East and West Sussex

by Helen Gaffney

East and West Sussex are rich in many ways. The counties are soaked in history, economically prosperous, scenically splendid and a horn of plenty. They are a provider of some of the very best of solid, yeoman food and drink. The land is ideal for raising top-quality cattle and sheep, while the fishing industry is still important around parts of the coast. And whilst wild seakale, a type of an edible seaweed, can no longer be gathered due to environmental concerns, a cultivated strain has been developed using seed collected from the Sussex coast. Game, such as the grey partridge, is plentiful too.

Herds of dairy cattle are a common sight in the fields of Sussex. Mutton from the South Downs is a famous delicacy of the area. One famous pure breed of sheep is the Romney Marsh sheep, which feeds on the salty pastures that border Sussex and Kent and is robust enough to withstand the winds that sweep across the grazing lands from the English Channel. Romneys are white-faced, naturally long-tailed and related to the Cheviot, Ile de France, Texel and Welsh Mountain sheep. They were bred for wool, milk and meat.

Sussex Slipcote cheese, a soft unpasteurised sheep's milk cheese has a long history. Originally, it appears to have been a full-fat cow's milk cheese and was widely known. The name may derive from the cheese breaking out of its rind as it ripened. 'Law's Grocer's Manual' of 1895 described slipcote as " a rich and soft kind of cheese made of milk warm from the cow, and often with cream added. It closely resembles white butter". Rationing during World War II discouraged the manufacture of such rich cheeses, but it's now made again, this time with sheep's milk rather than cow's milk.

A favourite steamed pudding also comes from the region - the Sussex Pond Pudding. This is a unique pudding containing a whole, unpeeled lemon bathed in a sugary, buttery sauce that forms a rich brown lake around the base of the pudding when it is turned out of the basin. Other interesting recipes from the region are those of Ripe Tart, Sussex Plum Duffs and Sussex Well Pudding. And then there's the delightful sticky gingerbread, served at teatime at Michelham Priory, an Augustinian priory near Hailsham founded in the thirteenth century and now open to the public.

Thirty miles south of London and half way to the South coast of England lies an area of outstanding natural beauty combined with a fascinating history called the Sussex Weald. This region is well known for market gardening and large amounts of fruits and vegetables are produced there. Around Chailey-Newick they still grow the Leveller gooseberry, an excellent dessert fruit. The area is sandy and highly suitable for growing this large yellow variety, a gooseberry that ripens well and has a very sweet flavour. These are excellent for producing the gooseberry wine which was produced in Sussex shortly after the Second World War by the cider and wine company, Merrydown, in the heart of the Sussex countryside.

Cider is certainly one of the great national drinks of Britain but it was most likely introduced by the Normans sometime after the conquest in 1066. The best Sussex ciders have a much less acid and less harsh flavour than many West Country ciders. This is because they are made from dessert apples rather than the bittersharp and bittersweet apples cultivated for cider throughout the West. They are fermented dry and are almost wine-like in character. The Merrydown company, founded in 1946 is particularly associated with this type of cider production. The very first batch of Merrydown Vintage Cider was fermented from 450 gallons of apple juice, pressed in a 300 year old oak cider press. Today this figure has risen almost a thousand-fold to 400,000 gallons.

The best known brewers in Sussex are King and Barnes in Horsham (now part of the Badger Brewery group) and Harvey and Sons in Lewes. King and Barnes beers date back to the 1800s when James King went to Horsham to trade as a maltster. He soon formed close trading relationships with a number of local breweries. An amalgamation with Satchells brewery saw the formation of King and sons in 1906; another amalgamation with G.H. Barnes saw the formation of King and Barnes Ltd. As for Harvey & Sons: the name has long been associated with the supply of beers, wines and spirits in Sussex. Records of 1794 recall the delivery of Old Red Port, Sherry and Claret within a twenty mile radius of the medieval town of Lewes. However, it was under the management of John Harvey (1784-1862) that the Bridge Wharf Brewery was established on its present site by the River Ouse, overlooking Cliffe Bridge.

Whether you are in the area visiting Fisbourne Roman Palace, Michelham Priory or Lewes Castle there is sure to be something to interest the food-lover here.