Sussex Exclusive

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Return of Sussex Food & Drink Awards

Back in April, the Sussex Food and Drink Awards 2021 were announced. In their 15th year, you could be forgiven for having missed this because at the time, of course, we were still grappling with lockdown restrictions and there was no gala dinner for the winners.

But this week, Sussex Food and Drink hosted a “Revival” event at Borde Hill near Haywards Heath. The food and drink gods of Sussex were surely happy with the offering as the September sun shone and award winners and guests enjoyed sumptuous nibbles, locally produced drinks, some great local music and a chance to mingle! Sussex Food and Drink Awards

Our highlights 

If your tummy is rumbling, there is a list of the winners and finalists below. But as a small but perfectly formed team from SE attended this week’s event, we thought we’d share our highlights. It goes without saying, we’ll also be trying to catch up with some of the attendees in due course to get a few inside stories and some Sussex foodie news. Sussex Food and Drink

Gin, glorious gin!

I was delighted to catch up with Paul and Kate from Tom Cat Gin. The last time our paths crossed, I accidentally bought four bottles of their Cloudy Mango! What can I say, it was Christmas and the lovely thing about their mango gin is that it’s not too sweet and easily adapts from a warming winter drink to a cool summer one … not that mine lasted that long. Since I met them last, they’ve released a new blueberry gin, and news from the horse’s mouth is that a cloudy rhubarb gin may be in the pipeline!

Tom Cat Gin
Paul and Kate from Tom Cat Gin

And whilst talking of gin, what a delight to meet Jude White from Brighton Gin. Brighton Gin is another local brand packed with personality and their gins are vegan and gluten-free. They deliver some of their gins by way of the gin bike (oh my, I want one of those) and offer distillery tours. Guess where I’m heading soon.

Sussex Food and Drink Awards
Jude White from Brighton Gin and Melita Dennett from BBC Sussex

Hear, hear! For our local beer 

We probably don’t write enough about local beer at Sussex Exclusive so I was delighted to catch up with the team from Long Man Brewery, winner of the Sussex Drink Producer of the Year.  These guys also have an interesting backstory and they are unique in that they grow their own barley as part of farm diversification as well as being passionate about conservation and sustainability. They have a tasting room and run brewery tours and they also work with Exmoor ponies (a childhood passion of mine).

Sussex food and Drink

Talking of farmers 

You know we love a good farmers market here at SE, and the word on the street is that Forest Row Farmers is going from strength to strength (along with Horsham, Shoreham, and of course, the award winner Lewes Farmers Market). It was also an absolute delight to meet Stacey Ayles from Stacey’s Larder. This new farm shop is a Covid success story having opened during the first lockdown online and having recently opened a store in Forest Row. Better still, the Ayles are a farming family with a small herd and strong views about being environmentally friendly and keeping it local. They run online butchers where you can buy their pasture-raised meat and eggs direct.

Sussex Food and Drink

For the love of a good pastry

Jengers Craft Bakery in Billingshurst seems to just keep making the headlines, and it’s not surprising really as they ooze personality and always seem to be cooking up something fresh including breads, cakes and savouries. I think I’ve wangled an invite to do some taste testing there so I’ll be heading that way soon but they were of course winners of the Sussex Producer of the Year.

Jengers Craft Bakery
Mark Sheath from Jengers Craft Bakery

Piglets Pantry

And of course, I couldn’t not mention that Sussex Exclusive won the prize draw of an Afternoon Tea box! Thank you to NFU Mutual Pulborough and Piglets Pantry. Based in Worthing, Piglets Pantry were known for their hand-filled pies, handmade sausage rolls, cakes and biscuits, but like many others, during the pandemic, they had to diversify! Cue Afternoon Tea and wow, what a treat. Home-made scotch eggs, quiche and sausage rolls, followed by scones, cream and jam and cake … lashings of cake!

Sussex food and drink
Matt Baker from NFU Mutual and SE’s Lucy Pitts

It was great to see so many local producers bouncing back from lockdown and the pandemic and it’s even better to see their passion and care about what they do. The moral, if any, of this week’s event is that now, more than ever before, we need to get behind our local producers and support them. It tastes better that way and really helps make our county a better place! But for now, please pass the Gaviscon.

Sussex Food and Drink

If you’ve enjoyed this post about the Sussex Food & Drink Awards, you may also like:

6 of the Best Sussex Foodie Experiences

Steyning Food & Drink Festival

Sussex Foodie Experiences: Learn How to Bake Artisan Bread

Sussex Autumn Supper Clubs

 

The 2021 heroes of the Sussex food and drink awards

 

Sussex Food Producer of the Year, sponsored by Southern Co-op

WINNER: Jengers Craft Bakery, Billingshurst, West Sussex

GRAND FINALISTS: Bangers Galore, Horsham, West Sussex; and The Sussex Biltong Co, Balcombe, West Sussex

 

Sussex Drink Producer of the Year, sponsored by Natural PR

WINNER: Long Man Brewery, Litlington, East Sussex

GRAND FINALISTS: Bolney Wine Estate, Bolney, West Sussex; and Ridgeview Wine Estate, Ditchling Common, East Sussex

 

Sussex Butcher of the Year, sponsored by RP Meats Wholesale Ltd

WINNER: Tablehurst Farm, Forest Row, East Sussex

GRAND FINALISTS:

Cottenhams of Lindfield – Craft Butchers, Lindfield, West Sussex; and Nick The Butcher, Hartfield, East Sussex

 

Sussex Farmers Market of the Year, sponsored by Harvey’s Brewery

WINNER: Lewes Farmers Market, East Sussex

GRAND FINALISTS: Horsham Market (Saturday), West Sussex; and Shoreham Farmers Market, West Sussex

 

Sussex Eating Experience of the Year, sponsored by Lloyds Bank Cardnet

WINNER: The Fig Tree, Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex

GRAND FINALISTS: Into The Blue, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex; and The Cat Inn, West Hoathly, West Sussex

 

Sussex Food Shop of the Year, sponsored by Sussex Food and Drink Network

WINNER: Rushfields Farm Shop, Poynings, West Sussex

GRAND FINALISTS: Jeremy’s Two, Cowfold, West Sussex; and Veasey & Sons Fishmongers, Forest Row, East Sussex

 

Sussex Newcomer of the Year, sponsored by SRC-Time

WINNER: Heritage by Matt Gillan, Slaugham, West Sussex

GRAND FINALISTS: Heritage Wheat, Keymer, West Sussex; and Skylark Cafe Restaurant, Eastbourne, East Sussex

 

Sussex Street Food of the Year, sponsored by Horsham District Foodies supported by Food Rocks

WINNER: Mann & Moore, Horsham, West Sussex

GRAND FINALISTS: Pizza Leonati, Hooe, East Sussex; and The BBQ Project, St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex

 

Sussex Young Chef of the Year, sponsored by Blakes Foods

WINNER: Dan Ibbotson from etch. in Brighton & Hove

GRAND FINALISTS: Freddie Innes, who was working at Ockenden Manor Hotel, Cuckfield, West Sussex; and Thomas Thwaites from Rathfinny Tasting Room, Alfriston, East Sussex

Young Sussex Farmer of the Year, sponsored by Natural Partnerships CIC in association with Farmers Weekly magazine

WINNER: Dan Hird, Lambert Farm, Plumpton, East Sussex

GRAND FINALISTS: Conor Haydon, who was working at Goodwood Estate, Chichester, West Sussex; and Dan Wells, who was working at Holmbush Farm, Balcombe, West Sussex

 

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