Andrew Kay: And the winner is…

Awards season is now almost a year round state. Here in Brighton and Hove and across Sussex we love them, our own little Oscars, for music, business, food and festivals, from Brighton Festival and Fringe to the Oska Brights, my particular favourites.

I love them, particularly when I am involved either in the organisation or, even better, when, along with my colleagues at the Brighton and Hove Food and Drink Festival, we have been nominated.

Here at Latest, we have just had our annual Latest Festival Awards. The evening started with the lovely Lynn Ruth Miller doing her show, Granny’s Gone Wild, which went down a storm with the anxious audience of nominees. After that I took to the stage, once again with Lynn Ruth, to present the awards.

We started with Paul Levy from The Fringe Review. He gave away one of his rare awards, a blue teapot and a certificate. Then came our award for Best Artists Open House, a much deserved one too, going to The Ceramic House.

After that it was full steam ahead with the rest and it all went rather well until I managed to suggest that if Lynn Ruth and Andrew Comben were to have a love child it would probably look like our top award winner this year – Michael Rosen. It was meant in jest and I have to hope that no one really took offence.

Later the same week I attended The Brighton and Hove Business Awards – such a fun event. Organised by the inimitable Caraline Brown of award-winning PR outfit Midnight Communications, they forged a new and rather jolly format. Moving away from the corporate black tie and dinner ideas of old, Caraline served them up on Brighton Pier with prosecco and lakes of wine, fish ‘n’ chips, sausages, candy-floss and popcorn.

The marvellous Laura Nixon and Jim Deveraux hosted as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley, and everyone got into the mood.

“I downed another glass of fizz and gritted my face into a ‘well done’ smile that barely covered the disappointment”

I had already been to a sparkling wine tasting at Pub du Vin so I was in a jolly mood from the very start and soon settled in with a cone of chips and some battered fish. The comperes did a few numbers and we were off. Nominated in two categories we were praying we would win at least one, so when the first went to a competitor the tension in the team rose. I downed another glass of fizz and gritted my face into a ‘well done’ smile that barely covered the disappointment. But that was not for long as we won the second one. Gathering the team together we made for the stage and, as ever, our MD Mr Mosley stayed at the back (he’s a modest chap), and I was left to say thank you. I didn’t cry or thank my family. I did remind the gathered crowd that we are a CIC, not for profit and largely dependent on goodwill and our generous sponsors. Without them it simply would not happen and we could not stage so many free access events and have gained our reputation for being a sustainable business.

For those who are confused, we are not the Foodies, the festival that takes place in spring on Hove Lawns and charges £10 entrance fee. We are the free one, the one that takes over New Road at Easter and Hove Lawns and New Road in September.

We have now announced our autumn programme packed with favourites like The Live Food show which I present and Latest 7 sponsors me doing that. Favourites like Make Your Case and Bitter And Twisted return, and this year the finals of our own food awards, 12 new awards that have been nominated by the public and right now are being secretly shopped by are 12 teams of judges. To find out more, and how to book or join in our events please visit the website:
www.brightonfoodfestival.com