This annual event features steam trains alongside tempting local treats. Simon Ward went along for the ride.
Packed steam trains puff and huff through the station, disgorging hungry passengers in search of sustenance. A brass band plays as Union Jacks flap in the breeze. But this isn’t time travel or a period TV drama – this is the 2012 Sussex Food Festival.
I should confess at this point that I live in East Sussex, so this is my local larder on display, as it were. And pretty much every base was covered, from cheese to chutney, hogget to honey.
The one major disappointment was the lack of seafood. With the English summer making a rare appearance, it would have been the perfect opportunity for someone to offer up a Sussex paella or shellfish à la Marinière.
And, in an era where it appears some people see a food festival as an opportunity to generate maximum money for minimal cost, forgetting the people who've actually paid to attend in the process, it’s good to visit one that’s been more thoughtfully put together. Talking of cost, it was only £2.50 to get in, or free if you took a ride on one of the historic trains, which we duly did, topping off a very grand day out.
Pooh country
This corner of Sussex is also home to the Ashdown Forest, setting for the Winnie The Pooh stories. If you’re exploring the Pooh Sticks bridge or Eeyore’s Gloomy Place, why not break for a picnic or tea at the nearby Ashdown Park Hotel? Or if you're feeling flush, make a weekend of it?
This stunning former convent is set in 186 acres of wooded countryside. If the sun is shining, you can buy a picnic hamper and find a hideaway in the grounds. Or partake of a Sussex afternoon tea, or do we what we did and enjoy a chilled glass of local sparkling wine on the terrace. There’s even a Winnie The Pooh afternoon tea for the kids, complete with hunny sandwiches and Kanga cupcake.
If you fancy something more formal, there’s the Anderida Restaurant, which serves British and continental dishes, with some local specialities.
Alternatively, in the nearby village of Hartfield you’ll find the Pooh Corner shop, converted from the sweet shop AA Milne and son Christopher Robin used to frequent. As well as lots of merchandise, there’s Piglet’s Tearoom where you can indulge in a smackerel of something such as a crumpet or teacake.
So next year, if you want a slice of nostalgia served with some contemporary and classy local produce, put this festival down in your diary.
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