Lewes Climate Hub Food Festival: Making the most of our food

The whole season will include displays in the Hub all about local food growers to support and local food initiatives to get involved in from Saturday, October 7 to 28, from 11am to 3pm, at Lewes Climate Hub, Lewes House.

This comes as part of the first ever Good Food East Sussex Month, with multiple communities coming together to hold dozens of events across the county to raise awareness of a wide range of issues from food waste to food insecurity.

Alex Britten-Zondani, a co-ordinator of the Good Food East Sussex network, said: “Good Food East Sussex is a network of hundreds of local groups and people who want to see a more local food system, that works for our people, our economy and our environment. We have so much potential in East Sussex to really become a local, sustainable food county, transforming how we grow, buy, sell and eat our food. We’re asking the questions of what we could be, and finding ways to make it happen.”

On Saturday 7, 1pm to 3pm, there will be a screening of Eating Our Way To Extinction followed by a discussion. The film takes audiences on a cinematic journey around the world looking at the massive impact of current food production on our planet and what we can do to change it. Confronting and entertaining, this documentary narrated by Kate Winslet allows audiences to question their everyday choices.

On Saturday 14, 1pm to 2.30pm there will be a talk on Soil, Food & Gut Health from Daphne Lambert, Greencuisine Trust. Join this talk on nourishing food and the connections between soil, food and gut health and immunity. Throughout her talk, Daphne will enliven your palette with tastings made from local vegetables grown by Ashurst Organics

On Wednesday October 18, from 12pm to 2.30pm, there will be a Fermented Food workshop with Karola with a £5 suggested donation at Christ Church, Prince Edwards Road, Lewes. Also on Wednesday, October 25. Book your place on Eventbrite.

From Thursday October 19 to Saturday October 21, 11am to 3pm there will be a Pop-up Exhibition as part of Lewes District Food Partnership’s ‘Feeling the Pinch: Have Your Say’ project, an exhibition of stories and voices of Lewes District residents who have experienced food insecurity through the Cost-of-Living Crisis.

On Saturday October 21 at 1pm there will be a talk on Feeling the Pinch: Have Your Say from Ruby Makepeace Somerville, Coordinator of Lewes District Food Partnership. She will talk about the project to put lived-experiences centre stage when we discuss issues of food security, and challenging misconceptions and raising awareness of food poverty in Lewes District.

Throughout the day, Lewes Community Fridge users can also pick up a free Supper Pantry Pack containing recipes and key ingredients to make a delicious seasonal meal.

On Saturday, October 28, from 11am to 3pm there will be apple tasting with Common Cause. Try a range of local apple varieties, some of which may be completely new to you! There will also be information on ‘What is local food?’