All is safely gathered in

Andrew Kay looks forward to the rapidly approaching Brighton & Hove Food & Drink Festival

It hardly seems like five minutes I was standing on the stage in Victoria Gardens for the Spring Harvest Live Food Show. It was so cold, I never took my coat off, and my words were caught in the chill air like ethereal surtitles. Despite that, it was amazingly well attended as crowds gathered to see local chefs cooking seasonal and local produce. Now we are only five weeks away from the Brighton and Hove Food and Drink Festival’s Autumn Harvest offering – and the menu is as delicious as ever with plenty of old favourites and some exciting new events.

Our hugely popular Make Your Case ‘punk’ wine tasting evening returns on Thursday 5 September with our wine experts – including Henry Butler, Simon Broad, Ziggy Grinbergs, Olivia Reid, Jason Brennan and Terrie Kasianczuk and host yours truly – pitching favourite vino to the discerning, voting audience.

Whilst the audience sample the wine blind, presenters have three minutes to ‘sell’ why their wine is the best – but they can’t mention the grape, price or country of origin. Then you score for presentation and taste – the wine with the highest score at the end of the night is declared champion! Your ticket includes all your wines, plus a two-course meal of sharing platters from the kitchens of Pub du Vin.

How about Bitter & Twisted? Moi? Well, we certainly will be on Friday 6 September with the beer and cider version of our Make Your Case event. Local breweries, pubs and cider makers each have three minutes to present a drink to the audience whilst you score the presentation and taste.

We’re welcoming back the Brighton Bier Co., North Laine Brewery, Hepworth and Wobblegate plus a host of new friends from across Sussex.

Our CAMRA experts will also be on-hand to give the drinks a big thumbs up… or thumbs down! Tickets includes all your beer/cider, plus a two-course meal of sharing platters from the kitchens of Pub du Vin. (If you are booking in a group for either of these events then you must email us seven days prior to the event to ensure we allocate you to the same table.)

Following the sell-out success of this year’s Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival Spring and Autumn Harvest Sussex Gourmet Bus Tours, we’ve added another date. We’ll be hopping on board our vintage Routemaster on Saturday 24 August to explore Sussex’s award-winning wine industry. After pastries and local juices on the bus, our first stop is the beautiful Wiston Estate where we’ll have a tour of the winery before tasting a selection of English sparkling wines all made in the traditional method.

Then it’s over to Ridgeview Wine Estate at nearby Ditchling for a leisurely gourmet buffet lunch from Brighton’s favourite supper club – Cantina – before a tour of the vineyard and winery followed by an extensive tasting of Ridgeview’s award-winning sparkling wines including the Bloomsbury which was served at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations last year.

Our last stop will be back in Brighton, where we’ll complete our day with canapés and classic sparkling wine cocktails created by the expert bar team from Drakes of Brighton (and Champagne truffles from the kitchens of Terre á Terre). We’ll also be having a fun wine quiz en route with a fantastic prize of dinner for two plus wine at Hotel du Vin bistro, and there’ll be opportunities to purchase all the wines by the bottle on the tour.

Don’t miss this exclusive day out discovering why Sussex is one of the world’s leading emerging wine regions – and having a lot of fun on the way!

Pantry, Parlour, Piano Nobile – A Regency Food Tour is one of our exciting new events on Saturday 7 September from 11am–5pm at The Regency Town House, Brunswick Square. Journey through the strata of late Georgian society and food on Saturday 7 September on a tour of The Regency Town House. Coachman John Skinner enters the kitchen for some sustenance before driving the ladies along Marine Parade. Meanwhile, Ann Briggs discusses the evening’s dinner over cake in the Housekeepers Room. In the Dining Room, James Dumbrell of Kemp Town talks politics, whilst in the Drawing Room, the lady of the house Martha Hankey takes after dinner tea…

The Flauguissimo Duo – soon to feature in the Brighton Early Music Festival – will be playing period pieces throughout the day.

Our interactive food and drink tour lasts approximately 45 minutes, running every 45 minutes from 11am to 5pm. You will meet household members and hear their stories, as you taste typical food and drink from the period. This event is supported by the Brighton Early Music Festival (BREMF), Butler’s Wine Cellar, La Cave a Fromage, Hepworth Brewery, L’Eglise & Metrodeco.

The same evening, join us at 7pm for An Evening of Regency Wine & Cheese With Mr Butler & Mr Deaves, again at The Regency Town House. Join Henry Butler of Butler’s Wine Cellar and David Deaves of La Cave a Fromage for an exclusive tasting evening. Sample wines and cheeses typical of the Regency period whilst you enjoy anecdotes and music from the Flauguissimo Duo in the elegant surrounds of The Regency Town House.

This is just a taster and remember that I will be on the Live Food stage on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September for more foodie fun and games, guest chefs, the Brighton Curry Competition final and Extreme Food Challenge.

Please remember the festival is run by a voluntary committee of local business people, all of who share a passion for good food and drink, and a common goal to promote the city of Brighton & Hove and surrounding Sussex. Uniquely for an organisation of its size, we are a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, and rely on the huge dedication and commitment of the committee members and the many businesses who continuously and generously support our activities and goals:
Brighton and Hove Food and Drink Festival Autumn Harvest 2013, Thursday 5 – Sunday 15 September 2013, www.brightonfoodfestival.com

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