Hastings Fish brand

You may have seen articles about the Hastings Fish brand, or known it was launched at the recent Seafood & Wine Festival (Hastings Borough Council website), but I was made very aware of the brand when I witnessed an enthusiastic representative from Hastings Fish interviewing a local chef who has supported and championed the local fishing industry. Indeed, locally sustainably caught fish has been championed, even against the wishes of those customers who frequently would prefer having cod in their fish supper, even if it is only available out of season as unfrozen cod caught by Russian or Chinese fishing boats (see their facebook page for many interviews and features). 

If you see the brand label above, you can be assured that the fish used in that establishment is locally and sustainably sourced whenever possible, but ask if you have any doubts. The contradiction that EU funding is supporting the brand and Hastings fishing industry, despite most members of the local fishing community campaigning to leave the EU, would be ironic if written into a play! However, £800,000 EU funding to support Hastings fishing fleet was secured by the Council earlier this year (Hastings Online Times website). This is a source of money that won't be available in future, indeed, the Chancellor Philip Hammond at the Conservative Party conference just this week has reiterated there are many more years of austerity to come...

You can find out more about Hastings Fish at their website.

Seafood & Wine Festival continues...

 

Okay, the Beermeister was let down by his contact at the FILO (obviously unforgiven), so, apologies for not providing the information I hoped to about the ales available (see previous blog), but I'm sure you already know better than me by now anyway! So, the 2017 Hastings Seafood & Wine Festival carries on anyway, see the internet.

This Sunday morning sees the return of the annual Jazz Breakfast with Liane Carroll & friends, another guided walk of the Stade, meeting up outside the Fishermen's Museum, Rock-a-Nore Road, at 11.00 am (website), and much much more, enjoy!

Hastings Seafood & Wine Festival 2017 this weekend!

OK, there's so much going on at the moment, what with Arts, Music and Fringe Festivals, but, this being Hastings, we've another festival this weekend, the 2017 Seafood & Wine Festival at The Stade! Obviously, seafood and wine, but so much more, tastings, cookery demonstrations, champagne breakfasts, music, and the usual mini-beer festival provided by the FILO Brewing Company, together with other local ales, ciders, lagers, and, of course, wine (the Beermeister hopes to be able to provide a list of the ales available asap, if possible I shall publish more details). Tickets for the festival are £2 in advance, cover both days, and can be bought at the Tourist Information Centre on the ground floor at Muriel Matters House, or bought 'on the door' for £3; the breakfast on Sunday costs more too, with entertainment, as usual, provided by internationally famed Liane Carroll. See website for further details.

And I apologise for the fuzziness of the above photograph, but it was very windy yesterday early morning, but this evening, in the 'music tent' at the Stade Beach, music kicks off the weekend with Super-Ska Night. OK, not as selective as this, and without the pressure or missing words, but here are samples of a band I saw many years ago (video and video), this is ska! Tickets are £8.50 in advance from the Tourist Information Centre at Muriel Matters House, or £10 on the door.

Enjoy the weekend!

Seafood & Wine Festival 17th-18th September 2016

Following the opening Ska music this evening (see my last blog), the weekend sees the annual Hastings Seafood & Wine Festival at The Stade, 17-18 September (see website for more details). Because it is the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings this year, there will be a 1066 theme, indeed, come dressed as a Saxon or Norman and claim a free festival glass! Of course, there is much to do and see: locally caught fish, wines and other local produce, FILO bar with locally brewed real ales, seafood cooking sessions in the Classroom on the Coast, guided walks, and much music and merry making!

This all continues on Sunday, but with the added bonus of a very reasonably priced Jazz Breakfast with local, and internationally acclaimed, jazz musician and singer Liane Carroll in the morning; £15 for adults and £10 for children, I'd hate to think what you'd need to pay to see her in Ronnie Scotts or elsewhere in London! 

The price includes a free wristband for the rest of the festival, otherwise, admission is by wristband on the day costing £2, or £1 if bought in advance at the Tourist Information Centre in Breeds Place opposite the fountain, where tickets for the Jazz Breakfast can also be bought, though only limited tickets for that event, so good luck!

