A group of journalists including James Wallin from the Argus, Jonesy from Juice FM and Rob Marks from Brighton Visitor magazine, also the city's 'ghost walk' tour guide, took on the great steak eating challenge at the Old Bank Steak & Grill in Kemptown to support Red Nose Day.
Jonesy was star of the day, managing to eat a full four pounds of rump steak along with a side order of chips, sponsored by dozens of his listeners, whilst the others managed half their steaks before being forced to stop with dry mouths and full stomachs.
They were raising funds for Comic Relief which is this year supporting Sussex charity Sightsavers, which prevents avoidable blindness in developing countries. The journalists have been promoting their cause, which was shown in the BBC1 Red Nose Day Celebrity Trek.
Said owner, Helen Bailey: “The Old Bank Steak & Ribs is Kemptown’s friendly, new steak house restaurant, serving delicious food with great service in a warm and comfortable setting. We are aiming to be the ‘Cheers’ of the neighbourhood - a rarity in the city, offering quality steak and ribs, local catch of the day, grilled chicken and vegetarian dishes at good value prices.”
“The whole night was about raising funds for Comic Relief and Sightsavers, which is a fantastic cause."
Friday, 18 March 2011
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Star quality chef appointed by stadium
A former personal chef to the prime minister and multiple award winning cook, Frederick Tobin, has been appointed as head chef at the American Express Community Stadium to serve superb quality food throughout the stadium.
Fred’s star-studded career includes posts at Chequers, the Prime Minister’s Country Residence, the Dorchester Hotel in Park Lane, Harrods in Knightsbridge, The Grove in Rickmansworth and most recently, the Felbridge Hotel in East Grinstead, winning many rosettes and accolades along the way.
Elliott Moore, general manager of catering at the stadium, said: “We received nearly a hundred excellent applications for this job and went through a rigorous process to select our chef – but without a doubt, Fred was the right man for the job and we very much look forward to working with him to take stadium food to a new level in quality and service.”
The final stage of the recruitment included a true MasterChef-style ‘cook off’ between shortlisted chefs, held at Queens Park Rangers’ Loftus Road Stadium, where Fred cooked from a mystery box of ingredients, creating seared supreme of salmon with a soused potato and spring onion salad and supreme of chicken filled with cream cheese and mushroom mousse.
Fred, who was born in Crawley and lives there now with his wife and four children, said: “Working on my home turf in one of the most exciting projects in the region really is a dream come true and my goal is to create a new benchmark in excellence for stadium food. This is an awesome project and is something that I can really get my teeth into – it’s huge for Sussex, huge for the South and huge for me!”
Fred will be overseeing seven kitchens, eight 1901 Club corporate hospitality suites, 14 kiosks, each with their own chef, a supporters restaurant, as well as a huge range of non-match day events, from trade fairs and conferences to weddings and private parties. He intends to use as much local, Sussex produce as possible in the food served at the stadium and is already in discussions with local suppliers, seeking out the best ingredients.
The stadium events team is now open and ready for business, now taking bookings for conferencing and events in their high spec event rooms with capacity from 2 - 500 - you can contact the team at EventsBrighton@azure.uk.com or call: 01273 542343.
Sunday, 20 February 2011
Seeking sponsors for Brighton & Hove Foodies 2011
The Brighton & Hove Foodies last year attracted 5,000 votes from members of the public and thousands of pounds of free media coverage and this year promises to be one of the hottest sponsorship opportunities for businesses wanting to raise their profile or rub shoulders with the best food outlets in the city.
Launching on 1st April as part of the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival's spring harvest, it will be hard to miss the Brighton & Hove Foodie Awards 2011, with guaranteed regular coverage from Andrea Fox on Juice FM and Andrew Kay in Latest7 every month, extensive regional news and business media coverage, as well as 'vote for us' cards for people to pick up all over the city.
"We thought the awards would be successful, but it surpassed all our expectations last year and restaurants, food pubs, cafes and food shops have embraced it fully, competing enthusiastically by encouraging their customers to vote for them," said Paula Seager, MD of Natural PR.
We will be announcing our leaders - those in each category with the most votes - every month, making a great regular news moment and will culminate the awards with a lively and stylish awards event, hosted by Andrea and Andrew, to present trophies to the winners in early October, as the grand finale of the main Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival month.
