1food & drink festival | roast review | ale trail | recipes & more

The FREE foodie magazine for Brighton & Hove | autumn 2010

issue 1

the seasonal issue!

Foragers FeastThe

Introducing The Foragers Feast - an exclusive social dining experience at our quarterly supper club. From wild rabbit to snuffled truffles, freshly caught crab to smoked wild mackerel - only the finest local produce makes it to the table.

Tuesday 7 September (Sussex small farms & cheese)Tuesday 30 November (our Christmas special)7.30pm £30 per person

For more information call 01273 733134 visit www.theforagerspub.co.uk3 Stirling Place • Hove • East Sussex • BN3 3YU • info@theforagerspub.co.uk

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welcome...to Brighton and Hove’s very own free foodie magazine. At last, a neat handy-to-keep guide for everything food & drink related. We made Edible for you because we hope to inspire people of Brighton & Hove to keep it local, and we aim to tap you in to some of our wonderful city’s hidden gems. We’ll be bringing you news on great places to eat out, whilst also flexing our culinary skills to bring you some great, seasonal recipes. Then we have a regular slot dedicated to eating well, bought to you by our resident nutritional therapist. Dermot O’Leary talks to us about fish, and what he loves about Brighton & Hove. As if that wasn’t enough, we get busy on an ale trail, learn about keeping chickens in the city and generally just get involved with food and drink.

This autumn edition will get you ready for the coming months, with some great advice about what to do with your seasonal produce. We’re also excited about the Brighton & Hove Food & Drink Festival and the Foodie Awards.

Our city is blessed with great food and a great range of small businesses that are standing for great ethics, it’s no wonder us locals are passionate about it and we want to celebrate this.

Edible - a quarterly publication capturing the essence of all that is worthy to tantalize our taste buds.

features:

Eat seasonably - what to eat now ................. 8

Sunday best - roast review ........................ 17

Food & drink festival .......24

Urbarn chickens - A tale of city living ..........32

Food for thought - gluten sensitivities...........35

Last orders - Q & A Dermot O’Leary ................42

regulars:

Your letters .......................... 6

Diary: Farmer’s markets .. 7

Edible loves... gadgets.... 14

Local hero ..........................21

Ale trail in Hanover .........23

Bob the builder .................30

Restau”RANT” ....................34

Working lunch ...................39

On the map ....................... 40

recipes:

Borscht .................................10

Venison sausages with baked ratatouille .............. 11

Courgette & walnut cake ..... ....................................................... 12

Monochelle puttanesca ..................................................28

Fragrant fish parcels .......29

Chunky watercress soup ..................................................30

in this issue...

Steve Buckland - Managing Editor

The people behind the Farm café and shop on North Road have started to run an excellent farmers market on the same road (next to the Heart & Hand pub) EVERY Saturday between 9am-3pm. All the produce is local and seasonal, plus there will be hog roasts and tasting sessions. We’re ultra excited about it and we think you should be too. Read more at: www.brightonfarmmarket.co.uk

Edible Magazine Limited.www.ediblemagazine.co.uk

General enquiriesinfo@ediblemagazine.co.uk

Managing editorSteve Bucklandt: +44 (0)7968 449559 steve@ediblemagazine.co.uk

Creative directorAmy Johnstont: +44 (0)7983 430079amy@ediblemagazine.co.uk

Editorial director & photographerEmma Gutteridget: +44 (0)7702 340727emma@ediblemagazine.co.uk

Acknowledgements:Anna Haigh; Sophie Green; Jon Goldsmith; Bob Miller; Louise Greeves; Shari Rendle; Helen Wilkinson; Davie J.

© 2010 edible magazine limited. All rights reserved. Edible magazine is edited, designed, and published by edible magazine. No part of edible magazine may be reproduced, transmitted, stored electronically, distributed, or copied, in whole or part without the prior written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or edible magazine.

If you really have finished with this

magazine, please recycle it or pass it on for someone else to enjoy.

Printed by: EvonPrint

4 issue 1 autumn

word of mouth

Join the discussions, write on our wall or just be our friend: www.facebook.com/EdibleMagTweet us at: www.twitter.com/EdibleMag

RSPCA – Good Business AwardsWell done and good luck to Due South, they are finalists in the restaurant and pub category to be UK’s most animal-friendly eatery by the RSPCA in this year’s Good Business Awards. The coveted award, rewards companies for their ethical approach to animal welfare. www.rspcagoodbusinessawards.com

‘Local food, international flavours’ is the theme for the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival 2010, running throughout September. A number of events will be happening across the city throughout September: Brighton Pier will be hosting a weekly pop-up restaurant event involving Terre a Terre, The Churchill Square market will be holding live cook-offs and demos every Wednesday and there will also be other markets, picnics, street parties, foraging and expeditions plus many more. There’s more to come too!

Check www.brightonfoodfestival.com for full events listings and for more information.

etc•

September food splendour

Up Market

word of mouth

Koba gets shopfrontYou may be forgiven for thinking Koba is a brown door on Western Road leading to not much more than a first floor members bar, that’s because it was; now though with the recent acquisition of the shop downstairs, it’s been transformed into a great little cafe bar serving some wonderful down to earth good quality food and drinks, a deli counter, some outside dining and various dining/function rooms inside, some available for private hire. www.kobauk.com t: 01273 720059

Award winning sauceBrighton’s BBQ Shack recently returned from Heat 1 of the British Barbecue Society’s ‘’Pitmasters’’ competition with first prize for their bourbon and maple syrup BBQ Sauce, on sale from September. They’ve also taken prizes for their smoked beef brisket, slow cooked pork shoulder and ribs. All their meat dishes are slow cooked in specially built wood burning ovens, offering the opportunity to taste a real American Pit BBQ for the first time. The second heat takes place at Rudgewick Steam Fair near Horsham over the August Bank Holiday. To find out more check out www.bbqshack.co.uk or www.bbbqs.com.

You could eat great food in a different place every day of the year, and we want to celebrate the fantastic food we have here in the city.

The Brighton & Hove Foodie Awards offer you the chance to choose the city’s top foodie destinations.

Voting started on Thursday 11 March and continues until mid September. The winners will be announced on 4 Oct.

Everyone gets one vote per category – choose from those who’ve already been nominated or add to the list.

brightonfoodawards.com

Shortlisted as Young Chef of the Year in the Sussex Food & Drink awards: Simon Duncan, 20, the youngest contender representing Sam’s of Brighton; Hotel Du Vin’s Will Stayner, 25 & Daniel Whittle, 21 from Temptation café - Good luck! www.sussexfoodawards.biz

We were intrigued when we heard that the old music library was to become the 13th restaurant

of the French cuisine chain, Côte. We popped down to check it out and were pleasantly surprised both by the décor; the original features have been retained, and by the food and wine selection. They also present a seasonal specials selection and offer a good value modern approach to classic French dishes. It’s open for breakfast through to dinner, with a lunch and early evening menu at £9.95 for two courses and £11.90 for three courses.

Although not an independent restaurant (we do like those here in Brighton), it’s still a worthwhile visit for any occasion; good for a business meeting with its free wifi, a pleasant place for mid morning coffee and ideal for pre-theatre dining. www.cote-restaurants.co.uk t: 01273 687541

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your letters

Dear edible,

As someone who constantly deviates from a supposed wheat free diet when I’m eating out, could you let me know which restaurants and pubs you recommend in Brighton with wheat free alternatives please? So far, I only really know about Donatellos and Carluccios, but I’m sure there must be more than a couple of Italian restaurants! Many thanks, Louise - via email.

You’re in luck Louise! Turn to our nutrition section on page 35 and there’s some information on gluten-free friendly places to eat, including a web address for Coeliac UK that have an excellent searchable directory of gluten-free eateries.

Dear edible,

I am getting concerned by how many major supermarkets are opening up around the city, I feel we should be using the quality independent stores around town, sure they may be a little more expensive and sure it’s sometimes easier to get everything under one roof, but the difference in taste alone is worth that extra, I actually enjoy going out and calling into the butchers, then the greengrocers, bakers, etc. Brighton and Hove should keep its identity; otherwise it will just become another clone city run by multi-nationals. Gary, Hove - via email.

