Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival

There are two things I love (well when it comes to food there are lots of things I love), but food and wine festivals really strike a chord with me. You often get to meet the producers face to face and they possess a passion for quality, traceability and delivering great food. I normally can't make the Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival due to work commitments. This year, I'm free!

The 15th and 16th September sees the return of this popular, annual event. Hastings is on the up and I've mentioned some of the local food places to visit in previous posts. Set on the Stade, there are a range of stands and stalls offering delicious local seafood and an array of local and other British wines. The Stade is the perfect setting as its right by the historic Net Huts.

It's not just food, there's live music and street entertainment and I'm told, a lively festival atmosphere, making this an event not to be missed. The festival is centered around The Stade and Rock-a-Nore Road in the heart of the Old Town, although businesses across the whole of Hastings join in with special menus and entertainment.

Hoping for good weather, I'll be there for all the fun of the festival and looking forward to reporting back on what I find. 

Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival
15th and 16th September
11am-6pm
Stade Open Space
Hastings Old Town
Hastings
East Sussex
TN34 3AR

All you need is love

Love Cafe Menu

And I found it in St Leonards-on-Sea at The Love Cafe.  Proving that there's life in St Leonards, the Love Cafe is one of a growing number of independent shops and cafes situated on the Norman Road. What can only be described as a groovy collection of boutiques and eateries, the love spreads beyond the road itself to the seafront where there's a growing trend for inspired businesses that are the antithesis of the bucket and spade brigade.

Love Cafe pancakes

The Love Cafe has been around for about a year and a half and it's design centres on hand painted chalk board walls. Do you Love potatoes? Love chilli? Or my favourite - Love pudding? There's an eclectic mix of paraphernalia and objects from old cameras, tea pots and film posters with a Spanish feel.  It's so very relaxed and unpretentious and on Friday and Saturday they have a market outside.  It's a hub for art and artists and I feel it has marked out its home for years to come. On our visit we had American pancakes, that were served heart shaped with bacon and maple syrup. In the background they had chilled Buddha-bar style tunes playing and for a Sunday morning brunch you could want for nothing more.

http://thelovecafe.me/