With summer officially in full swing, see what's new and trending with our BITE Sussex partners this month. Celebrate solstice in style: whether you raise a glass of your favourite Sussex wine, create a cocktail or brew a pot of tea, there's so much on offer across the county. Read on and be inspired!
Burnt Orange, Brighton opens on Friday 4th June: the new grown-up hangout in the heart of the city
Burnt Orange is an all-day and late-night hangout where great food is combined with music and drinks, bridging the gap between bar and restaurant. Pop in for a quick bite or make a night of it and try a cocktail or two from the cocktail menu.
Expect high quality seasonal ingredients cooked predominantly over fire with an extensive choice of sharing dishes, the emphasis is very much focused on casual dining and drinking with friends.
Read our interview with owner Raz here [first appeared in the Brighton Argus Friday 21 May 2021]
Reserve your table at Burnt Orange
Celebrate English Wine Week, running nationwide from Saturday 19th to Sunday 27th June
The south east of England is the heart of the English wine industry, with Sussex alone home to over 70 vineyards. English Wine Week is an annual event – co-ordinated by national trade and marketing organisation WineGB – celebrating growers and producers through special events, cellar door promotions, vineyard tours and tastings.
Check out what's happening later this month at Wiston Estate, Bolney Wine Estate and Stopham Vineyard, and raise a glass to the best of Sussex!
Socialite Restaurant & Bar, Brighton open their roof terrace and launch their small plates menu
Dine and drink in style at the newly opened Socialite Restaurant & Bar in Brighton's Lanes. Perfect for al fresco socialising, their roof terrace is now open from 10 am – 11 pm for drinks and small plates with seating for up to 40 guests. The terrace has been fully refurbished with comfy seating, blankets and parasols, ensuring you're covered for whatever the British weather throws at you. Savour a cocktail or a glass of their signature champagne, Cuvée Rosé Laurent-Perrier.
Booking for the terrace is recommended and can be made via https://socialitebrighton.com/reservations
Madame Jennifer launches Amaro: a bitter sweet, herbal liqueur
Created from a unique blend of 14 distinct botanicals and made in small batches using English wheat spirit and pure cane sugar, Madame Jennifer's Amaro is created in small-batches at their distillery in Hove.
Combined with gin and sweet vermouth for the classic Negroni recipe, it can be drunk with soda or sipped neat as an after-dinner digestif. Less sweet than many similar products, we think this is an essential addition in your cocktail cabinet.
Buy directly from Madame Jennifer here
Wild Flor, Hove announce their new lunch menu: 2 courses £25 / 3 courses £30
Wild Flor serves up classic cooking alongside world class wines. Sourcing seasonal local produce and creating carefully executed dishes with considered wines to match, the team can't wait to welcome you back.
See the sample menu here and book via the Wild Flor website
Bolney launch their new Estate Chardonnay 2020
Bolney's Estate Chardonnay 2020 has been a long time in the planning. First, they needed to identify the ideal site within the estate before planting the vines and patiently waiting for them to come into production. 2020 was an excellent year for ripening – the best Bolney has experienced for a few years – which makes for perfect timing for their first still Chardonnay.
The cooler climate in the UK has resulted in the Estate Chardonnay 2020 retaining more apple and citrus characteristics than Chardonnay grapes grown in warmer climates; it is textured, crisp white with citrus, apricot and orange peel, finishing with creamy brioche and honey.
Purchase directly for £24.99 a bottle from Bolney's website here
Read all about Sussex food and drink each week in the Argus! Friday's 'Taste' section is overflowing with up-to-the-minute deliciousness!
"Brighton & Hove's restaurants get ready to reopen" (16 May 2021) – read here.
"English Tourism Week 2021: the challenges facing Brighton's tourism industry" (24 May 2021) – read here.
Congratulations to Wiston Estate: celebrating 15 years since the vineyard was planted
Watch their video or find out more about Wiston Estate here.
