The Restaurant at Drakes

The best of Sussex

After a month of Brighton Festival, the Fringe and of course the Brighton & Hove Food & Drink Festival I was pretty much ready for a few nights in. Who wouldn’t be? It was not to be though, and I am glad to say the event that drew me out was a rather splendid invitation to host at The Restaurant at Drakes for their Sussex Winemakers Dinner, a part of the celebrations of English Wine Week, another rather good festival celebrating the local wines that are shaking up the wine world. We must all be aware of the booming wine business that is sweeping the county and hardly a day goes by without there being some announcement of an international figure being given something special from Sussex to drink.
So what is it that makes those drinks so special? Well I was about to find out. My job was pretty simple, or so it would seem. I had to try to explain how one goes about matching wines to food. Well it’s no easy task, and of course we will all have our own preferences as no two people’s palates are the same. I suggested that one should always stick to a simple rule, which is to drink the wines that you like, do not be swayed by tradition or received knowledge. Simplistic and perhaps less than adventurous. Fortunately that night we were privileged to be led by people with real knowledge. Lucky enough to have four fabulous local wine and spirit makers who had each brought along their wines for us to enjoy with a specially created menu.
Our winemakers were Alison Nightingale from Albourne Estate, Tom Bartlett, Winemaker at Stopham Estate, Collette O’Leary one of the winemaking team from Bluebell Vineyard Estate and Sarah Thompson from Blackdown Distillery.
The menu had been created by head chef Andy Vitez. Andy is not new to Drakes, he has been cooking there for over five years under the direction of, and often standing in for ex-Head Chef Andrew MacKenzie. He is now head chef in his own right and he has worked with restaurant manager Anthony Flaherty and sommelier Eddy Monin to create the night’s menu and matched Sussex wines.
Alison Nightingale matched the pea and broad bean risotto with Golden Cross goat cheese and wild asparagus with her Bacchus 2014, Albourne Estate, a brilliant coupling that went down very well. Tom Bartlett matched the pan fried turbot, salmon and crab ravioli with sea vegetables and a spiced crab broth with an excellent Pinot Gris 2014, Stopham Vineyards. Collette O’Leary served her ‘Hindleap‘ Sparkling Rose 2011, Bluebell Vineyard Estate with the Vanilla bavarois, compote of berries and lavender shortbread to great effect and to finish Sarah Thompson matched the selection of local Sussex cheese with chutney, fruit breads and black grapes with her port-like Blackberry liqueur from Blackdown Cellars.
These kind of events are a must for serious food and wine lovers and offer great value when you analyse what we were treated to, fine wines in generous full servings and fabulous luxury ingredients cooked with real skill.
The Restaurant at Drakes,
43-44 Marine Parade, Brighton, BN2 1PE,
01273 696934
drakesofbrighton.com