Time to choose Brighton ’ s Best
It ’ s that time of the year again when our restaurateurs bite their lips in anticipation . Gilly Smith talks to Euan MacDonald about the annual Brighton Best food awards
It ’ s when Brighton foodies refresh their Instagram feed , ready to pounce on Open Table and book the top 20 restaurants in the city , as voted by ‘ those who know ’. It ’ s that time when Brighton cab drivers high five each other , knowing that we ’ ll all be going out to eat more , taking confidence from the recommendations of Brighton ’ s Best .
As founder of the Juicy Guide and Awards back in the early 2000s , I ’ ve witnessed the influence of a gong . Judged by a panel of the city ’ s most well-fed foodies , the Top 20 will be announced at Brighton ’ s Best 2023 on March 20 . But Euan MacDonald , one of the four founders of the awards which has been rating Brighton and Hove ’ s favourite restaurants for the last eight years , told me that it ’ s its autumnal sister , October Best which can give the most interesting indicators of what the public choose . The annual of feasting at £ 25 per head at any one of that year ’ s crop has become a bit of bun fight , with the public voting with their wallets ; the clear favourites are sold out within an hour of release , or in the case of Bincho Yakitori within minutes …
‘ We had 60,000 people visit the site in the first hour ’ Euan told me , ‘ and that ’ s predominantly from within Brighton and Hove . It ’ s like the public poll .’ Less 64 Degrees and more Chilli Pickle is what ticks the local box .
So where else among the BB top 20 , other than Bincho , did Brighton and Hove food fans go for last year ? ‘ Well , I think Namo ( Eats ) had a really interesting October Best . We had so many people who didn ’ t know them , but she put on a terrific value menu . I think it was 25 quid for two . And we know that with it was chefs who were ordering her takeaway auction last year more than anyone else .’
It ’ s part of Brighton ’ s Best ’ s mission to support indie restaurants in Brighton and Hove , and Namo Eats is a great example of how it works . Another is Halisco . ‘ As they ’ re next door to Bincho , I think people who couldn ’ t get in there went , “ Well , let ’ s just see what Halisco ’ s doing . They put on a mix of both menu and events , including a charity night to raise money ’, Euan told me . ‘ They had cocktails as part of their package , so they had a brilliant October Best !’
It ’ s also a great way to reach new diners even for those we think of as booked up all year round . ‘ Dave from Bincho used to use October Best as his main marketing strategy ’ said Euan . ‘ He ’ d lose money in October because it was his way to go out and meet loads of new customers and get them on his books . The Set had a fantastically popular October Best because they were raffling tables off . And so they were able to accrue a huge amount of new followers to their Instagram stuff .’
But what does it say about the way that people are eating out in Brighton now ? A city once leading the way in sustainable choices - Terre a Terre was scooping up the national awards decades ago ; the vegan Happy Maki was born here – is now less interested in where its meat and fish comes from than a climate conscious foodie in more , let ’ s say food literate cities might be . In short , Brighton and Hove food fans are perhaps more into their Instagram stories than the unfolding drama of soil health and climate change .
‘ Well , I think that food literacy had a peak ’ said Euan , stepping out of BB ’ s shoes for a moment and into his food consultant ’ s . ‘ Dan Kenny ( The Set ) is a great example . Whatever Dan does , I know he won ’ t sell himself short on that type of thing .
“ But what we ’ ve got at the minute is a lot of people who are conscious of overheads , and so conscious of costs . So what can they do ? They ask themselves what they ’ re prepared to trade off . Brighton has never wanted to spend huge amounts on eating out . We ’ re so close to London , but we just have never had the pockets .’
Part of the problem in Brighton ’ s sustainable food scene is the tourist ; Euan says that post-pandemic , many restarateurs just can ’ t prioritise ethical choices when the tourist pound is so integral to their survival . ‘ Really , I don ’ t think it ’ s something that is front of mind for a lot of the owners and operators ’, Euan told me . ‘ What a lot of visitors to Brighton do in a way that you might not do in London is they ’ ll try and go to three places in a night . If they ’ re down for a weekend , they want to see as much of it as they can . So if