Brighton And Hove Food And Drink Festival: Sussex And The World Market 2015

Saturday, August 29, to Monday, August 31

THE third instalment of Brighton And Hove Food And Drink Festival 2015 takes over Hove Lawns this bank holiday weekend.

The festival, which celebrates the food producers and restaurants of Brighton, Hove and Sussex, has been split into four sections this year, covering the Easter Weekend, Brighton Fringe in May, the August bank holiday and Christmas season.

Events for this autumn feast began on Wednesday with the ever-popular International Chef Exchange. Craig Jones, of St Lucia’s Cliff at Cap Maison, joined forces with Andrew Mackenzie of Drakes in Brighton’s Marine Parade for a tropical three-course menu.

And last night distiller Sarah Thompson of Blackdown Sussex Spirits and chefs Jeremy Ashpool and Jimmy Gray from Jeremy’s Restaurant in Borde Hill Garden in Haywards Heath hosted their own spirits-matched three-course meal.

The Sussex And The World Market marquee is setting up its stall today with a food and wine matching evening from 7.30pm. Tickets for the £55 six-course tasting menu, matched with Sussex wines, are available from the website below.

For those more casual foodies the weekend market – which for the first time runs over the whole three days of the August bank holiday - offers stalls by more than 85 local producers and restaurants, plus some carefully selected guests from further afield.

Look out for the Taste Guernsey stall from partners Guernsey International Food Festival.

Running alongside the market is a Live Food Show, hosted by Latest TV’s Andrew Kay, with special guests from top-rated Sussex restaurants Silo, The Pass, The Salt Room, The Chilli Pickle, 64 Degrees, Drakes and Isaac At.

The free 40-minute demonstrations start at noon on Saturday and Monday, with the chefs producing a selection of dishes from their menu, and facing a five-minute challenge using local wild game supplied by Taste Of Game.

There’s an additional food competition for chefs on Sunday, as Kieron James of Beach BBQ challenges Brighton chefs to create a tasty barbecue dish from 2pm and 4pm.

Youngsters who would like to try their hand at whipping up some kitchen delicacies can take part in the free Children’s Food Festival which runs from 11am to 4pm from Saturday to Monday in the Festival Marquee. The tent will host a series of interactive food and craft activities aimed at would-be Jamie Olivers and Nigella Lawsons.

More attractions over the weekend are the Sussex Drinks Tent, which has the best of Sussex craft beers and lagers from Horsham’s King Beer and The Collective, cider from Bolney-based Wobblegate, the Mixology rum shack, a selection of Blackdown spirits from near Pulborough and a choice of English wines – including Albourne, Stopham, Ridgeview and Wiston - selected by the team from Butlers Wine Cellar.

Anyone fancying a boogie over the weekend can go old-school in Metrodeco’s Tea Dance on Sunday, August 30. Free dance classes from Sussex Swing are being held in the marquee from noon to 4pm for dancers of all ages, before a free dance session from 4pm to 6pm, all washed down with loose leaf tea, cakes and tea-based cocktails courtesy of Blackdown Spirits.

And Boho Gelato has its own blacked-out day-glo disco on Hove Lawns from Saturday, August 29, to Bank Holiday Monday, with £5 children’s sessions, including three ice cream tasters, from noon to 4pm, before the adults take over from 5pm to 8pm. Entry to the adult sessions cost £12, including two granita or ice cream cocktails. Tickets can be bought in advance from www.brightonfoodfestival.com

Starts Sat/Sun 10am to 8pm, Mon 10am to 6pm, free. Visit www.brightonfoodfestival.com