Businesses interested in participating should call Natural PR's awards coordinator, Sandra Murphy, on Tel: 01273 857242 or email: sandra@naturalpr.biz
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Kings Old Ale wins national award
Horsham-based brewery WJ King today won the Silver Medal at the National Winter Ales Festival in Manchester for its Kings Old Ale, in the old ales and strong milds category.
Head Brewer Ian Burgess, who joined the WJ King team less than a year ago, leaving Harveys of Lewes where he brewed for 19 years, created this beer, which won the Champion Beer of Britain, London and South East Regional Beer in March 2010, taking it through to the national awards this week.
Said Ian Burgess: ‘After 30 years of brewing, this is my first ‘individual’ award and it is a tremendous honour and achievement after only 6 months of taking on my very own brew house. I accept this award as part of an amazing team surrounding me and I hope together we will have more awards to come and enjoy seeing customers across the South East of England enjoying WJ King’s traditional hand crafted ales.’
“Kings Old Ale is a multiple award winning dark brown Old Ale with an intense dry, coffee and slightly smoky aroma. There is a delicious and satisfying mouthfeel of silky viscosity before the taste of coffee and molasses covers your tastebuds. The aftertaste of liquorice from the malt and slight spice from the relatively light use of hops complements the preceding flavours very well and forms the perfect end to this beautiful beer.
Nigel Lambe, Chief Executive of WJ King, who together with Head Brewer Ian Burgess, bought the brewery in June last year, said: “We are excited to be winning awards so soon after taking on the brewery. Ian is a true master of brewing, so we are really lucky to be working with him and plan to bring out many more innovative and popular beers, like our Brighton Best, Horsham Best and Red River.”
With a 200 year tradition of brewing some of the most respected and enjoyed Sussex ales, WJ King has evolved into a new style of micro brewery, using only the finest natural and local ingredients and traditional brewing techniques to produce the finest quality local ales.
The brewery recently opened a Brewery shop at its Horsham address in Foundry Lane, selling a range of beers from single bottles up to 70 pint casks. It is open 9am-5pm on weekdays and 10 – 2 on Saturday, and their beers can also be bought online at www.kingbeer.co.uk.
Friday, 19 November 2010
Sussex Young Chef of the Year finalists announced
Six talented young chefs from across the county fought it out in the hotly contended Sussex Young Chef of the Year ‘cook off’, sponsored by Blue Spark Organisation, as part of the Sussex Food & Drink Awards 2010/11.
The six shortlisted chefs were selected by public vote and faced enormous pressure this year having to produce a full three-course menu, based on local and seasonal ingredients, as opposed to the one course in previous years.
The cook off was hosted by City College Brighton & Hove and the young chefs faced a nail biting wait before having to perform against the clock, producing each dish under the watchful eyes of the expert judging panel chaired by Clive Beddall OBE, Chairman of the Sussex Food & Drink Awards.
After much deliberation from the judging panel, organisers are delighted to announce the top three going through to the final are two young chefs from South Lodge Hotel in Horsham, 24-year-old Steven Edwards, Sous Chef for the main hotel and 23-year-old Hanna Payne from The Pass Restaurant; and joining them is the youngest candidate this year, 20-year-old Simon Duncan from Sam’s of Brighton.
Dhrutee Davé, Director of Haywards Heath based food recruitment agency, Blue Spark Organisation, said: “It has been a fantastic experience to be sponsors of this very popular category this year. The six candidates truly proved themselves in a very intense cook off and all were worthy of a place in the final – it was an extremely difficult decision for the judges to choose the top three as all the dishes were outstanding, but Simon, Hanna and Steven were exceptional and their dishes were truly delicious.”
Said Clive Beddall OBE, Chairman of the Judges: “This year the quality was the best we have ever had – the young chefs were calm and extremely professional and the food was unbelievably good. I’m very excited about the future of food in Sussex with these young chefs making their mark here. We want the three who didn’t make it through this year to please come back again next year as they were excellent and picking the three finalists was a very hard decision.”
Runners up, Will Stanyer from Hotel Du Vin, Brighton; Daniel Whittle from Temptation café, Brighton and Bradley Jordan from Restaurant Tristan, Horsham fought a close battle against the other three finalists. Steven, Simon and Hanna now face another two months of waiting to see who the overall winner is which will be announced at the Sussex Food & Drink Awards dinner, to be held at the East Sussex Golf Resort & Spa on 27th January 2011 and hosted by Danny Pike from BBC Sussex.
