Food & Drink Festival is a win win win win event

The launch of the 10th Brighton and Hove Food and Drink Festival, “Spring Harvest”, was toasted with local bubbly from Ditchling’s Court Garden Vineyard on Friday.

Green Party MP, Caroline Lucas said the festival marked four “wins” for Brighton – promoting local food, tourism, boosting Brighton’s economy and benefiting the local community.

The festival won Leisure and Tourism Award at this year’s Sussex Business Awards, and Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex Peter Field credited the new international chef exchange for the achievement.

The event also opened public voting for the Foodie Awards to find the city’s favourite eateries.

Chair of the Festival, Roger Marlowe, said: “We want to focus on attracting people nationally and internationally to the city as a food destination.

“Despite the recession people can still enjoy and treat themselves to good food.”

For details on all the events over the festival’s ten days, visit www.brightonfoodfestival.com, and to vote in the Foodie Awards, go to www.brightonfoodawards.com

Words: Damien Murphy