We totally agree Gary! Here at edible, we promote keeping everything local and we hope to inspire more and more people to support Brighton & Hove’s independent businesses, we’re so lucky to have so many great places we can buy wonderful local and seasonal produce. Plus, as you say, we reap the rewards by taste and a service that supermarkets can never achieve.

word of mouthamuse bouche

Do you have any embarrassing stories or amusing foodie anecdotes you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you: info@ediblemagazine.co.uk

“I sent edamame beans back saying that they were stringy... no-one told me just to eat the beans inside!”

“Halloumi is cheese? I thought it was fish!”

“my mum getting excited about a mountain of onion rings at a buffet only to find out that it was deep fried squid”.

“Using 2 ‘bulbs’ of garlic thinking that they were ‘cloves’... the beef in beer dish was rather garlicky!”

Overheard...someone requesting for their steak tartare “well done”.

Email us at: info@ediblemagazine.co.uk with your favourite tricks, tips, pics & comments, as well as your suggestions for all things edible.

6 issue 1 autumn ©Ad

am K

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The best letter next issue will win a cream tea for two at the fabulous Metro Deco Parisian style 1930’s tea shop in Kemp Town.

write to us and win!

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Farmers’ markets provide many environmental, social, economic and health benefits. These include:

• an opportunity for customers to talk to producers

• bringing a spirit of fun and community back into shopping

• a direct marketing outlet for smaller family farms unable to meet supermarket demands for specified size, shape and quantity

• growers sell direct to the customer so the price paid, even for organic produce, can be lower than from supermarkets

• encouraging organic and environmentally friendly farming

• a reduction of ‘food miles’ and packaging

Fair Trade Fair and Farmers MarketSelling a selection of Fairtrade and local food produce including jams, chutneys and sauces. Runs 11-4pm, every third Saturday of the month. Friends’ Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton. t: 01273 675778 www.lovethatstuff.co.uk

Upper Gardner Street MarketOpen every Saturday from 9am, the Gardner St market sells local produce and vegetables. www.brightonstreetmarket.co.uk

Churchill Square Farmer’s MarketA weekly farmers’ market selling locally produced veg, fruit, jams, bread, meat and more. Every Wednesday outside the old Borders site from 10am-4pm.

Gorgeous George Street Artisan’s MarketStalls with local food & craft. Every last Saturday of the month from 10am-2pm on George St, Hove. t: 01273 470900 www.commoncause.org.uk

Brighton & Hove Farmers MarketA vegetarian farmers’ market 10-3pm, first Sunday of each month. Ralli Hall, near Hove Station. t: 01273 323200

Open MarketMarshall’s Row – off London Road. The market is open Monday 7am-1pm, Tues/Wes/Fri 7am-5pm, Fri/Sat – 7am-6pm www.btinternet.com/~ted.power/market

Brighton Farm Market

See page 4 for more details www.brightonfarmmarket.co.uk

Brighton & Hove Food and Drink FestivalSee page 24 for more information www.brightonfoodfestival.com

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8 issue 1 autumn

VenisonVenison usually comes from any species of deer. It’s a dark meat that is very lean. Try in sausages with roasted ratatouille or you can roast, grill or stew it. Accompany with an indulgent red wine.

BrillIs a firm, sweet tasting flat fish that is great for grilling but can also be poached, steamed, fried or seared. You can use in soups or stews or you can try it raw in a sashimi platter.

BeetrootBeetroot is so versatile – boil it, roast it, soup it or grate it. It typically comes into season in September and hangs about until January. Beetroot is a powerful liver cleanser too, juice it to take advantage of it’s full benefits.

AubergineOtherwise known as ‘eggplant’ the aubergine is great for stir-frying or with Thai curries. Try in stews and curries, but aubergines don’t freeze well so ensure you’re feeding enough to not have leftovers.

MushroomsThere are many different varieties of mushrooms, portobello and oyster tend to have more taste than button mushrooms. Try in risottos or pilafs, they also go really well in stir-fries. Mushrooms have oodles of nutritional value and add a meaty texture to a dish, knock yourself out!

Butternut SquashThough quite fiddly to prepare, squash is a beautiful addition to autumnal meals – dice and add to stews or roast with some beetroot, red onion and garlic for a wonderful accompaniment to chicken. Squash also makes great soup.

CourgettesBelieve it or not, courgettes are actually delicious raw – toss them with tomato, mozzarella, basil and some good quality olive oil. Courgettes are essentially small marrows and as a rule, the smaller the tastier. They’re only in season until mid October so enjoy them while you can.

In this issue, we look at what’s in season - make sure you don’t miss out on this bounty of Autumn delights...

eat seasonably

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- Emma Gutteridge

10 issue 1 autumn

Beetroot makes a colourful, thick soup that’s perfect as an autumnal starter. Due to it’s beautiful red colour you may find handling beetroot stains your hands – use disposable gloves or sandwich bags to cover your hands while peeling and cutting. This is a simple recipe that you can leave simmering while you make a more complex main.

1. Put all vegetables into a large stock pan and add enough stock to cover all the ingredients. Preserve the leftover stock. Cook on full heat for 2 mins and then season, cover and simmer for approx. 1 hour.

2. Leave to cool for 15 mins and then add to a food processor and whizz until smooth. You can pass the soup through a large sieve using a spatula to push through. You may need

to add some more of your stock here as beetroot really thickens up.

3. Reheat if needed. The quicker this soup is served the better as the colour will begin to fade. Serve in bowls and stir through some soured cream. You can also crumble some feta on top. Add a sprig of the fresh dill and you’re done!

1 large bunch of fresh beetroot (I bought mine from Infinity Foods), peeled and diced

2 medium bramley apples, peeled, cored and cut into large cubes

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds

1 onion, chopped

1 litre vegetable stock or Bouillon

2 garlic cloves, chopped finely

Salt & pepper to season

Soured cream and fresh dill to serve

Borscht (Beetroot Soup) Serves 4

Where to buy your seasonal produceHankham Organics grow everything local and all of their produce is from Sussex. They supply Infinity Foods and also do an amazing vegetable box that is very flexible. Call them on 01323 741000.

Outside the garden centre by the racecourse (top of Elm Grove) you can find Samson’s who sell an array of seasonal produce 9am-6pm 7 days a week, you’ll also get a dose of cheerfulness with your veg purchases!

Ross sells fresh, seasonal fish from his hut on Hove seafront, see more info on page 21.

Brighton & Newhaven Fish Sales can be found at the beginning of Shoreham Harbour (Basin Road South) and are open Mon-Sat 8am-4pm.

Archer’s in Hanover is a butcher who is committed to providing locally sourced, free range and additive free meat. He’s tucked away on Islingword Road in Hanover (parallel to Elm Grove) and is open 8am-5.30pm Mon-Fri and 7.30am-4pm on a Saturday.

R.C Seckers on Richardson Road, Hove stock locally produced meat and poultry, plus seasonal game.

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6 venison sausages

2 large courgettes, chopped into thin slices and then halved

1 orange or red pepper, diced

2 medium red onions, chopped

1 can of chopped tomatoes

2 large cloves garlic

A few sprigs of fresh rosemary

Salt & pepper to season

Venison sausages are not only lean, but also extremely tasty! You can buy them from the sausage shop in the North Laine (Gloucester St), and Archer’s Butchers on Islingword Rd. This recipe is totally flexible – add any root vegetable from your veg box.

1. Preheat oven to 180°c/gas mark 4.

2. Add all the vegetables, garlic, seasoning and rosemary to a large casserole dish with a lid and stir through the chopped tomatoes.

3. Arrange the sausages on top of the ratatouille (vegetable mixture) and cover. Cook for approx 1 hour until the vegetables are soft.

4. Serve with mashed sweet potato, you may need to let the ratatouille cool for 5 mins before serving.

Venison sausages with baked ratatouilleServes 2, double the ingredients to serve 4

12 issue 1 autumn

Courgette & walnut cake

1. Preheat your oven to 180C/ gas mark 4 and grease and line 2 x 21cm sandwich tins.

2. Wipe your courgettes with a piece of kitchen towel and then grate on the coarse side of a grater, peel and all. Once you have your pile of grated courgette, take a handful at a time and squeeze over the sink to remove excess water, placing the drained courgette in a bowl ready for adding to the mixture in step 4.

3. Put the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla into a large mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Next sieve in the flour, bicarb, baking powder and spices and continue to beat until well combined.

