We would firstly like to thank all of those who kept us so well fed during the course of The Big Nibble on Saturday.
With free samples from the likes of Banger’s Galore, Tristan’s Restaurant, South Lodge Hotel, truffles from Mannings Heath Golf Club, and some warming tipples from Weltons brewery, it saved us from cooking.
In our review of Côte Restaurant (pages 10 - 11) we’ve commented that you can’t eat better food for cheaper in town. Well, Saturday was the exception!
Helped out by glorious sunshine, the crowds came out in their thousands from far and wide for The Big Nibble - the highlight of the Horsham Food and Drink Festival, a month long celebration of the very best local produce the district has to offer.
This year, back by popular demand, The Big Nibble was held in two venues: outdoors in The Carfax and in The Drill Hall on Denne Road in Horsham, with the Big Nibble Trail taking shoppers past many of the town centre traders, also participating in the festival, with special offers on local produce.
The sun shone all day for the hotly anticipated foodie event of the year.
The scene in Horsham’s Carfax was fantastic with nearly forty local producers and local food vendors stretching all the way across from Swan Walk Shopping Centre to the bandstand.
There was a sea of market stall covers and brightly coloured gazebos, each one with local produce to taste and buy.
The day started early and finally drew to a close at 5.30pm, with a constant stream all day long of passionate shoppers clutching their Big Nibble carrier bags, eager to try and buy.
Such was the demand that many of the traders reported record takings and one food vendor had completely sold out by lunch time, a testament to the growing popularity of locally produced food and drink.
Other producers had rather bare market stalls having sold out as the day came to an end, with many asking for a Big Nibble event every week.
The products ranged from locally pressed apple juice to award winning local ales from Hepworth Brewery to locally grown vegetables from Westons Farm, freshly picked the day before.
There was local ice cream from St Joan’s Farm Dairy, apples, pears, cakes, pasta and pasta sauces and a range of fabulous cheeses from local cheese makers Bookham Fine Food, Nut Knowle Farm and High Weald Dairy, fresh breads and free range eggs, homemade preserves, honey, home made burgers and sausages, and award winning oils and dressings.
The Big Nibble in The Carfax didn’t stop at shopping.
People gathered eagerly to watch the inspirational open air cookery demonstrations with the promise of tasting the fabulous dishes that local chefs were making, all using local ingredients.
Local chefs took time out from their busy restaurants to wow the crowds. There was a non-stop programme starting with Ben Goldsmith of Whites in Steyning, James Middleton-Burn of The Crown Inn in Dial Post and Tristan Mason of Restaurant Tristan finished off the day cooking up a dessert which vanished as soon as it was ready to eat (see opposite page, top left)
In addition, there were demonstrations from the Old Rudgwick Cider Society, Hilary Knight of A Taste of Sussex demonstrated the alternative breakfast with local mushrooms and Mark Hardy of High Weald Dairy cooked up a tasty treat with one of his many cheeses.
Over seven hundred people followed The Big Nibble trail to The Drill Hall, where the scene was also colourful, from handmade chocolate products to Storrington Country Market ladies with their green and white stripy aprons and amazing handmade cakes.
Sussex Mushrooms were cooking up mushroom tastings to an eager audience, Weltons Brewery were kept busy all day offering samples of local beer, whilst Nutbourne Nursery offered samples of their many varieties of tasty tomatoes which were available to buy at several stalls in The Carfax.
Local farm shop - Crumbs of Sussex were promoting their latest venture, a box delivery service using all the local produce from the area.
In the Cookery Theatre in The Drill Hall, The Big Guns from the Exclusive Hotel Group wowed the audience with their cookery demonstrations. Barnaby Gehlcken and Peter Hawes of South Lodge and Robbie Pierce of Mannings Heath Golf Club each took time out from their own kitchens and took to the stage to demonstrate their skills with local produce.
All in all this years Big Nibble was declared a huge success for the organisers, the producers and the public. If you are a real foodie, passionate about local produce, The Carfax local produce market is held every Saturday with many of the producers seen at The Big Nibble.
The seventh Horsham District Food & Drink Festival draws to a close this Sunday after four fantastic weeks of local food and drink special offers and events.
There's the Festival Finale party at Whites in Steyning, Lost Monkey Café in Horsham is hosting a Gala 5 course meal, Sussex Oak in Warnham are holding a Food & Drink quiz night and West Sussex County Council Countryside Rangers are holding their annual Apple Day at The Orchard in West Grinstead.
Amberley Village Stores, COOK and The Aga Shop will be offering tastings this Saturday and the special offers that businesses are offering with free wine with a two course meal or discounts will run until the close of business on Sunday.
For a copy of the Horsham District Food & Drink Festival programme (you’d better hurry!) visit www.horshamlocalproduce.co.uk
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