Seventy leading lights in the local food and drink industry explored ways to collaborate at the Sussex Six Food & Drink Event this week at Lakedown Brewery Taproom in the stunning estate and trout fishery in Burwash, owned by The Who frontman Roger Daltrey.
Twenty Sussex producers showcased tasters of local products including cheese, wine, beer, spirits, ciders and soft drinks, venison jerky snacks, salsas and sauces, chilli pastes and dips, chocolates, locally-roasted coffee, sausage rolls, scotch eggs and honey.
“226 shops, restaurants, pubs, cafés and caterers have made the Sussex Six pledge to take on more local food and drink products and our Sussexfoodanddrink.org directory now features over 800 self-listed businesses which make, serve or sell local produce,” said Paula Seager, co-director of Natural Partnerships CIC which runs the Sussex Six Campaign.
She thanked the Councils which support the campaign, including Brighton & Hove, Horsham, Lewes, Mid Sussex, Rother and Wealden.
James Cuthbertson, who runs Lakedown Brewing Co, told guests about how the brewery has grown through great partnerships with good brands and sharing buying power with other craft breweries.
Stephen Jempson, MD of Jempsons, spoke about the importance of supporting the local community and how his eight family-run supermarkets in East Sussex have grown by working with creative and hard-working local Sussex producers.
David Howard from Cabin Pressure Spirits shared his collaboration tips from flavour collabs, to white label production of spirits, and unique, small batch foraged projects and partner events and tastings.
Details of supporting businesses can be found on the Sussex Six pages of Sussexfoodanddrink.org – the online directory for Sussex produce.