4. Add your grated courgette and walnut pieces and stir

briefly until the mixture is flecked emerald green and studded with walnuts.

5. Divide the mixture equally between the two tins and bake in the oven for approx 30mins. The sponges are ready when slightly browned and firm to the touch. Once cooked, place the tins onto a rack to cool for 10mins before turning out to cool completely.

6. Once completely cooled, they are ready to fill and ice. For the filling simply spread generously with some lemon curd. To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese together with the sieved icing sugar. Add a little more icing sugar if you feel your frosting is a little too runny. I tend to find the consistency differs every time I make my icing,

so feel free to tamper with it until you are happy. Combine the cream cheese and icing sugar, then add a squeeze of lime for a delicious zing. Go steady in order to keep your frosting at your desired consistency.

7. Smear the top thickly with the frosting. If you want to firm the icing up, place the cake in the fridge.

8. Just before serving, sprinkle the chopped pistachios and crystallised violet pieces and finely grate the lime zest.

Notes: The recipe above is for a two-layer cake, which will happily serve 8 generous portions. However, for the cake photographed in this feature I doubled the recipe to make 4 layers and used 3 for the cake.

2-3 courgettes

2 large eggs

125ml vegetable oil

150g caster sugar

225g self-raising flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp vanilla extract

100g walnut pieces

lemon curd for the filling

200g cream cheese

100g icing sugar, sieved (plus extra should you desire a thicker frosting)

I lime, juice and zest

2 – 3 tbsp chopped pistachios

crystallised violet pieces (optional)

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Brighten up your coffee or funky up your cakes £2.50 each Things at Home www.thingsathome.comt: 01273 236424

s Chop to pot

Chop then fold into directional food chute - ingenious! £10 England at Home www.englandathome.com t: 01273 738270

s Condiment gun

Shoot sauce straight onto your food, or elsewhere if you’re brave! £14.99 England at Home www.englandathome.com t: 01273 738270

Index chopping board s

Ultra organised - use these to categorise your chopping £39.99 England at Home www.englandathome.com

Avocado saver & storer s

Keep avocado halves fresh for the next day

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Heat proof grab mitts s

Protect your pinkies £4.99 Steamer Trading t: 01273 227705 www.steamer.co.uk

colourful gadgets to brighten up your kitchen

14 issue 1 autumn

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s Poach perfect – silicone egg poachers

Perfect eggs every time £3.99 for 2 Bert’s Homestore www.bertshomestore.co.uk t: 01273 774212

s Vegetable hand peeler

Make a boring task a bit more enjoyable £4.69 Things at Home www.thingsathome.com t: 01273 236424

s Glass markers

Avoid any confusion at parties! £3.99 for set of 12 Bert’s Homestore www.bertshomestore.co.uk t: 01273 774212

Alessi citrus peeler s

Very appealing! £13.00 Steamer Trading

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Frozen smiles s

Raise a smile with these ice cubes£5.99 Steamer Trading

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s Bodum lime kettle

It’s a kettle and it’s lime £29.99 England at Home www.englandathome.com t: 01273 738270

Automatic electronic mill s

Simply fill it up, tip it and watch the automatic start £29.95 Bert’s Homestore

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16 issue 1 autumn

Mitre tavern

Good Beer Guide (CAMRA) • Cask Marque accredited

The Mitre Tavern is a small, friendly local pub in the heart of Brighton. It prides itself on the quality of the beer it sells,

including a selection of lager, cider, Guinness and five different Harveys of Lewes ales at a time.

Cooked food 6 days a week 11.30am – 2.00pm

The Mitre boasts an outdoor heated smoking garden, a men’s and ladies’ darts teams and a football team.

Mitre Tavern13 BAKER STREET • BRIGHTON • BN1 4JN

01273 683173

The Red LionFresh home cooked food

served Tuesday toSaturday until 9pm

Traditional roast servedon Sundays noon to 5.30pm

See Website for menu and more information.....

1 Hove Place, Hove, SussexBN3 2RG

Tel 01273 770034Email info@redlionhove.co.uk

Website www.redlionhove.co.uk

Sunday bestWe’ve been painstakingly stuffing down roast dinners - all in the name of research (nothing to do with our collective hangovers – honest)…

Earth and Stars 46 Windsor Street, Brighton BN1 1RJprice: £9 for the beefwaiting time: 25 mins

After a friend had just completed a charity bike ride a good roast was needed. We had called ahead to book a table for 8 possibly 10, they were very accommodating. Our table was ready for us and the very friendly staff were on hand. Although only 2 real ales on tap, Dark Star Summer Solstice and Hepworth Prospect, the Earth & Stars also offer a fine selection of organic drinks. Despite being 8 of us to start with, our food was all delivered at the same time after only around 25 minutes. A good size portion with lovely locally sourced meat and a nice selection of veg including leek, carrots, peas, cabbage and roasted beetroot. I had the beef, but the overnight lamb shank looked good too! We spent a while afterwards in there and a steady stream of people all seemed happy with their meal, including a friend of ours who was still served the same quality roast at around 4.30pm.

Anna McEvoy, BN3 17

The Pub with No Name 58 Southover Street, Brighton BN2 9UF price: £9.25 (exotic) / £8.25 (standard)waiting time: around 20 minsserving until: all day Sunday

The Pub with No Name feels very similar to a lot of other Brighton pubs, but it is in fact a bit different. Firstly, it has no name. Secondly, its roasts are a bit special. On top of the standard beef, chicken, pork, lamb and veggie options, there’s also venison, guinea fowl, rabbit and some other exotic choices. Apparently, they’ve even had zebra on the menu! You might think that this would come with quite a premium, but in fact, these rarities are only £1 more than their standard roasts (£9.25 vs £8.25). Vegetables come on a separate side dish, leaving your main, and roast potatoes filling up a very big plate, and I was surprised at how big guinea fowl was. On top of all that, it’s a great pub – it manages to both feel contemporary, yet also somewhere you could take your parents for a meal. Mid-afternoon on a Sunday there wasn’t a bun fight for a table – I guess that’s a by-product of being at the top Southover Street. Oh, and they do serve a fine pint of Harvey’s Sussex. Yum.

Rob Orchard, BN2

The Great Eastern 103 Trafalgar St, Brighton BN1 4ERprice: £7.50waiting time: Various!serving until: Can vary, be there before 2

The Great Eastern is the ultimate Sunday pub and it’s also home to one of Brighton’s best well kept secrets - it’s roast. Compared to many Brighton pubs £7.50 is pretty reasonable, especially for the size. When visiting The Great Eastern on a Sunday, be prepared for a wait, though sometimes there isn’t one, other times you may be sat for an hour willing the next roast that’s served to be yours. Don’t let that put you off, we can assure you that it’s worth the wait! Lean, beautifully cooked meat, rested upon cabbage braised with star anise and roast potatoes that are fluffy on the inside and crispy on the out. The good selection of vegetables are tasty and well cooked, then there’s the huge, homemade Yorkshire pud and if you were clever enough to order the pork, you’ll also have some sublime crackling on your plate. I’m told by a reliable source that the nut loaf is as good as nut loaf can be’.

The Great Eastern prides itself on their selection of Bourbon, they also have a good range of ciders and ales. The friendly staff are attentive and you may find yourself in their Facebook hall of fame if you take along a dog. All in all, a wonderful roast experience.

Richy Cowens, BN1

The Sidewinder 65 St James’s St, Brighton BN2 1PJprice: £7.95-£9.50waiting time: 40 minsserving until: Kitchen open until 9.30pm, served until run out

When I arrived to meet friends at The Sidewinder the first thing I saw was the amazing pork belly roast being served to a group by the main entrance. My mind made up, I headed to the bar to order. The bar staff were clearly busy but it would have been nice to have had a smile at some point. The roast menu is varied, there’s your standard roasts, the aforementioned pork belly and a lamb shank. Drinks wise, there was a nice ale from the Hammerpot Brewery on offer as well as the rather potent but moreish Cheddar Valley cider.

I ordered my roast later than my group and I was impressed when theirs arrived, there was a good amount of veg and a Yorkshire pud, however when mine came later it was on a smaller plate and the Yorkshire pud absent. The pork belly did make up for it though, a generous cut of meat covered with delicious crackling. However, the vegetables lacked something and the gravy far too watery. All in all, an average to decent roast that has the potential of being amazing with a few tweaks and a bit of enthusiasm from the staff. A word of warning, if you’re a meat eater, order the pork belly else you’ll be suffering from a big case of food envy.

