A-Z of Sussex produce

Here in Sussex we have the good fortune to live in a prolific food-producing county. In celebration of British Food Fortnight from 19 September-4 October, we hail some of our finest local delicacies

- Jenny Mark-Bell

APPLES

Our endlessly versatile national fruit has a number of Sussex cultivars, from the Edmund Jupp, first grown in the Horsham area, to the old Sussex Forge which hails from East Grinstead. Middle Farm near Lewes is the premier destination for the apple-addicted, especially at this time of year. Their Cider Barn holds the National Collection of Cider and Perry where you can choose from more than 100, as well as apple liqueurs and flavoured spirits. An apple-pressing service is available in autumn. www.middlefarm.com

BANOFFEE PIE

Though it seems like the kind of dessert dreamt up in an American diner, the banoffee pie actually has its origins in bucolic Jevington, East Sussex at The Hungry Monk restaurant. Owner Nigel Mackenzie and head chef Ian Dowding based it upon a recipe for coffee caramel the latter had picked up stateside, and perfected it with the addition of bananas. The recipe’s fame grew to the extent that Nestlé printed it on the side of their condensed milk cans and The Hungry Monk cookbook sold more than 100,000 copies in 1974.

CHEESE

Here in Sussex we are blessed with some excellent cheeses, from High Weald Dairy’s delicious Brighton Blue through Goodwood’s Charlton to Sussex Charmer, a hard cheese similar to parmesan from Bookham Harrison. The latter has its own Milk Churn Café where you can sample such simple delights as Charmer on toast. The Hungry Guest in Petworth, Cowdray Farm Shop near Midhurst and Cheese Please in Lewes have excellent and extensive cheese counters.

DARK STAR BREWERY