Steyning & District Food and Drink Festival

Here we go again—after 4 highly acclaimed Food & Drink Festivals staged within the Steyning area, the Steyning & District Community Partnership Visitors & Tourism Group are up and running for their fifth event! It will be staged from 2nd September to 8th October 2017 As before it is being run under the umbrella of the Horsham Food & Drink Festival, which has been successfully organised by HDC for many years.

The Festival has received awesome support from the local businesses who have come forward with a range of outstanding special offers, together with some fantastic events. We do not have room within this article to list all of the fun events on offer, but to give you a taster they include:

Our wonderful Farmers’ Market—Sussex Food & Drink Awards 2014/2015 Best Sussex Farmers’ Market winners — will both open the Festival on 2nd September and close it on 7th October. The market will include a variety of fun events including cooking demonstrations, Ready, Steady, Cook sessions and the October Pumpkin Weigh - plus of course, the usual superb selection of food & drink stalls.

Our 2017 Festival charity is the Chestnut Tree House Hospice for Children and during the 4 weeks, different venues in the area will be holding a series of Breakfast/Lunch/Pizza moments to raise money for this worthwhile cause, plus the main charity event, the Safari Dinner, which will be staged in 4 different eateries in Steyning. Please look out for the dates that support Chestnut Tree House, and try and come along to help us raise a great contribution to this much loved charity.

Our star event must be the Italian Extravaganza, when Gennaro Contaldo, celebrity Chef & author - best known, perhaps, for the BBC series, Two Greedy Italians - will be joining the evening’s guests for Prosecco, dinner, an interview about his interesting and varied life plus a personal signing of his book, 'Passione'.

For our beer lovers, Roger Protz, staunch real ale campaigner and editor of the 'CAMRA Good Beer Guide', will also be visiting for a beer tasting event, plus book signing. To add to the beer theme, there will be a 3-day Beer Festival organised by Adur Brewery and Riverside Brewery & held at the Steyning Cricket Club.

Our unique Cobblestone Walk, will be holding a Family Foodie Fun Day – something for all the family to enjoy. Two “firsts” for the Festival – a Great Steyning Festival Bake Off – a chance to show off your home cooking and win a prize; plus the Tasty Cycle Ride, which will be organised by Stan’s Bike Shack and the Brighton Excelsior Cycling Club, with a BBQ to welcome your back after all that pedalling.

Also on the agenda, different walks taking in the South Downs National Park, - Farm Walk, - Birds at Dawn Walk, Pubs & Brewery History Walk and Ashurst Tasty Walk. Workshops & Demonstrations including such subjects as Hedgerow Booze, Perfume Making, Wreath Making & Edible Flowers and their use within cooking.

These events are just the tip of the iceberg - take a peep at our website to catch up on more of the exciting dates you should be adding to your diary—there are over 50 from which to choose. Prior booking is essential for most of the “eating out” events. Under our Harvest Festival Banner: Three of our local churches have events arranged to coincide with their Harvest Festival services.

Also, for the third year, the Best Allotment Competition will take place, covering allotments in Steyning & Upper Beeding. Who will be our Champion this year ? Derek Crush from Daylands Farm – and expert in all things rural - will judge.

Turning to our Festival Offers, they include: free bottles/glasses of wine; discount on wine/meals; free desserts; discounts on cookery courses; discounts within shops; free cups of coffee; free sweeties; special offer lunch & dinner and buy one, get another product free – there is just so much to take on board.

To find out full details of both the offers and events, you need to look out for a copy of the official Horsham Food & Drink Festival Guide, which is widely distributed within the Horsham area, plus of course, being available in the businesses taking part in Steyning, Bramber, Upper Beeding, Small Dole, Edburton, Ashurst & Wiston.

As most participants will request sight of the official programme before you can take up their offer, it is quite important to get hold of one of those programmes!

During the final week of the Festival (week commencing 2nd October), there will be a Best Food Theme Shop Window competition – prizes being sponsored by the Steyning & District Business Chamber. Our Judge this year is Julia Donaldson, celebrated author of many children’s books, with perhaps, Gruffalo being her most famous character. All shops are encouraged to participate – not just “foodie” establishments – so for sure there will be some interesting “creations” to come and view and make your decisions, before the official judging, which will take place at 11 a.m. on the 7th October 2017.

To find out more details of all the offers and events, visit www.steyningdistrictfooddrinkfestival.co.uk
Apart from thanking all the local businesses for taking part, overwhelming and sincere thanks must go to the sponsors, as without their financial support none of this could have happened.
They are: Horsham District Council, Steyning & District Business Chamber, Steyning & District Community Partnership, Steyning Parish Council, Compass Mortgages, Osborn Humphreys & Wiston Estate Winery.

Steyning & District very much look forward to welcoming you ALL to their fantastic Food & Drink Festival. It’s a real fun 4 weeks - we enjoy it, and we hope you will too!