Emma Gutteridge, BN1

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The Foragers Pub, 3 Stirling Place Hove BN3 3YUprice: £11-£14waiting time: 20 minutesserving until: 4pm

The Foragers is a lovely pub tucked away in Hove with a reputation for fine food. Great for any occasion and it offers a great selection of premium wines, beers and spirits. The décor is clean and light with some fine local art on display that compliments. Booking is advised and the bar staff provide table service which is excellent - friendly and attentive.

The Foragers has built it’s reputation on a policy of sourcing all of it’s ingredients locally, choosing award-winning organic meats and poultry whilst seafood is caught sustainably from the South Coast. The menu is extensive and caters for all tastes, including pescatarian and vegetarian, but we settled on the traditional beef and chicken roasts.

Food was served within twenty minutes; accompanying our roasts were a few carrots, red cabbage, ruby chard, diced courgette, parsnip and two roast potatoes, which were tasty, but the red wine gravy shone. Our meats came sliced; my chicken was succulent and my fellow diner declared the beef easy to cut.

If your idea of a roast, especially at this price, is a plate piled with food then you’ll be disappointed. This roast is about ethics.

Taras Nadvirny, BN3

Coopers Cask 3 Farm Road, Hove, BN3 1FBprice: £10waiting time: 15 minutesServing until: they run out, normally around 6pm, although options may be limited.

Coopers Cask is one of those pubs I often return to for a consistently reliable roast, always tasty and cooking ‘til late for those lazy Sundays or ‘otherwise engaged in the morning days’.

A great little boozer, just off Western Road, it has a real proper pub feel about it and very friendly staff, making it a nice enjoyable Sunday outing.

The pub however is fairly small and does get busy from about 1.30 ‘til 2.30. There’s sometimes a little wait for a seat, but normally managing to squeeze in somewhere you’re soon enjoying the good selection of tunes the bar staff play and soaking up the nice Sunday vibe.

Always a nice veggie option and a good selection of most meat roasts, they serve a huge size meal and serving ‘til around 6pm makes a great place to rely on, especially if you do prefer to have a later larger roast.

The beef was lovely, and am always happy with the 7 or so veggies you get and although only normally one ale, it is Harvey’s Best. The beer was good and the meal hit the spot!

Stevio Bee, BN3

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The Sussex Yeoman, 7 Guildford Road, Brighton, BN1 3LU  price: £12.50 to £13.50waiting time: 30 minsserving until: 7pm

A small pub well known for its food and their roasts didn’t disappoint. We got there about 3pm and it was very busy, but the staff were very helpful in moving tables around to fit us in. They did turn away a larger group because there was no room so it’s advisable to book.

There was a huge choice of roasts: 3 different cuts of lamb, beef, chicken, pork, trout, two vegetarian and even venison. We had the beef and the venison with a good choice of vegetables (the celeriac mash was delicious). All their meat is locally sourced (the chickens are “couriered in”) and free range.

Drink choice was fairly usual with a decent range of wines. There was only one ale on tap but it was a great tasting bitter.

It was a good roast, not the cheapest but highly recommended. You can also buy EllesBelles sausages over the bar, which are super nice.

Andy Simpson, BN1

The edible team are loosening their belts in preparation for next

issue’s review - we’ll be sharing our thoughts on Brighton & Hove’s offering of pies.

Foxy’s Roast and Grill, 90 Goldstone Villas, Hove BN3 3RUprice: £9.50 for beefwaiting time: around 15 mins serving until: 10pm

Foxy’s is a nice alternative to the pub for a Sunday lunch. With only around 16 seats at the counter overlooking the open kitchen you definitely feel part of the action and get to see your food being prepared. With a choice of beef, pork, lamb and chicken there’s plenty to choose from, but if you can’t decide you can have a combo plate with the choice of two meats. I decided to go for the beef which was served nice and pink with all the usual trimmings including home-made horseradish and a really good Yorkshire pudding. The roast potatoes are cooked under the meat in rotisserie, so are full of flavour. The portion size is generous but is also very good quality, which is unusual.

In terms of drinks, there is no beer on tap but there is a hand-picked and interesting wine list with some great value bin-ends. I went for a Peroni that was served in an ice-cold glass followed by a very nice Cabernet Sauvignon.

Being a rotisserie seven days a week it would be disappointing if they could not deliver a decent Sunday roast, but fortunately they can. The price may be a little higher than a lot of pubs but the standard of the meat in particular makes it worth the extra.

Davie J, BN3

20 issue 1 autumn

If you pootle along Hove seafront between the Prince Regent and the Bowling Green you will stumble upon a little hut selling a range of fish surrounded by hopeful seagulls. Ross (who is camera shy) has been running his independent fish business with the help of a few friends, including Tony (pictured here), for an amazing thirteen years. When you buy fish from Ross you know it was caught that morning by his own hands, you’ll also find the fish is all local, in season and ethically caught. The hut is open between 9am-2pm Wed-Sat. We suggest striking up a conversation, he’s passionate about his work and a really interesting guy to chat to – you’re our hero Ross!

Do you have a local hero? Tell us about them at info@ediblemagazine.co.uk

local hero

21

- Emma Gutteridge

22 issue 1 autumn

EllesBelles sausages are made using only natural casings and pure ingredients.

Made by head chef, Elle Ledden and her small team at The Sussex Yeoman pub in Brighton, she only uses animals that have enjoyed their freedom. Free range, happy and superior breeds of pork, lamb and beef are used from ‘Natural farms’, a farming co-operative in Sussex and Seckers butchers in Hove.

Elle has been a chef for 13 years and been has been perfecting the EllesBelles sausage for over two years. With her knowledge, only the best combinations of cuts and flavours are used.

The Sussex Yeoman’s loyal customers have been enjoying her EllesBelles sausages for over a year now and the word is spreading…………

……….You won’t be able to keep these a secret…..

Gluten and non-gluten free sausages are available“The fifth taste, Umami in every bite”

Elle xxx

Posh nosh made with love

For any more information, orders, suggestions or questions please contact Elle at; ellieledden@yahoo.com

You can currently buy them in a few delis across town and at; THE SUSSEX YEOMAN PUB

THE SUSSEX YEOMAN PUB, 7 Guildford Road, BN1 3LU, Telephone: 01273 327985

The Sussex Yeoman is a serious food pub known and loved by foodies in Brighton. Head chef, Ellie Ledden and her team have been cooking up a storm for four & a half years. Their passion brings you an ever changing specials board, combining seasonal local produce, fresh fish catch, butchery skills and creative vegetarian dishes. With real ales and fine wines from the bar, John Inch the landlord will welcome you.

Also very well known for top Sunday roasts and of course home of ‘EllesBelles sausages’, where they can be bought.

Vote for us in ‘best food pub’ category at www.brightonfoodawards.com

SUSSEX

YEOMANSUSSEX

YEOMAN

It’s always nice to go to a familiar local, but sometimes it’s good to head out and discover new places. If you’re not familiar with the Hanover area you could do worse than sample some of the fine pubs on offer. We recommend starting at the bottom of Southover Street and getting to the top for sundown*.

altrail

eHANOVER

The Greys

Ales Harveys Best 4% @ £3.10,

Timothy Taylor Landlord 4.3%

@ £3.20

Opening Time 4pm

Weekdays, 12pm Sundays

Best Bits big range of bottled

Belgian beers and live music

The Walmer CastleAles Badger Lemony Cricket 4.4% @ £3.20, Badger 4% @ £3, Tanglefoot 4.9% @ £3

Opening Time 4pm Weekdays, 12pm SundaysBest Bits child friendly, good bottled beers

The Setting SunAles Sharps Doom Bar 4% @ £3.10, Guest Ale from £3Opening Time 3pm Weekdays, 12pm SundaysBest Bits great views over Brighton and the sea

In the next issue we visit Hove.