Music Galore, plus more, this Weekend!

Music galore, notably 3 gigs on the Pier, but not just there! 

The weekend kicks off with Dizzee Rascal on the Pier this evening (Friday), and the weather forecast suggests the rain should have eased up later with, mostly, light showers this evening, still not good, but certainly better than what's outside right now! Much of the Pier will be closed off over the weekend to facilitate the music, please see the website for details of gigs and other events on and around the Pier.

Tomorrow, on the Pier, Happy Mondays are playing, supported by ORB, and on Sunday, The Levellers play. The weather forecast is much better for the rest of the weekend and, should you not have tickets, I am sure you'll be able to have fun still, and hear the sounds, in the area, an eclectic mix indeed!

Of course, this being Hastings, there's very much more this weekend, and music all over the shop too! Not least the Seafood & Wine Festival, of which I'll write more later, with a music tent on the Stade Beach, commencing with Ska and Blue Beat this evening with the Two Tones and Mighty Sounds; for details of the weekend music see the website.

Search elsewhere for music, of course, as there's plenty, eg the Jenny Lind and the Dolphin Inn have music this evening and tomorrow evening... and the Route 1066 Arts Festival continues (website), not to mention the free guided walks of the Stade provided Saturday and Sunday mornings, starting at 11am, by the Old Hastings Preservation Society (website), and the regular weekly 'fun' 5km Parkrun that starts Saturday morning at 9am at Seaside Road, opposite the Bo-Peep, to the Pier and back (website).

Have fun!

Seafood & Wine, plus more at Winkle Island!

Before the opening of the music/beer marquee...

The bar in the marquee!

Winkle Island became a paradise! ...

Winkle Island became busier...

Only guide dogs allowed... fair enough! 

Hmmm... choice!

And music!

I'll let the images say it all... 

Seafood and Wine Festival at the Stade

After the more rowdy Friday 'Ska Night', the Seafood and Wine Festival continues down at the Stade this weekend, with seafood and wine, obviously, but also ales, music, and much more; see website for more details.  

One of the events being held at the Stade Hall in conjunction with the festival is a visit by 'celebrity chef' (I am informed!) Jean-Christophe Novelli on Saturday, 12.30-1.30pm, 2-3pm and 4-5pm, and on Sunday, 11-12pm, 1-2pm and 3-4pm. It does cost £5, but see what you get for your money: 1 hour demonstration and Question & Answer session, plus a free entry festival wristband for the weekend, festival glass and cookery book. There's a lot to be going on with!  

Plum Porter!

By Steve the Beermeister!

Whilst talking about real ales on this blog, I have to share the information that the "Gold" Champion Beer of Britain 2015 went on at the Dolphin at Rock-a-Nore this lunchtime. Titanic Plum Porter (4.9%) which has a fruity aroma that wafts straight up your nostrils! Fruity flavour too, as expected, and with a dry bitter finish, what an excellent beer to have on at the same time as the Seafood and Wine Festival over the road, cheers!  

Friday SKA Launch Party for Seafood & Wine Festival!

The Seafood & Wine Festival kicks off this year with a "Super-Ska Night" Launch Party this Friday evening, 18th September, from 7.30pm. This will be held in the marquee on the beach by the Lifeboat Station, for more information see website. 

I had a sneak peep into the marquee earlier today, the real ale bar itself is set up, though the ales, from 5 East Sussex brewers, still needed to be set up on stillage. 9 different ales from Hastings, FILO, Harveys, Burning Sky and Dark Star breweries. 

These are the ales, which will be set up by the time you read this! 

Hastings Session Pale (3.8%) and Pacific Wheat (4.7%); 

FILO Crofters Best Bitter (3.8%), Gold (4.8%), Old Town Tom (4.5%) and their annual festival special, Bourne Blonde (4%); 

Harveys Wild Hop (3.7%); 

Burning Sky Plateau (3.5%); and 

Dark Star Hophead (3.8%). 

With any luck, the ales will last out the weekend, but I can't guarantee that! For further information about the Seafood and Wine Festival itself, see website, and enjoy!