The Festival

The festival is run by a not-for-profit company with a group of enthusiastic local volunteer directors who manage it for the love of food and drink, Brighton & Hove and the fun of the events, which bring the Sussex foody community together. The festival's core events are hugely popular and in 2008, for the first time, we have a fantastic market every single weekend of September.

Festival themes:
Key themes which the festival will be promoting this year are:

- Sussex produce, with advice and guidance from respected organisations including the Slow Food Campaign, CAMRA, as well as the local Food Partnership and Sussex Enterprise's ‘A Taste of Sussex'. Over 100 Sussex producers will participate in the local food and drink market on the Big Food Fest Weekend and the festival uses all its events to promote local produce and low food miles. It also has strong links with the new Sussex Food & Drink Awards.

- healthy eating, especially amongst children and families. Fun and educational activities, run by professionals, in the Royal Pavilion Gardens throughout the Big Food Fest Weekend promoting healthy eating. Promotion of vegetable growing through seed distribution project in partnership with local paper.

- hospitality and catering professions - the benefits and satisfaction that training and working in this industry can bring. Local City College students are offered the opportunity to see some of the top local and nationally renowned chefs in action, as well as participate in some of the main festival events.