23

The Geese

Ales Harveys Best 4% @ £3,

Timothy Taylor Landlord 4.3%

@ £3

Opening Time 3pm Weekdays,

12pm Sundays

Best Bits occasional varied

guest ales, nice Guinness

The Pub with No NameAles Harveys Best 4.1% @ £3.20, Hopback Summer Lightning 5% @ £3.40

Opening Time 3pm Weekdays, 12pm SundaysBest Bits excellent roasts incl. game option

The Dover CastleAles Shepherd Neame Spitfire 4.2% @ £3.20, Bishops Finger 5% @ £3.20, Kents Best 4.1% @ £3, Guest Ale from £3

Opening Time 3pm Weekdays, 12pm SundaysBest Bits courtyard garden, food incl. late roasts on Sunday

Sir Charles Napier

Ales Gales HSB 4.8% @ £3.25,

Seafarers 3.6% @ £2.95, London

Pride 4.1% @ £3.20, Guest Ale

from £3

Opening Time 3pm Weekdays,

4pm Fri, 12pm Sundays

Best Bits very traditional,

nice bangers and mash

- Steve Buckland

*This is more of diary of a jolly good afternoon sampling some fine ale than any recommendation.

24 issue 1 autumn

Wed 1 September (10-6pm)Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival official launch at Brighton Racecourse. Consumer and trade launch party with an afternoon of horse racing, local food market, children’s activities, live food kitchen and charity Waiters Race.

£12 adults (look out for exclusive 2FOR1 entry deal coming soon); under 18s free

Brighton Racecourse, Freshfield Road, Brighton BN2 9XZ. 01273 603 580 www.brighton-racecourse.co.uk

Sat 4 & Sun 5 September (11am-6pm)NEW! World Food TrailTaste the World with our new World Food Trail. Pick up a free map from any participating business (also available in the official brochure and as a download) then follow our trail via some of Brighton’s best restaurants, bars, food stores, gourmet hotels and vintners! Each will be representing either a country or region, offering free tasters, themed drinks and tapas-sized dishes to buy. Come hungry!

The Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival is now established as the largest festival of its kind on the south coast, and is one of the most important cultural events in Brighton & Hove’s calendar. 110,000 foodies enjoyed our 2009 festival, and 2010 will be bigger and better than ever as we’re running events throughout the year, which started with our all-new 11 day ‘Spring Harvest’ festival in March. The following pages lists the major events throughout September. For more information visit www.brightonfoodfestival.com

food & drink festival 2010Pictures © Kirsty Blake, Exposure Events

25

Wed 8 Sept (7pm)

New Steine Bistro Supper ClubEnjoy a welcome drink and amuse bouche, followed by 3-course meal with accompanying wines selected by Henry Butler from The Butlers Wine Cellar. This is always a popular event so book early!

Tickets £29.50, 01273 681 546 New Steine Hotel & Bistro, 10-12a New Steine, Brighton BN2 1PB www.newsteinehotel.com

Wed 8, 15, 22 & 29 Sept (10am-4pm)Churchill Square Farmers Market & Live Food KitchenPick up your weekly shopping at the Churchill Square Farmers Market, which runs every Wednesday throughout the year. Choose from local seasonable fruit and veg, fresh meat and fish, cheese, breads, cakes, jams and chutneys.

Also, watch free foodie demonstrations from local producers and chefs, including hands-on activities and samples. Yum!

Every Wednesday Churchill Square piazza, Brighton www.churchillsquare.com

Sat 11 & Sun 12 Sept (10am-6pm)

Big Sussex MarketBrighton & Hove’s biggest local food market returns! Featuring over 70 local farmers and producers, alongside a bar and hot food from local restaurants, the Big Sussex Market is foodie heaven.

Free entry - New Road, Jubilee Street & Jubilee Square, Brighton

Sat 11 & Sun 12 Sept (10.30am-6pm)Live Food Stage 2010This two day event, hosted by local expert food writer Andrew Kay is located in Royal Pavilion Gardens and includes some of the best culinary demonstrations East Sussex and beyond has to offer. Expect a special guest appearance, amazing giveaways, a chilli pepper heat (no pun intended) and the nail biting final of the Bar Show Down. No admission prices, a family friendly environment and FREE tasters!

Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton

food & drink festival 2010

food & drink festival

26 issue 1 autumn

Sat 11 & Sun 12 Sept (10.30am-6pm)Children’s Food FestivalPresented by Kitchen Academy. Details to be confirmed. Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton

Sat 11 Sept (7.30pm-11pm)The Regency BanquetJoin the Prince Regent in the glittering Ambassador Ballroom for a lavish banquet of Regency period food based on the menus of the famous chef, Careme. Presented by Hilton Brighton Metropole and the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival. Regency costume is positively encouraged!

Tickets tbc - Hilton Brighton Metropole, Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2FU 01273 775 432 www.hilton.co.uk/brightonmet

Sun 12 Sept (8.30am & 9.30am sittings)Regency BreakfastEspecially for Heritage Open Weekend, the Royal Pavilion Tearoom celebrates the Regency Breakfast in style, serving Regency classics with modern twists including spiced breads, cooked meat and fish.

£13.50 per head includes Royal Pavilion admission. Advance tickets 01273 292 737 Royal Pavilion Tearooms, Pavilion Gardens, Brighton

Sat 18 & Sun 19 Sept (10am-6pm)Fiery Foods UK Chilli FestivalExperience all things hot’n’spicy at this year’s Chilli Festival. Featuring live stage, music, National Chilli Heats, children’s activities and stalls galore, this is an unmissable event for any chilli-heads!

£3 adults, £1 concessions Victoria Gardens, Grand Parade, Brighton www.fieryfoodsuk.co.uk

Mon 20 - Sun 26 SeptBrighton & Hove Food Partnership’s Local Food WeekAn annual programme of events where you can take away seeds to grow, watch cookery demonstrations, try local produce or take part in other fun activities about food. Events will include local produce festivals, farm visits and more. There will also be pick and cook days which will be fun days out for adults and children and will include opportunities to try seasonal food and dishes from different cultures.

www.harvest-bh.org.uk/what-we-do/66-projects/75-local-food-events

27

Sat 25 Sept (11am-5pm)Harvest’s Local Food Week PicnicCelebrate the Harvest project at Preston Park with a giant bring-your-own picnic, produce swap, cookery with produce from the Harvest allotment and kids activities.

Preston Park, Brighton www.harvest-bh.org.uk

Sat 25 & Sun 26 Sept (10am-6pm)World Food MarketWith stalls from Sussex and the Continent, alongside world foods, our huge seafront market on Hove Lawns is always one of the festivals most popular events. With a beer tent, dancing and lots of kids activities, it’s a great Brighton day out! Hove Lawns, Brighton seafront

Sat 25 Sept (7pm)New Steine Bistro Cabaret ClubEnjoy a bistro meal with accompanying entertainment (acts tbc)

Tickets tbc, 01273 681 546 New Steine Hotel & Bistro, 10-12a New Steine, Brighton BN2 1PB www.newsteinehotel.com

Thurs 30 Sept (7.30-11pm)Spanish Gala Dinner, Hotel du VinHotel du Vin Brighton, in association with the Spanish Food Company bring you a spectacular end to what promises to be a truly memorable Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival 2010. The gala dinner will be hosted within the majestic surroundings of The Dome room and features Spanish themed four course dinner, complete with canapés, an outstanding selection of wines poured by the people that know them best and coffee for only £75 per person. For a dinner with a difference, say hola du Vin.

To book call 01273 718 588 Hotel du Vin, Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AD www.hotelduvin.com/brighton

Mon 4 Oct (7-9pm)Brighton & Hove Foodie Awards FinalsThe finals of the Brighton & Hove Foodie Awards! Voted by the public throughout 2010, find out which restaurants, gastropubs and foodie stores are the best in town!

Hilton Brighton Metropole, Kings Road, Brighton www.brightonfoodawards.com

food & drink festival

For more information visit www.brightonfoodfestival.com

celebrity chef recipe

Jamie Oliver was inspired to open his ‘Jamie’s Italian’ restaurants after falling in love with everything Italy has to offer food and culture wise. edible brings you one of his favourite, easy to prepare recipes.

150g Monachelle pasta

50g Baby plum on the vine - cut into 1/6’s 10g

(2 cloves) garlic - split ½ & thinly sliced

30g olives (10 each) black olives - pitted & cut in half

3g (½ teaspoon) chilli paste

5g chopped (2mm pieces) anchovy

5g flat leaf parsley - picked leaves finely shredded

5g capers - squeeze to remove excess vinegar

50ml vegetable stock 100ml tomato pasatta

15ml olive oil

Freshly grated parmesan & ripped basil leaves

Cook your pasta in plently of well salted boiling water, meanwhile in a large saucepan:

Melt anchovies & garlic in 15ml olive oil add chilli paste, capers, tomato & olives & fry gently add stock & simmer for 1 min - add 100ml tomato passata

Bring back to boil then add al dente pasta. Finish cooking pasta in sauce then add chopped parsley.

