Put on a Sussex Spread (Sussex Life - August 2009)

Last month, we finally took the plunge and moved out of Brighton to the lovely old Sussex villages of Bramber and Upper Beeding. For our family, it’s a step closer to the good life and whilst I’m enjoying planting our raised beds and choosing our new chickens, it’s the opportunity to support traditional high street shops, local markets and village events that’s got me really excited.

We dipped a toe in the water last weekend, heading off to the Bramber & Upper Beeding village fete and it didn’t disappoint our family of keen foodies. As well as tables full of homemade scones and cakes, stalls selling home-grown plants & herbs and a whole suckling pig roasting away merrily, it was a great chance to stock up on some locally-made jams and preserves.

In Sussex, we are particularly blessed with a talented selection of condiment makers, whose tasty preserves, sauces and chutneys provide the perfect accompaniment to a traditional British summer spread. More importantly the success that Sussex companies are enjoying means that their products are widely available across the county, from city delis to country farm shops.
For the traditionalists among you, look no further that the amazing array of products made by Ouse Valley Foods, near Uckfield. Set up x years ago by Violet Hancock and Julian Warrender, two great cooks with a passion for fresh local ingredients, many of the products they make are seasonal and foraged and, when particular wild ingredients are available, the whole team can often be found out in the fields near their kitchen, hunting and gathering. I was particularly lucky, earlier in the year, to get my hands on a pot of their famous wild garlic pesto and I’ll be first in the queue next season.

Relative newcomers to the field are Mark & Barbara, the talented couple behind the Arundel-based brand, Relish in Spice. This year’s worthy winners of the Sussex Food Awards’ Producer of the Year title, they make several of the staple items you’ll always find in my cupboard – their fresh and tangy tomato ketchup, a traditional Sussex Ploughman’s Pickle and my favourite condiment, a Dijon-style Champagne & Tarragon Mustard.

If you fancy trying your own hand at making your own wild bramble jam, the end of August marks the beginning of blackberry season. A hot start to the summer should mean a bumper crop so head for the hedgerows earlier than normal to secure the pick of the crop.

Products from Ouse Valley Foods and Relish in Spice are available at www.we-love-local.com or in delis and farm shops throughout Sussex.