Organisers have already opened sales for tickets to attend the awards dinner, now dubbed the ‘Sussex foodie event of the year’. This black tie event promises to be the best yet, celebrating the awards’ 5th birthday and includes a Sussex bubbly and ale reception, sponsored by Harveys; a stunning seven-course banquet dinner using the very best Sussex produce, created by the talented Andy Wiles, East Sussex National’s head chef; lots of entertainment; and a lively Oscars-style awards presentation.
Visit the website www.sussexfoodawards.biz to find out how to buy tickets for this fabulous event or call Natural PR on 01273 857242 for more information.
The six shortlisted chefs were selected by public vote and faced enormous pressure this year having to produce a full three-course menu, based on local and seasonal ingredients, as opposed to the one course in previous years.
The cook off was hosted by City College Brighton & Hove and the young chefs faced a nail biting wait before having to perform against the clock, producing each dish under the watchful eyes of the expert judging panel chaired by Clive Beddall OBE, Chairman of the Sussex Food & Drink Awards.
After much deliberation from the judging panel, organisers are delighted to announce the top three going through to the final are two young chefs from South Lodge Hotel in Horsham, 24-year-old Steven Edwards, Sous Chef for the main hotel and 23-year-old Hanna Payne from The Pass Restaurant; and joining them is the youngest candidate this year, 20-year-old Simon Duncan from Sam’s of Brighton.
Dhrutee Davé, Director of Haywards Heath based food recruitment agency, Blue Spark Organisation, said: “It has been a fantastic experience to be sponsors of this very popular category this year. The six candidates truly proved themselves in a very intense cook off and all were worthy of a place in the final – it was an extremely difficult decision for the judges to choose the top three as all the dishes were outstanding, but Simon, Hanna and Steven were exceptional and their dishes were truly delicious.”
Said Clive Beddall OBE, Chairman of the Judges: “This year the quality was the best we have ever had – the young chefs were calm and extremely professional and the food was unbelievably good. I’m very excited about the future of food in Sussex with these young chefs making their mark here. We want the three who didn’t make it through this year to please come back again next year as they were excellent and picking the three finalists was a very hard decision.”
Runners up, Will Stanyer from Hotel Du Vin, Brighton; Daniel Whittle from Temptation café, Brighton and Bradley Jordan from Restaurant Tristan, Horsham fought a close battle against the other three finalists. Steven, Simon and Hanna now face another two months of waiting to see who the overall winner is which will be announced at the Sussex Food & Drink Awards dinner, to be held at the East Sussex Golf Resort & Spa on 27th January 2011 and hosted by Danny Pike from BBC Sussex.
Organisers have already opened sales for tickets to attend the awards dinner, now dubbed the ‘Sussex foodie event of the year’. This black tie event promises to be the best yet, celebrating the awards’ 5th birthday and includes a Sussex bubbly and ale reception, sponsored by Harveys; a stunning seven-course banquet dinner using the very best Sussex produce, created by the talented Andy Wiles, East Sussex National’s head chef; lots of entertainment; and a lively Oscars-style awards presentation.
Visit the website www.sussexfoodawards.biz to find out how to buy tickets for this fabulous event or call Natural PR on 01273 857242 for more information.
Monday, 8 November 2010
PAVILION ICE RINK RESTAURANT OFFERS TASTY EXPERIENCE
Brighton's AA Rosette-awarded Due South - named Best Seaside Restaurant in Britain by the Observer Food Monthly – will serve their award winning cuisine at a ‘pop up’ fully-licensed 200-seater rinkside restaurant in a beautiful glass orangiere overlooking the twinkly Royal Pavilion Real Ice Rink for the next two months.
Known for its commitment to locally-sourced ingredients and exquisite cooking, the Due South team will serve passing skaters with warming, seasonal dishes including Castle Farm steak & real ale pie, South Downs venison curry with rice and poppadom, seasonal fruit crumbles, cakes baked daily and luxurious ice creams. Pies and snacks will start from £5.00.
The menu will also offer a range of scrumptious party menus and Christmas dinners - for work and private parties - with menus to suit a range of pockets, from extravagant four-course menus with possible options such as pan-seared Brighton scallops, roasted Brill fillet, three bird roast and pear panna cotta at £35 per head, or wholesome and hearty three-course menus with options such as game or farmhouse terrines, honey roasted ham hock and Sussex apple pie with custard, or, of course, Christmas pudding, for £17 per head. Christmas options start from £7.50 a head for mulled wine and canapés.
