FEEDBACK SPECIAL
It ’ s OctoberBest this month , with some of the best restaurants in Brighton and Hove getting involved in excellent offers on selected nights . But how do we know if they ’ re really the ‘ best ’? Well , we thought that instead of getting the good readers of The Whistler to shout out their favourite finds this month , we ’ d ask the restaurants where they get their meat , fish and dairy , and the best farms and producers who they supply .
Now , there ’ s no such thing as a negative Whistle ; we ’ ve never believed in dishing out the dirt . Instead , here ’ s a celebration of the pick of the crop , the restaurants that do the right thing by us and the planet . Their menus are fed by Sussex ’ s larder and support the good guys at farms like Seddlescombe where the sheep and cows are 100 % grass fed and graze all year round on the South Downs . Read the article with Philip Lymbery on why that matters , and try their beef and lamb at Kindling , Ginger Fox , Wild Flor , Chimney House and Poets Corner Ale House . “ We also supply Barfields , who supply restaurants with our produce ”, says Seddlescombe ’ s Farmer Rory .
Trenchmore Farm ( cows , pictured on the cover ) is another name to look out for when you ’ re asking where your meat comes from . With its mix of beef , apples , grain and poultry , Tremchmore provides the virtuous circle of farming ; Rachel at Trenchmore says , “ The cattle and birds eat the grass and apple pomace , and the straw from our wheat is used to bed the cattle , while the muck acts as a natural
It ’ s trickier to check where your jamon and prosciutto is coming from , reliant as most restaurants are on their middle men , so ask your chef or waiter . And remember : If they don ’ t know , don ’ t go
fertiliser to help improve the soils and feed the crops .” It sets the standard for high welfare beef and zero waste , regenerative farming and supplies Wagyu beef and Silly Moo cider to Isaac At , Murmur , Market , Aji Sushi , Basketmakers Arms ’ burgers , Busby & Wild , The Grand ’ s burgers and SLAM @ Bison Hove .
Ciaran , the former Cin Cin chef at Ciaran ’ s in Hove , says he wants his customers to ask where he gets his meat from . “ We find the best produce ”, he told us . “ And we want everyone to know that ”. He gets his meat from Calcot Farm in West Sussex , not just because of the more natural way they live . “ You can tell the meat that ’ s come from a factory farm . It ’ s full of water , so shrivels down when you start to cook it .”
Neil at Market uses Cullingfords in Worthing for “ standard good quality produce ”, but adds that it ’ s “ the amazing Trenchmore Farm ” that he goes to for their fine cuts and Wagyu steaks . “ It ’ s worth paying the extra money for and we also use their eggs from chucks that roam freely around the orchard and have the most amazing flavour and the yellowist yolks ... I even eat these at home !”
Increasingly , local pasture-fed and freeroaming cured meats are replacing the European heritage versions to reduce the carbon footprint and encourage regenerative farmers here at home . With factory farming slowly infiltrating the Spanish and Italian markets , it ’ s trickier to check where your jamon and prosciutto is coming from anyway , reliant as most restaurants are on their middle men , so do ask your chef or waiter . And remember : If they don ’ t know , don ’ t go .
Most producers are more than happy to spread the love . As Ciaran says , it ’ s an important part of a restaurant ’ s role . But although Bill at Brighton and Newhaven Fish Supplies is passionate about the fish he supplies to all the best restaurants , he won ’ t reveal his client list . Happily , the best chefs in town are more than happy not just to name check BNFS but to post their allegiance on Instagram .
Check out # BNFS to find Isaac At , Murmur ( pictured , left ), Little Fish Market , The Gingerman group , Petit Pois , Kindling , Riddle and Finn .
l https :// open . spotify . com / episode / 2s52egLs5BBExEO1wiJdbQ For more information on what to ask your chefs / waiter about How to Eat to Save the Planet
What ’ s your favourite restaurant , cafe or bar ? Every review published gets a free copy of The Whistler and an emailed picture of some
broccoli * subject to T & Cs