Heat is on for Sussex Street Food Live Finals

The heat is on now for the next stage of the Sussex Food and Drink Awards 2017 with the live Street Food finals taking place at the Carfax in Horsham, West Sussex on Sunday 23 October. Members of the public will be able to vote for their favourite to win on the day and discover who will be crowned winner in the Sussex Street Food of the Year category 2017.

Over 13,000 people have already voted for their top choices in other categories, a record in the 11 years that the awards scheme has been running, which seeks the best food and drink producers, farmers, butchers and places serving and selling local Sussex produce.

After a successful debut to the awards scheme last year and thanks to two sponsors for 2017, Food Rocks and Horsham District Food and Drink Festival, the latest gourmet trend of ‘street food’ to hit the Sussex scene can be given the recognition it deserves. Said Simon Teesdale of Food Rocks, “Street Food really has come a long way in the past few years and the county is bursting with passionate chefs preparing incredible dishes of every imaginable cuisine, using local, seasonal ingredients and serving them in style from converted vintage trucks and bespoke stalls.”

MasterChef: The Professionals winner, Steven Edwards will lead the judging again this year, alongside the co-sponsors and well-known independent food and travel writer, Andy Lynes.

Entrance is absolutely free and organisers are urging people to come along and enjoy ten of the very best Sussex street food vendors from across the county when they converge in Horsham to fight it out in a tough competition to win the coveted trophy.

Having just finished a month of fantastic food events at the annual Horsham District Food and Drink Festival, Horsham District Council are really excited to be hosting the live finals in the popular foodie Carfax venue in Horsham with doors opening from 10am until 4pm. Said Councillor Gordon Lindsay, Cabinet Member for the Local Economy from Horsham District Council, “Previous winners in the awards will also be part of a special one-off local produce market at the event. Visitors will be able to enjoy a great family day out with lots of tasty treats and drinks from the pop up bars, together with boutique shopping, live music and street entertainment.”

Finalists involved in this event include smoked meats from The Little Blue Smokehouse in Crowborough; East African delights from Kitgum Kitchen in Brighton; Punjabi feast from Jah Jyot in Henfield; food for the soul from Vudu Food in Brighton; local lamb from Sussex Lamb in Shipley; delicious slow roasted meats from Forgotten Cuts in Brighton; all things pork from the Pig & Jacket in Lewes; ethical kebabs from last year’s winner the Troll’s Pantry in Brighton; a global feast from Boca Loco inn Arundel; and mouthwatering longhorn beef steak burgers from Garlic Wood Farm in Steyning.

Continued Councillor Lindsay, “We have a fantastic line up of top quality finalists at this mouth-watering event and we hope that lots of people will come along and celebrate the fantastic array of street food vendors that we have in Sussex and vote for their favourite to win.”

As well as earning the huge respect and recognition that these awards now carry, winners and runners up in all ten categories will go on to receive their trophies on 1 February 2017 at a BAFTA-style ceremony hosted by awards patron, Sally Gunnell OBE and Danny Pike from BBC Sussex. The ceremony includes a spectacular seven-course Sussex produce banquet produced by Sodexo Prestige at the Amex Stadium.

For more information please visit www.sussexfoodawards.biz