Merkaba are set to razzle-dazzle with their new menu of TV themed cocktails
The Merkaba bar team at My Brighton hotel have encapsulated the spirit of some of the best TV shows that have kept us going during lockdown in their new cocktail menu. Prepare for your 'Mind to be Hunted', your 'Queen to be Gambited' and your 'King to be Tiger'd' in their most ambitious drinks menu yet.
June opening times are Thursday 5pm-1am, Friday 4pm-2am and Saturday 4pm-2am. The bar is also currently available for private hire and events throughout the week.
Find out more about Merkaba and My Brighton on their website here.
Isaac At serve over one thousand plates in their first week of re-opening
Isaac At source all their ingredients locally in Sussex and call the suppliers weekly, to see what's fresh, in season and available that week. This can sometimes result in them changing the weekly menu to create dishes served that day to best reflect the day's delivery. What's not to love about that?!
Alongside local ingredients used in their dishes, the extensive wine list showcases the best English wines, spirits and beers that are grown and created inside Sussex.
Reserve your table via the Isaac At website
There's always a good time for MDTea
Helen Taggart and Maggie Morgan are co-owners of Metrodeco on Upper St James Street, in Kemptown. The vintage inspired tearoom is now entering its 12th year, and is renowned for its range of quality blended teas, cakes, afternoon teas and – in recent years – a menu of tea cocktails.
Unable to find a tea company that inspired them when they set up in 2009, Helen thought it would be a great idea to blend their own. “We partnered with a master blender – who is a family friend – to source our tea from all over the world”, said Helen. "He only uses growers and suppliers he trusts, ensuring quality and ethical standards”.
However you like your tea, MDTea have a blend for every taste and occasion.
Purchase directly from MDTea and get the full lowdown from Helen on our BITE Sussex news page.
La Choza, Brighton, share their recipe for Salsa Mexicana
This is for a mild smokey salsa, however you can play with various chillies, change to chipotle or morita for a smokey flavor, Arbol or habenero for a hot chili kick or Ancho or Pasilla for an earthy flavour.
Recipe
6 tomatoes
1 large garlic clove
3 guajillo chillies
1 tsp chipotle adobo
1/2 red onion diced finely diced
1 tbls cider vinegar
1 bunch coriander
salt, pepper
Method
1. Blacken the tomatoes over a flame or in a dry pan
2. Roast tomatoes in the oven 15 mins.
3. Deseed chillies and then gently toast in a dry pan for 20 sec to release the oils within the chillies.
4. Soak the toasted chillies in a little hot water for 20 mins.
5. Strain the chillies and blitz in a blender with the tomatoes, garlic, vinegar and chipotle adobo.
6. Stir in diced onion, chopped coriander, salt , pepper and a pinch of sugar.
Check out La Choza here
Celebrating 10 years at Blanch House
This month is a double celebration for Blanch House Boutique Hotel. As well as finally reopening its doors to welcome back guests, it’s also the hotel’s 10 year anniversary under the ownership of Kerry Turner and Jeremy Ornellas.
Kerry Turner said ‘10 years at Blanch House feels like a real milestone and we’re delighted to be welcoming our guests back to stay with us and host intimate weddings and celebrations again after such a long wait. We’ve missed it all so much!’
Book your stay via the Blanch House website directly.
COMING SOON: The BITE Sussex Rising Stars Awards
As hospitality and wider tourism reopen, businesses are facing multiple challenges and the recruitment and retention of staff is definitely one of them. The compounding impact of both the pandemic and Brexit has meant many restaurant, bar and hotel staff – along with those working in food and farming – have left the industry.
To promote hospitality, food, drink and wider tourism careers – alongside the huge contribution young people make to our industry – we're launching the BITE Sussex Rising Stars Awards at the start of July. So get your thinking cap on and get ready to nominate your favourite Rising Stars!
Find out more on our website here.
BITE into the BEST of Sussex with us
We're currently planning the BITE Sussex Autumn food & drink festival for 10-19 September 2021 but keep in the loop with all the latest food and drink news by following us on Instagram and Facebook.