Tuck your napkin in, and prepare to whet your appetite with our quarterly round up of some of the best Sussex foodie hotspots and experiences.
Sussex Producers and Foodie Experiences
Sussex is blessed with some incredible produce and producers.
South Brockwells Farm, near Uckfield, East Sussex
South Brockwells Farm is a family run, multi award winning farm in East Sussex. They have their own farm shop and kitchen (open Wednesday to Sunday and every day during asparagus season). This is the place to go for Sussex asparagus which they cut daily from the start of the season on St George’s Day (23rd April) to the Summer Solstice (21st June). But they also sell their own homegrown, free-range pork, lamb and goat meat as well as vegetables and produce from other local suppliers.
They’ve also now added their Kitchen to their repertoire, open at the weekends where they serve hot and cold food that showcases local wild game and their produce. If you’re looking for super local produce, this farm should definitely be on your list.
Pure Seafood, Pease Pottage, West Sussex
This family run business was established in 2011 and is part of The Pure Oyster Company (which has been run by the Tabor family since 1907). The Tabor family have actually been in the fish trade for 500 years, originally farming oysters in Brightlingsea, Essex, under the company George Tabor Ltd. Pure Seaford is under the care of 5th generation brothers Nick and Tom. Their shop is open Tuesday to Saturday (9am to 2pm) and you can choose from a glorious selection of whole fish, fillets, shellfish, smoked fish and stocks and sauces. You can also order online.
Beer and Cider by the Sea, Eastbourne
Held on Eastbourne’s Western Lawns, this three-day festival from the 17th to 19th May is an annual event. Try fine ales and cask ciders all kept in the best cellar conditions plus bottled beers of the world, as well as wines and gins. There are CAMRA volunteers on hand too to offer advice and lots of activities across the weekend with food stalls, music and over 100+ real ales, craft beers, ciders and perries to choose from.
Chichester Chilli and Cheese Festival
Held on the 22nd and 23rd of June at Oaklands Park, Chichester, it doesn’t take a genius to work out what to expect at this foodie event. There will be cooking demonstrations and talks by professionals from the cheese and chilli industry, as well as from hosts Chilli Olly and Chilli Dave and there is also live music and other activities such as tastings and even chilli eating competitions across the two days.
Places to eat
Picking a great place to eat is always way a challenge with so many for the Sussex foodie to try, but how about:
Lost in the Lanes, Brighton
Lost in the Lanes in Brighton’s Nile Street opened in 2017 with a mission to serve responsibly sourced, paired back, ingredient led dishes. And they are delivering on that promise with ingredients sourced almost exclusively from Sussex. Their charcuterie is made in Sussex, their meat is from Steyning butchers, and their fish from Brighton and Newhaven. They have a more or less quarterly changing menu to reflect the seasons which they tweak according to availability.
Their menu has an international feel, not least perhaps because of founder Natalie Demetriou’s Greek heritage and time spent in New Zealand, and head chef, Sophie Taverner’s time spent in Spain.
They’ve recently extended their opening hours and offering to include Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 6 pm to 11 pm. A Tapas style menu is the order of the day with some really interesting combinations and flavours. SE favourites have to be salt cod Bolinho, their Lost crispy potatoes with aioli, their chocolate panna cotta and their Lost ice cream. And don’t forget to ask for one of their cocktails inspired by the ingredients of the day.
The Seaview, East Preston
There is a modern feel to The Seaview even though the building dates back to the 1820s. It was taken over by four locals and stylishly refurbished in 2022. Just a short distance from the sea, they have outdoor seating a plenty and you can choose from a bar menu, starter and main, Rat Pack menu and even an Ashling Park wine tasting menu. Their menu is described as pared back with a modern take on the traditional pub experience, and they source ingredients from Trenchmore Farm (Horsham) and Brighton company, The Cheese Man. They are dog friendly and host regular events. Their head chef’s (Kwasi Dua) philosophy revolves around celebrating seasonal and local ingredients. He majors on quality but also sustainability and supporting Sussex farmers. Look out for dishes like their Trenchmore Wagu sirloin steak with tomato, mushroom, chimichurri, broccoli, chips and jus.
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