A bird ’ s eye view of food and drink in the city
It ’ s Valentine ’ s Night in Brighton , and the skies are full of love birds and solo flyers . Swooping into The Lanes and North Laine , your Gull ’ s heart is pumped as she peers in through the windows of pubs and bars , restaurants and cafes as the city celebrates the one night of the year that ’ s all about LOVE .
But what ’ s this ? The Feedback column in your trusty Whistler which should be overflowing with reader recommendations of where to eat on this special occasion has been usurped by a list of hobby workshops ! How can that be ? Well , a quick peck in the editor ’ s bin and it seems that the usual squawk on social media has resulted in an outpouring of cynicism . It sticks in the craw for this bird to read you some of the hostility towards her favourite night of the year . Wendy asks ‘ Has anyone ever had a good but not overpriced meal on Valentine ’ s Night ? Not the night to go to a restaurant .’ Lou , normally so chipper , says ; ‘‘ Fraid not . We don ’ t do Valentines over here , but sure we could come up with some sexy places to have a meal ..?’ ! Kari adds : ‘ Maybe something on what us Sexy Singles could do as well ...!’ Jo : ‘ Most depressing day of the year . Fuels loneliness , over consumption , flower importation , and is the cause of miserable couples rowing over forced romantic meals . ‘ Ban it ’ say I .’ Nick : ‘ I learned a long time ago never to go to a restaurant for Valentine ’ s
Hove Kitchen is a must ... https :// bhfood . org . uk / events _ cat / cooking-classes / There are many cookery classes in Brighton , but this one is the biz and ethically fabulous ! I did a cheese ‘ n ’ wine tasting in December , but they do much more .
‘ London Road market has the sewing club , I ’ m signing up for the darning workshop . They also do decorative mending which I did last year ! I also did the Open Bakery baking classes in Kemptown https :// openbakery . co . uk / product / bread-baking-classes /
‘ I did a fab creative calligraphy workshop with Alina in 2020 , but she is now pregnant and due soon , so is only doing online classes til later in the year . She ’ s utterly lovely . www . craftyfoxmarket . co . uk /
Day .’ Peta : ‘ Sounds like should be renamed doom ’ n ’ gloom day ’.
Well , your Gull is all about bringing you the richest of pickings from the best of Brighton so , with an eye for top value , excellent company and the best food in town this Valentine ’ s Night , she flew down to The Gingerman , favourite of The Whistler ’ s food editor to see what ’ s cooking . At £ 65 per person plus wine pairing at another £ 35 per person , this is a treat any time of the year . There ’ s no Valentine ’ s menu or inflation of the price , but then there are no tables left for Feb 14 either . And that ’ s because the Ginger family is a legend in Brighton , its bin bags cawed about in hushed tones by the elder gulls who have trained their palates on the winter truffles accompanying the local ceps , the roast fallow deer with salsify , smoked bone marrow , walnut and chocolate and the blackberry souffle , still pretty as leftovers for a discerning scavenger . This is the top of the tree for food fans in Brighton .
Heading up towards Western Rd , Market is a-buzz with cool tunes and counter culture as the windows steam up with happy foodies . Again , there ’ s no Valentine ’ s menu , but there ’ s a party any day of the week out the back for us feathered foodie fans . As we peck at the morcels in the bins , our migratory chums , freshly back in balmy Brighton from warmer climes , share exotic
‘ I did some origami classes on zoom with the wonderful Makiko . She ’ s fun and an artist originally linked to Brighton ( she has an Open House here in Fiveways ) but now lives in Scotland . She offers origami parties and its quite fun . We did two in lockdown . https :// www . makikokonishi . com /
Check out the Whistler West Hill Hall tab online to see what Lou has organised there , including the new Ukele course that starts this month . https :// westhillwhistler . com / 1937-2 /
If you fancy gifting a course to a fellow hobbyist , check on line : https :// www . creativefeeldesigns . com /
And for those who can ’ t thread a needle or draw a circle to save their lives , Mark , our friendly neighbourhood landlord at stories behind our titbits ; the cheese from La Mancha , jamon from Teruel and spiced pork from Monroyo as we dream of riding the thermals across the Spanish plains .
A last flight across to the sea ( and an almost full moon this Valentine ’ s Night ), and Moshimo is packed to the gills . News of its ethically sourced fish and seafood has sent its reputation soaring , especially among the younger gulls who are also pretty impressed with its vegan menu and high welfare meat sourcing . Its Fishlove campaign to end overfishing has done much to protect fish all over the world , which goes down very well indeed among seabirds .
There ’ s no Valentine Menu so Brighton ’ s love birds will be sharing the most ethically farmed salmon in the UK , grilled with a teriyaki sauce or a Cornish crab and cucumber crispy seaweed handroll , as they always do .
But if Valentine ’ s Night is but a cruel reminder that life is a bicycle made for two , remember that this Gull flies solo . Find yourself a thermal , even if it ’ s a night in with 6Music turned up , and enjoy the ride . Happy Valentine ’ s Day .
The Eddy has the answer . ‘ We hold group socialising and drinking classes daily ... no sign up , no membership fees , no need to write a profile , everyone is welcome ’. What ’ s your favourite restaurant , cafe or bar ? Every review published gets a free copy of The Whistler and a free trip on Richard Branson ’ s space shuttle
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