insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 13 - March 2016 | Page 92

BUSINESS

Sussex Food & Drink Awards brings
together local food and farming businesses
Celebrations were in full flow at the recent Sussex Food & Drink Awards’ 10th anniversary
ceremony where ten of Sussex’s top food and drink producers were hailed as local heroes,
picking up trophies for their services to fantastic food and drink across the county.

AND THE
WINNERS ARE...
Sussex Food Producer of the
Year: The Traditional Cheese
Dairy, Stonegate, East Sussex
Sussex Drink Producer of the
Year: Ridgeview Wine Estate,
Ditchling Common, East Sussex
Sussex Young Chef of the Year:
Ryan Tomkinson, The Pass,
South Lodge, Lower Beeding,
West Sussex
Sussex Farmer of the Year:
Charlie and Sarah Hughes,
Southview Farm, Pulborough,
West Sussex
Sussex Butcher of the Year:
S K Hutchings, Partridge Green,
West Sussex
Sussex Farmers Market of the
Year: Horsham Local Produce
Market, West Sussex
Sussex Eating Experience of the
Year: The Cat Inn, West Hoathly,
West Sussex
Sussex Food Shop of the Year:
Sharnfold Farm Shop, Stone
Cross, East Sussex
Sussex Newcomer of the Year:
Eggs to Apples, Hurst Green,
East Sussex
Sussex Street Food Vendor
of the Year: The Trolls Pantry,
Brighton

Hosted by awards patron, Sally Gunnell, OBE
DL, and Danny Pike of BBC Sussex, the
glittering tenth awards ceremony was a sell
out with nearly 400 leaders in the food, drink
and farming industry gathering for what is now
dubbed as ‘the Sussex foodie event of the
year’, and is a celebration of the very best of
Sussex food and drink businesses.
Guests were treated to a wonderful ‘Sussex
bubbly and ale reception’, sponsored by
Harveys, Carr Taylor and Wobblegate,
accompanied by delicious canapés from
Rushfields Farm Shop. This was followed by a
stunning seven-course banquet using the very
best local and seasonal ingredients supplied
by esteemed local businesses including the
Lighthouse Bakery, Southview Farm Dairy,
Veasey and Sons Fishmongers, and The
Cheese Man.
All about supporting and boosting local farmers,
food and drink producers, and the outlets that
use and sell great local fare, the awards started
from small beginnings, but have grown to
become prestigious and respected, attracting
over 10,000 votes from members of the
public this year alone, and huge support from
businesses across the county, bringing together
the whole local food and farming community.

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“This is my fourth year as patron of the Sussex
Food & Drink Awards and yet again we have
been treated to an impressive line up of
winners and runners up,” said Sally Gunnell
OBE DL. “I continue to support these awards
because they positively encourage people to
buy local and to support their local producers.
Over the last ten years the awards have
received over 3,000 nominations and 100,000
public votes, promoting 246 grand finalists. It’s
a remarkable achievement.”
The awards scheme is run by Natural
Partnerships Community Interest Company
(CIC), co-directed by Hilary Knight of the
Sussex Food and Drink Network, and Paula
Seager, managing director of Natural PR
L