Finish in a bowl by grating over plenty of fresh parmesan & pieces of fresh leaves to garnish

28 issue 1 autumn

Monochelle PuttanescaServes 2

celebrity chef recipe

Australian Bill Granger became a chef while he worked the Sydney kitchens as an aspiring artist. Realising he had a passion for food, he made his mark on Australia with his notorious cafés and has gone on to publish 5 books. We bring you a tantalising recipe from his ‘Every Day’ book.

Fragrant fish parcelsServes 4

4 x 150g (5½ oz) firm white fish fillets (such as cod, snapper or ling)

80ml (2½ fl oz) coconut milk

2 tsp lime juice

2 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp soft brown sugar

1 lemon grass stem, outer leaves removed and thinly sliced

2 Kaffir lime leaves, centre veins removed, very thinly sliced

Small handful coriander leaves

Small handful fresh Thai basil leaves

Lime wedges to serve

Preheat a griddle or char-grill plate to hot. Put each fillet on a 30cm (12 inch) long piece of foil.

Mix together the coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar and spoon over the fish fillets. Scatter the lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaves, coriander and Thai basil over the fish.

Fold in the sides of the foil to make parcels. Cook on the griddle or char-grill for 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish – the fish should be cooked through. Serve with lime wedges.

29

30 issue 1 autumn

Watercress Soup (chunky)1 chopped onion

2 chopped celery sticks

1 chopped potato & 1 chopped sweet potato (it’s up to you if you want to peel them, I prefer the skins for goodness)

2 litres of chicken or beef stock (buy these in all supermarkets £1 each or make you own)

3 bags of watercress

2 bags of peas (fresh or frozen, if frozen then 1 bag)

Mustard cress (or just lots of pepper)

Small hand held blender (very cheap to buy £5 to £15)

Put the small glug of olive oil in a large saucepan and heat, then add together celery & onions (just to soften, not brown, about 5 mins)

Add the stock, peas and the chopped potatoes (the smaller you chop them the faster they soften), then leave to simmer ‘til soft, get one out and squash with spoon.

Keep stirring, then add the watercress with mustard cress (when adding the watercress, do this not to overload ya saucepan, add a couple of handfuls at a time, it will reduce in size).

Cook for a further 3-4 mins (feel free to add boiling water to thin if too thick).

With your small blender do small bursts to get shot of the big lumps. I think lumpy and chunky is better, but blend to suit. Season to suit your taste buds and leave to cool.

Get some freezer bags and pour in a good servings worth for each day of the week, and ya done. When you need them, heat ‘em up in morning and pop in a pre-heated thermos flask. Grab some whole grain chunky bread to serve with it - you’ll be the daddy on site : )

“no more slumps like an alligator lying in the sun, trying to break down his last meal...”

For the average builder, too much white bread, pastry and grease for breakfast or lunch is just too much, we are manual workers, but we can’t burn off that many calories throughout the average day. I’ve done it when I was site, and seen what most builders eat. I would spend the next 2-3 hours hardly able to move. In my view, 75% of builders get most of their work done in the morning, so why not keep up ya energy levels and work throughout the rest of the day = more £, so no more slumps like an alligator lying in the sun, trying to break down his last meal...

I changed the way I ate and drank throughout the day, with a low-cost complete tasty diet overhaul, with minimal effort. Just around 20 mins in the kitchen the night before is enough. Why not be right on the ball and have a good cooking session on the Sunday and prepare your lunches up for your whole week and freeze them? It’s just a little forward thinking, and having a system, believe me it’s worth it. I try to make slow releasing energy grub, to keep you maintained throughout the average working day. So come on - let’s “get in” and give it ago.

Bob the Builder’s

POWER LUNCH

31

a piece of cake edible loves local people doing local things.

We introduce you to Louise who runs food blog: ‘Louise’s Kitchen’ and also bakes cakes to order.

Here she talks about her wonderful cake pictured here.

“I have made this cake many times, particularly when I have a glut of courgettes as I so often do at this time

of year. At heart, the recipe is a Nigella Lawson classic taken from How To Be A Domestic

Goddess, but over the years I have baked it, I’ve tweaked and

tampered with it’s original blueprint to create what is now a personal favourite of mine.

My favourite part of baking a cake (apart from licking the spoon) is the decorating. I love to use local, seasonal flowers, herbs and fruit. Some of my cakes are

festooned in blooms, others are perfect with just a single flower. Just trust your creative eye.”

Go to page 12 to see the recipe for this

scrumptious cake.

Louise’s Kitchen – homemade cakes, puddings and desserts www.louiseskitchen.blogspot.com

For further information contact Louise Gorrod t: 01273 324008 e: l.gorrod@btinternet.com

32 issue 1 autumn

One of my early childhood memories was my summer holidays on my grandparents’ small holding. Me and my sisters loved spending time there, looking after all the animals. They kept chickens and one of my favourite things was helping my grandfather hunt for the eggs and then taking them back to my grandmother to be cooked for breakfast. How I remember dipping my soldiers into the beautiful orange yolks.

I always dreamed of keeping chickens of my own once I owned my own home. Although a town house in Brighton wasn’t the same as a small holding in Stroud.

Could I have chickens in a small back yard in a city I asked myself?

After researching and persuading my husband on the idea, I booked my son on a ‘How to keep chickens’

course at Middle Farm in the summer. Each child was given a chicken to look after for the day, cleaning, feeding and collecting the eggs. We had a lovely day together and decided we would look to get some chickens at home. Although my son liked the idea of the more exotic breeds, such as the ‘Frizzle’, we decided although they are beautiful, they are more for show than for laying eggs. So looking with a bit more of a practical head we agreed on some red Sussex bantams. They are an old local breed, still quite pretty and lay well. Having a small garden, bantams were top of our list.

The following weekend in a cardboard box, we picked up 3 bantams from an independent breeder in Sussex, along with a bale of straw and some chicken feed. We were given a chicken coop for a wedding present, but you can buy a reasonable

“It takes time, patience, lots

of corn and the occasional

blueberry muffin for them to

become friends“

urbarn chickens- Sophie Green

one for under £150 or better still you can build you own, there are many good designs available online.

We purchased our hens at point of lay, roughly about 12 weeks old. Normally a hen starts to lay at around 21 weeks. We introduced our hens to their new home at night to settle them in. My son raced down in the first morning to let them out. We discovered that there are often teething problems with new pets, and they were terrified of us - certainly not as friendly as the ones we looked after at Middle Farm!

After about 3-4 months they began to settle down and started to lay. I’ve always thought hens will only lay if they are happy. They were happy hens, Marmalade, Embers and Buffy were part of the family. Trouble free, or so we thought, as all of a sudden the eggs stopped. The hens didn’t want to come out. The

combs on their heads looked pale and sallow. I spoke to some of the old fellows at my allotment who thought they may have become broody. The suggestion was to put up a curtain to stop them entering the nesting boxes. We did this for a week. They were cured. They started coming out again, their combs became bright red again and within a month

our girls were producing 3 eggs a day. Lots of eggs for breakfast, boiled, scrambled, poached or fried. Even with only 3 hens, you have enough eggs to give away to grateful family and friends, or fill the freezer with quiches that could be filled with all the produce from the allotment. It’s a lovely feeling to know you have produced your own meal without having to visit the supermarket. The taste of

fresh eggs and vegetables is different, they actually have colour and taste, often lacking in supermarket produce.

Chickens will provide you, and more importantly your children, with a huge amount of pleasure and lots of lovely fresh eggs. Contrary to popular belief, they’re not difficult to keep and only require a small amount of space as we’ve discovered.

An added bonus is they eat your leftovers, trim your grass and eat the slugs and snails. It

takes time, patience, lots of corn and the occasional blueberry muffin for them to become friends. We think it’s worth it for all those yummy fresh orange yolks to dip our soldiers in.

“It’s a lovely feeling to know you have produced your own meal without having to visit the supermarket”

33

Brighton’s reputation as London by the sea continues to grow. With an estimated tourist spend in the region of £408 million annually, Brighton certainly lives up to it’s reputation as the “place to be”.

