BrightonFoodStory

Brighton FoodStory runs from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 October, with New Road as the main hub and other venues dotted across the city. It's a free weekend food festival, and the whole thing is built around the story behind the food rather than just the eating part. The programme splits into two halves: Food Street, which gathers chefs, farmers, campaigners and community cooks, and a city-wide Long Table Supper Club.

Food Street takes over New Road on Saturday 3 October, with a demo stage and a CookBookBake pop-up. There are also panel discussions and talks on the terraces outside Red Roaster. The Long Table Supper Club runs through community halls, churches, synagogues, temples and mosques across Brighton, with bookings handled via EventBrite.

The festival is curated by Gilly Smith, an award-winning food writer, author and podcaster with over 30 years in the business. She's cooked for Sport Aid and hosts the Cooking the Books podcast alongside Bang in Some Beans for The Food Foundation. Smith describes Brighton FoodStory as an 'idea-led rather than trade-led' festival, pitched against the trade-stand, sample-and-sell model and closer to the Abergavenny or Ludlow Food Festivals. She says the idea was sparked by her frustration with greenwashing, and she's worked closely on it with Cllr Birgit Miller, Cabinet Member for Culture, Heritage and Tourism, whose family background is steeped in farming and food.

It's intended to become an annual fixture, with PlymouthFoodStory, ScarboroughFoodStory and GlasgowFoodStory planned within the next five years. The main action is on New Road on Saturday 3 October, and the supper clubs run across the city throughout the weekend.