Well-dressed windows

The Best Food Theme Shop Window competition was being judged by local MP Nick Herbert, the Farmers’ Market was hosting the annual Pumpkin Weigh and the telephone box defibrillator was being opened by Phil Bowell, chairman of the parish council.

The shop window competition attracted 25 competitors, including non foodie entries.

Reina Alston, Steyning Food Festival, said: “It was awesome the time and effort that had gone into producing these windows and Nick was genuinely impressed with the enthusiasm that Steyning businesses had poured into the event. It heralded the last day of the Steyning and District Food and Drink Festival, which had been taking place over the last five weeks, proving to be an outstanding success. Judging was difficult, as every window deserved a prize.

Originally, only a first prize of £50, donated by the Steyning and District Business Chamber, was to be awarded, but because of the high number of entries and the quality represented, it was decided to extend this to five prizes: 1st, 2nd, 3rd and two highly commended.”

The winning growers at the pumpkin weigh-in were Benjamin and Thomas Cochran from Ashurst.

Window competition:

1st prize Cobblestone Tea House, Cobblestone Walk for their “great theme of a large cardboard cut-out of the Queen seemingly carrying a basket of produce towards a table set out for a Royal Tea”.

2nd prize went to The Little Sweetshop, The High Street for their “superb window based on wheat and barley with chickens pecking at the grain”.

3rd prize went to Present Harbour for their fish-themed window.

Highly commended:

Chez Joel for their window incorporating a selection of their pasta, pulses and other goodies found in their store.

Garlic Wood Farm Butchery for their “game and meat hung above huge cuts of meat which made this window a real eye catcher”.

Other shops who took part are as follows:

The Dolls House Shop, Millie Moos, The Steyning Bookshop, Sussex Produce, Jackie Binns Water Colour Studio, Oxfam, Ringcraft, Lansburys, Palace of Pooch, The Old Toy Box, Baby Boutique, The Wool Shop, Sniffy Bears, Clock House Florist, Truffles, Morgans The Fishmonger, Steyning Tea Rooms, Moore’s The Chemist, St Barnabas, and Steyning Butchers.