Saturday night...Scene: Waiting to be served at trendy bar in Preston Street 9.30pm on a Saturday night. “3 large vodka and tonics and a large gin and tonic please”I watched as she lined up the glassware on the bar. I noticed that her jaw was moving in contrary directions to the rest of her face and that she had a slight glazed look in her eye.“It’s hot in here isn’t it?” she said apologetically as the beads of sweat rolled down her face. Not really, I thought, it must be the drugs you have consumed prior to your shift. I found myself having to remind her of the order again as she poured (another) one too many gins shaking like an epileptic.

Eventually, as she finished pouring the drinks I had actually ordered I looked at the measures poured in front of me (a quadruple vodka, two single vodkas and half a pint of gin) and smiled the smile of someone who was explaining the finer points of French Existentialism to a small retarded rhesus monkey. As she returned my smile back at me I wondered how she would explain the various amounts of liquid in the glasses arranged in front of me.“It’s the ice, innit? Makes the drinks look uneven”.

Sunday lunch...Scene: A remarkably busy and well known fish restaurant on the seafront.Whilst I ate my half decent mackerel pâté (served with two slices of thin, insipid 10p a loaf brown bread), I asked the waiter where my other starter was. 5 minutes later the waiter appeared at the table“Your tzatziki sir”“But I ordered taramasalata”Another 10 minutes later a lurid nuclear pink glow appeared at the door to the restaurant, which was being held at arms length by the waiter who must have known that proximity to toxic goods can cause cancer.Suffice to say that I wish I had eaten the tzatziki.The less said about my companion’s mixed grill the better.

Monday lunch...Scene: A long established restaurant in the South Lanes. “Can I get some milk for my friend’s baby’s bottle please”“I’m not sure whether we do milk”“Do you serve coffee?”“Yes”“White coffee?”“Yes”“Then one would assume you have milk”The implied logic of the situation seemed to be getting the better of her. My mistake was not learning to quit when I was ahead. My request for having the milk bottle washed out and replaced with fresh milk and then warmed up for us, was in a way like asking why Brighton tourists would always have to put up with shoddy and substandard food, incompetent amateurish and occasionally rude service, and rip-off prices.“I’ll go and get the manager”And off she went.

A London restaurateur’s first experience as a tourist in Brighton

restau RANT

34 issue 1 autumn

a lurid nuclear pink glow appeared at the door to

the restaurant, which was being held at arms length

by the waiter

35

Against the grain

There appears to be a bit of trend within our county where people are developing gluten and wheat sensitivities. However, if your body is reacting to wheat or gluten there may be a different problem altogether going on than you think and you maybe excluding important food groups from your diet for no reason.

Gluten is a type of protein found in many grains such as rye, wheat and barley. The main thing to remember is that, unless you have Coeliac disease, gluten sensitivity does not mean an allergy. Our bodies immune systems have certain antibodies that deal with allergies and others that deal with intolerances, therefore gluten allergy is

often an immediate allergic type reaction and can be very dangerous. On the other hand intolerance can be slow to come on and symptoms can vary from person to person but usually result in bloating, stomach pain, diarrhoea or constipation. There maybe a whole host of underlying reasons why you may experiencing problems eating wheat or gluten so it is a good idea to see a nutritional therapist for investigation. It maybe as simple as a stressful job affecting your digestive system and can be fairly simply rectified with some gut healing. Intolerances aren’t usually long term and with the right diet you may be back on track within a few months.

If you’re a coeliac, things aren’t quite so simple and intake of gluten can cause the body to attack itself and damage the finger-like projections in your stomach, called villi, which deal with the absorption of nutrients. It’s important with coeliac disease to ensure you aren’t becoming deficient in important vitamins and minerals as conditions such as anaemia, osteoporosis and depression can set in.

If, like me, you suffer from either condition, or are on an exclusion diet by instruction of a health professional, you may have found that eating

Living with gluten sensitivitiesThis issue, edible’s resident nutritional therapist, Emma Gutteridge Dip. CNM, mBANT, tackles the subject of gluten sensitivity and gives you ideas how to get around this often socially awkward condition.

food for thought

out can sometimes become so awkward that you often feel like you wish you’d just stayed at home. Firstly there’s the clueless waitresses that don’t take your condition seriously or the chef that rolls his eyes whilst taking the bread off your plate but smothering your food in the flour-laced sauce. Then there’s the friends that invite you round for dinner and say: ‘oh, come on, surely it won’t hurt eating it once in a while?’. Gluten-free living is a minefield but there are many delicious, alternative foods and accommodating restaurants out there: which, after time, will make your life easier and you may even find you forget you have a gluten or wheat sensitivity.

Look out for hidden gluten in your food – such as breadcrumbs (often found in sausages and burgers), wheat flour in sauces, soy sauce. Stock cubes often contain gluten.

All pre-packaged foods in the UK must state whether they contain gluten and they can use multiple terms for this including ‘wheat’, ‘barley’, ‘rye’, ‘gluten’ or a combination of both such as ‘wheat gluten’. This information can usually be found in an allergy information box, but always check the ingredients too.

If eating out, try and get your friends to decide on restaurant beforehand and phone the restaurant ahead to discuss your options. Pubs, fast food places and grills often fry their foods in the same oil that has been used for a wheat based product, ensure when ordering there is no chance of contamination or avoid the friend food altogether.

As for friends, I find a good way around tackling the situation is to ask: ‘shall I bring any gluten free options for anything you’re making?’. It’s enough to remind them of your dietary requirements

in a open ended, non-confrontational way.

Alternative foods:

Grains can easily be replaced – buckwheat, millet, Quinoa and rice are all gluten free and, in my opinion, are much tastier. Quinoa is particularly good as it is what we call a ‘complete protein’; containing all 8 essential amino acids, which are very important for our bodies daily tasks. These grains are easy and quick to make and are great for salads. Oats are also gluten-free but they are often produced in environments that process gluten products and can often contain gluten so tread very carefully. Infinity Foods on North Road stock a broad range of gluten free goods and have many gluten free cereals. You can also find alternatives in the branches of Taj and Down to Earth on Portland Road.

You may have found that eating out can sometimes become so awkward that you often feel like you wish you’d just stayed at home

36 issue 1 autumn

Supermarkets stock many gluten-free breads, including one called Genius which is very nice and available in brown. You can also find a good range of flours in good supermarkets, I find buckwheat is the best and makes for exceptional gravy and amazing flat breads for which you can find the recipe online using a search engine. Marks & Spencer do a few lines of sausages that are gluten free, including their amazing venison sausages that are lean too – bonus! They also do some good lunch on the go options, including their super-food salad.

You can also download a Gluten-free Food & Drink directory from Coeliac UK, join on their website: www.coeliac.org.uk

Gluten-free friendly places to eat:

Lunch ideas:Infinity foods café, Gardner Street; this café in the heart of the North Laine is a busy café that offer delicious gluten free, vegan food. It can be quite pricey though.

Iydea, Kensington Gardens: this buffet café is ingenious. There are delicious salads and lovely curries on the buffet allowing you to put your own plate of food together and it’s all reasonably priced.

The Cherry Tree, St James’s St: this wonderful Mediterranean café offers one of the best

salad boxes in Brighton and

there are many gluten-free options to choose from.

Foodylic, North Street

(opp. Boots): this is an all you can eat buffet café. The food is delicious but make sure you go hungry!

Restaurants and pubs:The Meadow, Western Rd (opp. The Wick): The Meadow take your gluten sensitivity very seriously. Call ahead and they’ll cater for you. We had some delicious gluten free bread with our cheese board last time we were there.

The Hop Poles, Middle Street: I went into the Hop Poles after a day of visiting places and walking. I was hungry and wanted a hearty meal. The menu already offers a fair few gluten-free options, just check with the bar staff about sauces and gravy etc. They will also modify your dish if you ask nicely, they changed my bread roll for a huge dollop of scrumptious mash.

The Grey’s, Southover Street: The food menu at the Grey’s is always excellent and they often have more gluten-free options than not. Recommended.

Sahara, Western Road: this Lebanese/Persian restaurant has many gluten-free options. Just speak with the waitresses when they bring the menus.

