Every quarter, we do a round up of some of the best Sussex foodie experiences and producers for fine food and drink lovers and the Sussex gourmand.
Springs’ Smokery, West Sussex
Springs’ Smokery in Edburton, West Sussex was established back in 1964 as a family affair, using traditional smoked salmon techniques. And even though Springs’ has recently changed hands, those traditions hold good and are still used today. Their head smoker Nick has worked with them for thirty-five years. They still hand fillet every side, cure with just salt and hang smoke in their brick kilns for over 24 hrs using only whole oak logs. Signature products include Smoked Salmon, Hot Smoked Flaky Salmon, Sweet Cure Gravadlax, Whiskey Smoked Salmon and they do tours.
Rye Fish Market, East Sussex
Inspired by continental fish markets, Rye Fish Market have their own lobster tanks and cook their own lobsters, crabs and whelks too. They also fillet and prepare your fish any way that you like and even help with preparation and cooking tips.
They now have a fully licensed Seafood Bar serving fresh, locally caught, cooked and prepared fish and seafood including fresh oysters. Their fish is all caught by boats in Rye and along the Sussex coastline. Their bread is made by local artisan bakers: brioche by Andrew at the Oak Bakery and sourdough by Rye’s own self-proclaimed Lazy Baker Richard at The Whitehouse. And they have local wines from Charles Palmer, Mountfield and Chapel Down.
MooCoco, Storrington, West Sussex
MooCoco is a small boutique and bespoke artisan chocolaterie specialising in making traditional hand filled chocolate truffles and chocolate gifts. They describe themselves as “a haven and a sanctuary. A place of nostalgia, luxury and indulgence”. Where they can, they use local ingredients and they have won 2* and 1* Great Taste awards for their chocolate truffles, and have also won both silver and bronze awards and multiple commendations from the Academy of Chocolate.
Gigi’s Bead Making Experiences, Hove, East Sussex
Each bread making class here is tailored to the individual in small groups of up to four and you leave with beautiful warm bread to enjoy at home. The classes are seasonally themed with food to accompany the bread, and spring and Easter breads are described as representing “the return of sunlight and awakening of the soul”. Your host and teacher, Gigi, uses her own city garden for herbs and vegetables. She also supplies bread to local health food stores and is a member of Stoneham Bakehouse, a bakery run by volunteers in her local community. Classes include sourdough and focaccia making.
Tottington Manor Terra Restaurant, West Sussex
If you’re looking for a restaurant that majors on using locally sourced ingredients, then look no further than this South Downs restaurant. They cook everything from scratch in their own kitchen using South Downs cheese, butter and bread.
Their lamb is from the fields opposite, their seafood from Newhaven and the furthest anything travels is their beef from Surrey. Their fruit and vegetables are sourced from Chef’s Farms, and they have a fabulous selection of Sussex wines which includes Court Garden, Ridgeview, Kinsbrook, Plumpton, Albourne, Bolney and Poynings. With a footpath from almost directly outside the restaurant, you can climb Tottington Mount and Edburton Hill to build up an appetite first.
The Bell at Ticehurst, East Sussex
The Bell was originally a coaching inn dating back to the 1560s. More recently, it was awarded two rosettes for culinary excellence in 2023, and again, uses locally sourced fresh ingredients, like their eggs which are delivered by foot (or sometimes by horse). Their menu includes wholesome classics like braised beef brisket, salted caramel tart and a Sussex cheese selection and their drinks menu includes Sussex gins like Generation 11, and wines from Chapel Down, Blackboys, Rathfinny, and Bluebell vineyard.
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