venture to press cheeses. In conjunction with their Farm Shop, the Goodwood team runs farm walks and tours and hosts school visits, promoting food and farming.

Steve and Phil Hook, Longleys Farm, Hailsham, East Sussex

Hook and Sons have gone from strength to strength in the last three years, since they won Sussex Farmer of the Year in 2008/09. Their organic raw milk, initially just available in the local area, is now sold in three London markets including the prestigious Borough Market and this, coupled with their new UK-wide online ordering service, has helped sales more than triple. The product range has also expanded to include cream and butter and this expansion has meant an increase from eight to 16 staff in the last two years. Looking ahead, the Hooks want to go to more London markets and create a new milking and processing system. They also hope to be able to increase visitor numbers to Longleys Farm, giving them the option to stay on the farm in yurts.

Jenny and Trevor Passmore, Church Farm, Coombes, Nr Lancing, West Sussex

Former winners of Sussex Farmer of the Year, brother and sister Jenny and Trevor Passmore run Church Farm together and their mother Mary, now 90, still helps out. Their father Dick was awarded an MBE for his work in education and conservation in the rural community and Jenny’s son Andrew is now at Plumpton College and hopes to become the fifth generation of the Passmore family to run the farm in the future. Church Farm is farm assured and classified an Environmentally Sensitive Area and farms sheep, cattle and arable land. The farm is open to the public, averaging 15,000 visitors a year, mainly during lambing, but also hosting music festivals, beer festivals and weddings.

Shon and Simon Sprackling, Rother Valley Organics, Nr Rogate, West Sussex

Shon and his brother Simon manage a commercial farm of over 4000 acres, with a large organic butcher’s selling meat directly to customers, through farmers markets and to local shops. Shon gives talks to various organisations about local produce and the story behind Rother Valley Organics, which is renowned for its excellent animal welfare and good husbandry. He works with other local producers putting meat into their products, including the local brewery for beef and ale pies. Their butchering and cold store is the largest in the area and many other local producers use it to get their meat to market. Shon and Simon are also known for their environmental conservation and help organisations such as the local Council, National Trust and others to effectively manage and graze their land in a sustainable way. They are particularly proud that their organic beef is classified as a high health status herd which lives on grass all the year round.

Other remaining categories for this year’s awards include: Sussex Food Producer of the Year, sponsored by The Southern Co-operative; Sussex Drink Producer of the Year, sponsored by Sussex Food and Drink Network; Best Sussex Eating Experience, sponsored by Mayo Wynne Baxter; Sussex Young Chef of the Year sponsored by Natural PR with support from City College Brighton & Hove; Best Sussex Food/Farm Shop sponsored by South Downs National Park and Collabor8; Sussex Butcher of the Year sponsored by Natural Farms; and Best Sussex Farmers Market, sponsored by the Lewes brewers Harveys.

This month boasts a plentiful supply of fantastic events across the county for all food and drink lovers. The Brighton and Hove Food & Drink Festival is running throughout September, the Horsham Food Festival is about to kick off and there is something happening almost daily for people to enjoy. Find out more at www.sussexfoodawards.biz

Brighton Food Festival Now On!

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 Pavilion, 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 & Sussex Sparkling 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 foodie 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^th – limited tickets available so get in there 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 30th September - Sunday 2nd October (ticketed) before the festival curtain closes with the Brighton & Hove Foodie Awards 2011 ceremony in the ballroom of Pub du Vin (www.brightonfoodawards.com).

For more information see www.brightonfoodfestival.com

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