Bite Sussex is a twice-yearly celebration of the amazing hospitality and wider food and drink industry of the county, running with with two 10 day events every April and September. Curated by the original team behind the long-running Brighton and Hove Food and Drink Festival, a wide variety of culinary events will be hosted at venues in Brighton and Hove, Worthing, Haywards Heath and Bolney from Friday 10 until Saturday 19 September.
On Friday 10 September, all things Sussex wine, cheese and charcuterie will be celebrated at Curds and Whey on Western Road. Hosted by the imitable David Deaves, guests will enjoy five local wines from small boutique winemakers, alongside matched cheese and meats from craft producers from across the county. Due to popular demand, this event is being repeated on Friday 17 September, with advance tickets available directly from Curds and Whey on 01273 732 915.
Brighton and Hove food and drink lovers should skip lunch on Saturday 11 September, as venues across the city will be throwing open their kitchen doors for the Bite Brighton ‘Bites’ trail. From 2-5pm, the following venues will be offering a drink and a snack for just £6 so you can curate your very own food safari at a very pocket-friendly price:
• At Ten, 111 Church Street, Brighton, BN1 1UD
• Curds & Whey, 34-35 Western Road, Hove BN3 1AF
• Fourth & Church, 84 Church Road, Hove BN3 2EB
• Market Restaurant & Bar, 42 Western Road, Hove BN3 1JD
• Merkaba at My Brighton hotel, 17 Jubilee Street, Brighton BN1 1GE
• Metrodeco, 38 Upper St James's St, Brighton BN2 1JN
• Monarch, 48 Kings Road, Brighton BN1 1NA
• Taste Sussex, 3 Waterfront, Brighton Marina BN2 5WA
• The Old Ship Hotel, Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 1NR
The Bites trail moves to Worthing on Saturday 18 September with Pizzaface, Boho Gelato, The Whiskey Rooms and Macmillans all participating.
The ‘Flavours of Sussex’ cabinet takeover is back at Boho Gelato in Pool Valley from Friday 10 to Sunday 12 September, featuring a mixed-up and mashed-up cabinet of ice creams and sorbets inspired by restaurants and local food and drink producers such as Pitch by Kenny Tutt, Butlers Wine Cellar, Redroaster coffee and G&H Spirits gin.
Pizza maestro Bertie van der Beek teams up with the Brighton Community Kitchen for a one-off pizza making workshop for children on Monday 13 September. Bertie will be sharing his secret dough recipe so kids can make the perfect pizza at home.
Young chefs from across the county will be partnering with Sussex food and drink producers for the Rising Stars Dinner on Wednesday 15 September. Under the guidance of Jeremy’s head chef, Jimmy Gray, Archie Duncan from The Coal Shed, Ben Good from Jeremy’s Restaurant, Bethany Collings from The Salt Room and Hannah Blackwell from Etch by Steven Edwards will all be presenting a course in conjunction with a local food producer and a local drink producer.
The team at Isaac At – who proudly claim to be the UK’s longest running restaurant with an exclusively English wine list – will also be serving up an exclusively Sussex menu on Thursday 16 September with the makers from Brighton Gin, Stopham Wine Estate, Wobblegate Orchards and Wiston Wine Estate all in attendance to talk you through their craft drinks alongside a menu of hyperlocally sourced food ingredients.
On Thursday evening, cocktail wizards Mixology Group will be hosting their inaugural SoberStars get together. With the growing trend for no-alcohol and low-alcohol drinks, the Mixology team will be guiding guests through some of the exciting products now on the market and also host a masterclass to show you how to make delicious alcohol-free cocktails at home.
The culmination of the week is the Sussex Wine and Spirits Festival at My Brighton hotel on Sunday 19 September. There are two ticketed sessions – both priced at just £10 – with 10 local wine makers and spirit producers showcasing their products, alongside guests from Arbikie Distillery in Scotland and Gin 1689 from Amsterdam. Tickets include a welcome drink of your choice and tastings at all of the exhibitor stands, alongside the opportunity to talk to the makers in person.
With distillery tours at Madame Jennifer in Hove and Brighton Gin in Portslade, the launch of Wiston Estates new wine barn and the grand finals of the Bite Sussex ‘Surprise’ Cocktail Competition, there are a wide range of tasty and engaging events for food and drink lovers across the week.
Running in parallel with the Bite Sussex food and drink festival is Sussex Cocktail Week. Fifteen bars and restaurants – including Gungho!, Twisted Lemon, The Whiskey Rooms, Merkaba and Burnt Orange – will be showcasing creative cocktails featuring local spirits from Brighton Gin, Brooksteed Gin, G&H Spirits, Madame Jennifer and Slake Spirits – alongside guest liquors from Scotland’s Arbikie Distillery and Dutch-based Gin 1689 – all at a promotional price of just £7. Whether you’re a cocktail aficionado or newbie, its a great way to explore some of the county’s best bars and restaurants and enjoy superb cocktails.