Donatello’s in the South Lanes offer gluten free options for the majority of their pasta dishes, just speak with the waiter when ordering. Perfect for a cheap and cheerful treat.

food for thought

Emma practices from Sundial Clinic, St James’s St and offers flexible nutritional therapy appointments at realistic costs. You can contact her on 07817 952413 or nutritionemma@gmail.com

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Chris Mirrlees from Foxy’s Roast & Grill in Hove shares his knowledge...

When you need a hand to cook that perfect steak why not use your own. Check out these simple stupid rules:

Well donePress together the tip of your thumb and the tip of your little finger. With the index finger of your other hand, push on the fleshy area between the base of your thumb and wrist. It should feel quite resilient, this compares to the feel of a well done steak when pressed.

MediumPress together the tip of your thumb and ring finger and follow the same procedure as above. This area should feel less firm this time and compares to the feel of a medium cooked steak when pressed.

Medium rarePress together the tip of your thumb and middle finger and again follow the procedure as above. The area should feel a little more relaxed and compares to the feel of a medium rare steak when pressed.

RareFinally, press together the tip of your thumb and index finger. When the fleshy area at the base of your thumb is pressed it should feel very relaxed and soft to the touch, and this compares to the feel of a rare steak when pressed.

38 issue 1 autumn

Box containing mixed seasonal fresh vegetablesFantastic value

or: email your name,address & telephone number to:

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£12

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simple stupid!

39

The Cherry Tree

The Cherry Tree is a family run Mediterranean deli, offering many dishes for lunch such as frittatas and houmous stuffed wraps. Both eat in and take out menus are good, especially the salads, though we wish they would mix them up and change them every now and then. There is a nice atmosphere in here for eating in and the staff are chatty and helpful. On the bad side – the prices are quite high. In short, The Cherry Tree is a great place for grabbing your lunch on the go, but even better for meeting a friend.

Bona Foodie

Another deli; this time with a lovely selection of pies, quiches and homemade cakes. The prices are quite steep here too and I wish the staff were a little friendlier but the food is good and there is a lot to choose from. You can choose from a wide range of fillings for a generous jacket potato or go for a mixed salad box for which you can add a slice of quiche. Bona Foodie also stock a nice range of local and not so local produce. It’s not very obvious, but there’s a quaint seating area in the yard, though it gets busy at lunchtime so get there early!

Red Roaster

Red Roaster is a bustling café located at the bottom of St James’s Street. The décor is down to earth and the high ceilings ensure it’s always light and airy. There’s a selection of sandwiches, ciabattas and interesting salads on offer, but the true star of Red Roaster is it’s independent coffee that blows any chain coffee out the water. The staff can be a mixed bag but mainly friendly and attentive. If the weather’s nice, take a table outside and enjoy watching the characters of St James’s Street come and go.

working lunchEach issue, an area of Brighton is in the spotlight and we talk about our favourite three. This issue edible visits the colourful St James’s Street.

working lunch

Viaduct Rd

Old Shoreham Road

Cromwell Rd

dor RdDavig

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ntp

elie

r R

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Bru

nsw

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Sq

Western Rd

Church Rd

Wes

t St

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een

s R

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Trafalgar St

London Rd

York P

lDyke R

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Gra

nd

Ave

Sack

vill

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Kingsway

King’s Rd

Dit

chli

ng

Rd

North Rd

Marine Parade

North St

Elm Grove

Southover St.

St. James’s St.

Edward St.

Fres

hfiel

d R

d

Landsdowne Rd

Blatchington Rd Lew

es R

d

Queen’s Pk R

d

Pavilion

BrightonDome

Hove Town Hall

ChurchillSq

SevenDials

PalacePier

WestPier

BrightonStation

St. Ann’sWell Gardens

QueensPark

CountyCricketGround

North Laine

1 Coopers CaskFarm Road Hove BN3 1FB 01273 736945

2 The Earth and Stars46 Windsor Street Brighton BN1 1RJ 01273 722879

3 The Foragers Pub 3 Stirling Place Hove BN3 3YU 01273 733134

4 Foxy’s Roast & Grill90 Goldstone Villas Hove BN3 3RU 01273 776661

5 The Great Eastern 103 Trafalgar Street Brighton BN1 4ER 01273 685681

6 Mitre Tavern 13 Baker Street Brighton BN1 4JN 01273 683173

7 Nia Brighton 87-88 Trafalgar Street Brighton BN1 4ER 01273 671371

8 Pub With No Name 58 Southover Street Brighton BN2 9UF 01273 601419

9 Red Lion1 Hove Place Hove BN3 2RG 01273 770034

10 The Sidewinder 65 St. James’s Street Brighton BN2 1PJ 01273 679927

11 Small Batch Coffee 68 Goldstone Villas Hove BN3 3RU 01273 220246

12 The Sussex Yeoman 7 Guildford Road Brighton BN1 3LU 01273 327985

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4

11

3

40 issue 1 autumn

Viaduct Rd

Old Shoreham Road

Cromwell Rd

dor RdDavig

Mo

ntp

elie

r R

d

Bru

nsw

ick

Sq

Western Rd

Church Rd

Wes

t St

Qu

een

s R

d

Trafalgar St

London Rd

York P

lDyke R

d

Gra

nd

Ave

Sack

vill

e R

d

Kingsway

King’s Rd

Dit

chli

ng

Rd

North Rd

Marine Parade

North St

Elm Grove

Southover St.

St. James’s St.

Edward St.

Fres

hfiel

d R

d

Landsdowne Rd

Blatchington Rd Lew

es R

d

Queen’s Pk R

d

Pavilion

BrightonDome

Hove Town Hall

ChurchillSq

SevenDials

PalacePier

WestPier

BrightonStation

St. Ann’sWell Gardens

QueensPark

CountyCricketGround

North Laine

place settingsIf you would like to feature on our map, please contact us at: info@ediblemagazine.co.uk for more details.

www.actioncat.co.uk.

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41

Dermot O’Leary, the lovable cheeky chappie from the TV is also a radio presenter, a Sony Gold Award winner, was the last man in this country to introduce Michael Jackson on stage and a self confessed foodie who, with two friends James and Paul, has opened a seafood restaurant here in Brighton. Our editor caught up with him...

So, a Fish restaurant in Brighton, why in Brighton? My girlfriend is from Brighton and I had some friends living there with catering backgrounds, as did I before I got into TV. It was something we had always talked about doing.

Why a predominantly seafood restaurant? We all love it, we live on the coast, and so it makes sense to source the English Channel. It‘s like opening a beef restaurant next to a herd of Aberdeen angus!

We like the fact that the restaurant prides itself on fresh locally sourced seasonal products, why is this important to you? We live on an island, although I am passionate about sustainable fishing, it makes sense to use seafood that

we have on our doorstep, it’s dangerous, unfound and morally dubious to fly it halfway around the world.

What is your most exciting dish on the menu at Fishy Fishy? My favourite summer dish was flash roasted Turbot on a bed of peas, silver onions, and bacon lardons. We’re keen to use brilliant produce that’s also as ecologically sound as possible - i.e. trigger and dogfish.

How does Brighton compare to London with regards to eating out? Brighton is really coming on, there are some great restaurants, and you can go to places like ours where you can eat a fancy Lobster meal on a date or £10 dinner with your mates. London is so much bigger, restaurants can be harder to find without research.

Any plans for anymore restaurants? None as yet, maybe another one or two, but we’re not interested in starting a big chain.

What’s your ideal meal at home? I love BBQ’s so probably marinated or dry rubbed pork tenderloin joint, waiting for the flames to die down so you don’t get that BBQ burnt thing going on. I fish in Brighton once a month and love BBQ’ing mackerel.

What’s your favourite food? Fish. It’s great; it lets you know when you’ve had enough so you don’t get too full.

What’s a Dermot O’Leary special dish to cook? Essentially it’s seasonal but I’m working my way through some lovely seabass at the moment.

What 3 ingredients are always in your household? Garlic, Smoked paprika, a great Mexican sauce called Cholula.

Who would you most like to cook for? I’d like Simon Cowell to come to the restaurant, he keep’s promising. His mum’s in all the time, she’s a goddess.

Pop in to see what the team has caught today! Fishy Fishy 36 East Street, Brighton, BN1 1HL t: 01273 723750 www.fishyfishy.co.uk

last orders Q & A

42 issue 1 autumn

43

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