Join us at a new food festival in association with the Elizabeth David Estate at Stansted Park, West Sussex, on 14 and 15 September 2024
Two friends of Johnny's, Fred Duncannon and Aleramo Lanza, came up this year with the idea of a new food festival in celebration of local food and drink. Johnny quickly became involved and brought with him the spirit of his aunt Elizabeth David, who grew up in Sussex. The South Downs Food Festival, to be launched by Dame Prue Leith, will bring together food enthusiasts, chefs, food writers, campaigners and artisan producers for a weekend of gastronomic delight and stimulating talks.
A feast for the mind
On Saturday (14 September), Johnny Grey and Warburg fellow Dr Thomas Marks will open the festival with a talk about Elizabeth David. The historian and author of English Food, Diane Purkiss, will then give a talk. Rachel Cooke, journalist and author, will speak after lunch and then take part in a panel discussion on Elizabeth David's legacy, along with her biographer Artemis Cooper and Dr Marks.
On Sunday, philosopher Julian Baggini will start proceedings by introducing his new book How the World Eats. Farmer and activist James Baird, founder of Weald to Waves, will follow with a talk. After lunch we have lined up a panel of experts to explore how we can feed ourselves while protecting the environment. Participants are Beth Mander from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Geetie & Guy Singh-Watson (Riverford) and Peter Gladwin, chef, writer, restaurateur and Nutbourne vineyard owner.
Spotlight on the Unfitted Kitchen
A handcrafted travelling barn houses the Unfitted Kitchen Stage for these talks and events. Furniture pieces from Johnny's new Unfitted collection will be placed on the stage to create a real kitchen as backdrop. This kitchen will swing into action as chefs including Thomasina Myers demonstrate their recipes. The central island doubles up as a main table alongside flexible café tables for the speakers to use as their desks. The plate rack, circular cupboard and ambient dresser complete the scene.
Elizabeth David’s kitchen
Inside Stansted House in the old kitchen we are recreating elements of Elizabeth David’s very own kitchen, the setting for her recipe-testing and writing. We have tracked down original furniture, artworks, cookery equipment and books, all from her house in Halsey Street, Chelsea. Visitors to the festival can obtain a sense of how she lived and where she wrote most of her books and articles.
Activities for all the family
Chefs, including Michelin-starred Nick Edgar from Hambledon Vineyard, will be demonstrating their skills. There is a venison butchery class, sourdough bread-making and a pickling demo. For lunch you can choose wild venison, pasture-fed beef, wood-fired pizza, vegetarian salads, sushi and crepes. There are picnic spots in the woods, gardens or on the lawn. Handmade foods from over 40 Sussex and Hampshire producers will be set out in stalls on The Street. These include Chalkstream trout, farm charcuterie, vinegars, kimchi, Stansted honey and horseradish sauce. Adam Hadwen from the Earl of March in Lavant will be preparing a crab and lobster feast under the giant beech trees in the woodland garden to raise funds for Rowan’s Hospice.
There will be live performances from local bands Superstrings and Taylor Made along with artisanal gin, wine and beers. There are also going to be hedgerow foraging walks and a dedicated kids’ zone with cooking, face-painting and a coconut shy. Or you could just take a walk around the estate with its miles of footpaths leading to the Downs.
Please come along!
Johnny Grey subscribers are all very much invited. A free glass of champagne awaits you.
Do visit www.southdownsfoodfestival.com for a full schedule of events. For online tickets, go to Eventbrite.
