A Taste of Rye 9 – 18th October 2009
A Taste of Rye food festival runs for 10 days and showcases the skills of its top restaurants and hotels, creating exciting menus using locally sourced fish, meat, game, fruit and vegetables. Cooking demonstrations and cookery schools to teach new skills; gala dinners and special offers will add that bit of luxury; special farmers markets will sell you delicious local treats on the Strand Quay.
Just some of the delights in store in a packed events programme include The Ship Inn Foraging Experience, Cookery Escape at The Place at the Beach in Camber, and ‘Try Before You Buy’ at Rye Bay Fish down on Simmonds Quay.
Settled cosily between the sheep studded fields of Romney Marsh, and the unspoilt beaches of Camber Sands and Winchelsea and overlooking beautiful Rye Bay – the perfectly preserved medieval town of Rye* has many secrets to discover. One of those secrets is not so well kept nowadays, as, wherever you look in the town you will find restaurants featuring culinary delights such as salt-marsh leg of lamb stuffed with local damsons, roasted Rye Bay black bream or local wild boar paté with fruit chutney from nearby orchards.
Rye is especially lucky to have its own fishing fleet which lands the daily catch of Rye Bay fish at Simmons Quay where you can buy the freshest Gurnard, Dabs, Whiting, Lobster and Scallops in season.
Wines from the local vineyards of Sandhurst, Carr Taylor and Chapel Down are widely available and a whole host of small local butchers, fishmongers, delicatessens, bakers and greengrocers line the bustling High Street.
Summer is often reluctant to leave this lucky part of England, so why not prolong that holiday feeling a little longer before the winter sets in? Make a date in your diary now for ‘A Taste of Rye’ –October 9 – 18th 2009.
Jane Ellis: jmellis@hastings.gov.uk (01424 451113)
*Rye was recently voted one of the top ten UK visitor destinations by Which? Travel experts and offers the ideal package to the discerning tourist. Top restaurants and historic pubs nestle in picturesque cobbled streets alongside award-winning guesthouses and hotels. One of the most perfectly preserved medieval towns in England, Rye is also renowned for its fine antiques and cosy tea shops. ‘Eurozone’ visitors will be delighted to see that you can even pay with Euros at the many Rye businesses displaying the ‘Euro’ sign.