Drinks will include a huge range of stylish cocktails, local wines and ales and warming mulled wine, hot chocolate and a range of quality coffee options. Parties & groups can pre-book by calling 01273 821 218. The ice rink restaurant will be open daily, except Christmas Day, from the 13th November to 14th January, 9am to 10.45pm.
Royal Pavilion Ice Rink tickets cost from £9.50-£11 for adults and from £6.50-£7.50 for children under 12 and the one-hour skate times run from 10am to 10.15pm daily, on sale online at www.ticketmaster.co.uk or by calling 0844 847 2352.
Known for its commitment to locally-sourced ingredients and exquisite cooking, the Due South team will serve passing skaters with warming, seasonal dishes including Castle Farm steak & real ale pie, South Downs venison curry with rice and poppadom, seasonal fruit crumbles, cakes baked daily and luxurious ice creams. Pies and snacks will start from £5.00.
The menu will also offer a range of scrumptious party menus and Christmas dinners - for work and private parties - with menus to suit a range of pockets, from extravagant four-course menus with possible options such as pan-seared Brighton scallops, roasted Brill fillet, three bird roast and pear panna cotta at £35 per head, or wholesome and hearty three-course menus with options such as game or farmhouse terrines, honey roasted ham hock and Sussex apple pie with custard, or, of course, Christmas pudding, for £17 per head. Christmas options start from £7.50 a head for mulled wine and canapés.
Drinks will include a huge range of stylish cocktails, local wines and ales and warming mulled wine, hot chocolate and a range of quality coffee options. Parties & groups can pre-book by calling 01273 821 218. The ice rink restaurant will be open daily, except Christmas Day, from the 13th November to 14th January, 9am to 10.45pm.
Royal Pavilion Ice Rink tickets cost from £9.50-£11 for adults and from £6.50-£7.50 for children under 12 and the one-hour skate times run from 10am to 10.15pm daily, on sale online at www.ticketmaster.co.uk or by calling 0844 847 2352.
Saturday, 23 October 2010
Rushfields Farm Shop free hog roast and pumpkins!
The brand new Rushfields Farm Shop, which sells everything that is delicious in Sussex, is inviting families and customers to join them for a free hog roast and kids pumpkin give-away on Saturday 23rd October. Never mind the weather - the outdoor area has a roof!
A formal opening ceremony will be held at 11am, toasted with Sussex bubbly, and several Sussex producers, including High Weald Dairy, Ringden Farm, Bolney Vineyard and Home Cakery, will be on hand giving out tastings of local food – but the fun will continue all day, running from 10am to 5pm.
Rushfields Farm Shop is on the Henfield Road, at Rushfields Plant Centre, which has been in business for 26 years, has been purpose built as a large, barn-style shop, traditionally constructed with Sussex oak timbers by conservation craftsmen.
Owners Pam and Colin Langridge have made Sussex a huge focus for the shop and have tried to stock everything that is great about Sussex, with a top quality butchers, selling meat so local that you can see it grazing on nearby fields, ably managed by butcher Paul Channon. It also sells classic Sussex cheeses from local dairies, including the High Weald Dairy, local sauces and chutneys from Sussex Valley and even local chocolate, from Cocoa Loco.
Shop manager Rachel Fletcher said: “The shop offers more than most farm shops because you can buy everything you need to eat or drink there, including staples such as bread, milk, butter and vegetables – and all at reasonable prices - so local food lovers have welcomed it with open arms.”
A formal opening ceremony will be held at 11am, toasted with Sussex bubbly, and several Sussex producers, including High Weald Dairy, Ringden Farm, Bolney Vineyard and Home Cakery, will be on hand giving out tastings of local food – but the fun will continue all day, running from 10am to 5pm.
Rushfields Farm Shop is on the Henfield Road, at Rushfields Plant Centre, which has been in business for 26 years, has been purpose built as a large, barn-style shop, traditionally constructed with Sussex oak timbers by conservation craftsmen.
Owners Pam and Colin Langridge have made Sussex a huge focus for the shop and have tried to stock everything that is great about Sussex, with a top quality butchers, selling meat so local that you can see it grazing on nearby fields, ably managed by butcher Paul Channon. It also sells classic Sussex cheeses from local dairies, including the High Weald Dairy, local sauces and chutneys from Sussex Valley and even local chocolate, from Cocoa Loco.
Shop manager Rachel Fletcher said: “The shop offers more than most farm shops because you can buy everything you need to eat or drink there, including staples such as bread, milk, butter and vegetables – and all at reasonable prices - so local food lovers have welcomed it with open arms.”
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