Seaford of Sussex – September Hits

Seaford Head, looking back over the town to Newhaven harbour. Photo VDuBourdieu©2010

Seaford Head, looking back over the town to Newhaven harbour. Photo VDuBourdieu©2010

Seaford Live! The 2010 festival runs from September 3- 12

FREE entry to many events

For the third year running, the old Cinque Port of Seaford comes alive for a week of entertainment, music and arts events. Get details here.

Across the town, pubs, cafes, bars and theatres are joining the festival with music ranging from Rock, Indie, Blues, Jazz and Swing to Folk & Jam Sessions, Choirs, and Dancing.

As well as entertainment and events, here are a handful of my favourite places to visit in Seaford. Most visited is the Health Shop, owned and managed by David and Helen Pollard for the last 19 years.

They sell fresh, organic fruit and vegetables, a gluten-free range of products, and more grains, seeds and nuts than you could consume in a lifetime.

Additionally, they also sell an excellent range of organic wines and beers. Quickvit is the Seaford Health Shop’s online website. You can visit it here.

Seaford Head towards Cuckmere Valley & Seven Sisters. Photo, VDuBourdieu©2010

Seaford Head towards Cuckmere Valley & Seven Sisters. Photo, VDuBourdieu©2010

The Seaford Health Shop also sells the entire range of Pukka’s wonderful organic tea range, including the Ayurvedic trio: Relax, Refresh and Revitalise.

At the moment – and I’m sure it will be fixed soon – you can’t order Pukka online at the Seaford Health Shop so click here for the Pukka link if you want to buy tea directly from the manufacturer.

Moving up the highway towards Eastbourne, Sebucy Framing Gallery is a new family run picture framing business.You’ll find them close to Seaford Library at 13 Sutton Park Road on the main road to Eastbourne.

As well as framing anything you can think of, Sebucy shows Sussex artists, like Margaret Turton, who has painted the scenery around her for over 25 years.

Margaret’s favoured media is gouache (watercolour) paints, and she enjoys choosing familiar places but from a different angle, and subtle light conditions often add intrigue to her compositions. You can see Margaret Turton’s website here.

Insecticide-free tomatoes at Dymocks Farm Shop. Photo VDuBourdieu©2010

Insecticide-free tomatoes at Dymocks Farm Shop. Photo VDuBourdieu©2010

Another place I visit a lot is Dymocks Farm for fresh vegetables. Click here to find out more.

The last place on my list definitely requires booking (especially Friday and Saturday), but is well worth the wait: Ollivers Restaurant.

Ollivers is run by Juliet and Steve Anderson, and I can vouch for Chef, Juliet’s expertise in the kitchen. All the food is made on the premises, and much of their food is sourced locally.

Not only do Ollivers have wine specials each month, you can print off a special coupon worth £5 per person off their five course menu (print off ten if you have ten guests).

See Ollivers’ menu’s online here.

Dymocks Farm Shop, Seaford

Dymocks Farm and Shop, Seaford

Dymocks Farm and Shop, Seaford

Simple good food is what Dymocks in East Sussex are about.

In season, you can pick your own tayberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries, raspberries and various other berries.  Still available to pick yourself are raspberries and blackcurrants.

Raspberries from Dymocks Farm Shop, Seaford

Raspberries from Dymocks Farm Shop, Seaford

I have been gorging on fresh raspberries this morning – delicious with a breakfast pancake and clotted cream or some grilled goat’s cheese with a splash of decent balsamic vinegar.

Aside from providing you with an opportunity to buy fruit and vegetables in season, most of Dymocks produce is insecticide-free.

At present, you can buy colourful Swiss chard (silver beet to New Zealanders), multi-coloured tomatoes, avocados, peppers, spring onions, lettuce and radicchio.

Then there are the staples, such as potatoes, onions, cabbages and cauliflower.

There are also jams, flowers, pots of tomatoes and flowers for sale.

Grab a basket and pile whatever you fancy into it. Dymocks will weigh your spoil at the counter and you can stash it into your own bags or put everything in a box or a recycled bag.

Herbs and salad vegetables, Dymocks Farm Shop, Seaford

Herbs and salad vegetables, Dymocks Farm Shop, Seaford

You’ll find Dymocks a short distance down a short but rough street – drive slowly – right off the A259 in Seaford.

At the end of this, you’ll see a big sign for Dymocks. Turn right up a smooth concrete stretch, and veer left for their farm shop.  There is plenty of parking.

Insecticide-free tomatoes and Dymocks Farm Shop, Seaford

Insecticide-free tomatoes and Dymocks Farm Shop, Seaford

Dymocks Farm Shop
Chyngton Lane North, Seaford, East Sussex, BN25 4AA
Tel. 01323-890030