A PROGRAMME of tasty events has been launched for a food festival later this month

Now entering its 15th year, the Brighton and Hove Food and Drink Festival returns with a citywide selection of chef's appearances and other offerings from May 18 to 29 May.

The festival is the largest event of its kind in the south of England, with themed restaurant dinners, food tours and trails, wine tastings and collaborative events between chefs and food and drink producers.

New events for 2017 include Brighton Cocktail Week, featuring more than 30 bars and restaurants, a deconstructed English Wine dinner at the Ginger Dog pub in Kemp Town , Three Chefs go to the Movies at 1847 in North Road.

There will also be a fun cook-off between La Choza Mexican restaurant and Indian favourite Curry Leaf Café in the Dome Room at Hotel du Vin to support local food surplus charity FareShare Sussex.

The festival has two gala dinners planned including a Pommery Champagne dinner at Harbour Hotel on Brighton seafront with their chef patron Alex Aitken, and a Taste of Gibraltar, Iberia and North Africa at Jeremy’s Restaurant at Borde Hill Gardens near Haywards Heath with guest chef Victoria Garcia-Bishop and host chef Jeremy Ashpool working together on a fusion meal.

The closing weekend on Hove Lawns across the bank holiday weekend features the Big Sussex Market, Live Food Show hosted by Andrew Kay, Children’s Food Festival supporting Rockinghorse children’s charity and the Butler’s Wine Cellar English Wine Festival that launches during the nationwide English Wine Week.

Nick Mosley, festival director, said: “We’re particularly proud that our main outdoor event – the Sussex and The World Weekend from Saturday, May 27 to bank holiday Monday, May 29 – remains free access for everyone to enjoy,” .

“Its testament to the commitment of the many restaurants, chefs, mixologists and producers from our region – and our generous sponsors – that we can all ‘muck-in’ and create a festival that celebrates our food economy within the UK and to international markets."

This year the festival will be hosting guest chefs from Sweden, Gibraltar, the Channel Islands and the Netherlands alongside an award-winning Riesling producer from Germany on reciprocal exchange activity.

Nick added: “In addition to our chef exchange, we’ve also partnered with a number of food festivals in Europe to allow reciprocal promotional activity between regions. Its been a pleasure working with the teams at Passion for Mat in Gothenburg, The Hague Food Festival in the Netherlands, Calentita in Gibraltar and Nivarata in Sicily”.

More information about the festival can be found at brightonfoodfestival.com.