We love nothing more than getting the local hospitality industry together to sample great food and cocktails. Our Blossoms event at the start of the summer saw delicious Asian themed dishes, cocktails from Aluna Rum and Arbikie Highland Estate and lots of great conversations.

Alongside our food and drink friends and partners, we've been supporting the Brighton Toy & Model Museum's 'Trafalger Street Regeneration' fundraiser for a number of years. Our most recent event saw bartenders from Blossoms, Gungho and Twisted Lanes create cocktails themed on toys in the collection using Arbikie Highland Estate Spirits, with food provided by Moshimo.

We launched our monthly pop-up supper format at My Brighton hotel in April 2023 – creating a platform for chefs and restaurateurs to present a £35 menu that wasn't necessarily in their usual style. Our line-up included Angelica Food, Chef Simon Mckenzie, Pulpo Negro, Boho Gelato, Youjuice, Nanima Asian Kitchen and Momma Cherri. Stay tuned for our 2024 dates!

Possibly the most logistically complex event we've ever run, we were invited in early 2023 to create and deliver a fine dining event in the majestic banqueting room of this royal palace. Our menu was inspired by the cuisine of the high regency period, featuring dishes by chef Simon Mckenzie, Sabu Joseph (Easy Tiger), master patissier Julien Plumart and gelato maestro Seb Cole (Boho Gelato). Drinks were supplied by Henry Butler (Butlers Wine Cellar), Helen Taggart (MDtea) and Brighton Gin. We raised £2,500 on the night for the Royal Pavilion and Museums Trust.

Never ones to pass up a challenge, we headed under the sea with our friends from Isaac At restaurant and Boho Gelato for a one-off experiential dining experience in the stunning Victorian arcade and exhibition halls of the world's oldest operating aquarium. Drinks were provided by Brighton Gin, Gung-ho!, Stopham Wine Estate, Brighton Bier, Contractors Gin and Arrowtown Drinks. We raised £1,800 for the SEALIFE Trust marine charity.

Each year we work with our friends at Mixology Group and local distillers on  a cocktail bartender competition that is open to professionals working in the industry across Sussex. We enjoyed a raucous afternoon of making and shaking at Shelter Hall (and a cocktail or two!). Stay tuned for dates for 2024.

We feel its important to bring together our colleagues from across the wider industry – firstly, it creates new conversations and collaborations, and secondly its a lot of fun! We teamed up with Arbikie Highland Estate – the world's first climate positive distillery – and the guys from Embers for a Sunday night of cocktails, tastings and tasty food in early December 2023.

Celebrating the contribution that young people make to the hospitality and wider food and drink industry of Sussex is important. The entry-level workers of today are the business owners and talent of tomorrow. We hosted our third edition of the BITE Sussex Rising Stars Awards at Soho House on Brighton seafront to a packed audience of industry colleagues and media. Stay tuned for details of next year's awards!