Sponsors are being sought for the first Sussex Food and Drinks Awards.

The prize-giving ceremony will take place in January next year and will celebrate the county's best food and drink producers and retailers.

The public will vote for the restaurants, shops, pubs, and farms who are helping to put Sussex on the map as a place to eat and drink.

The awards have been created by PR agency The Priory Partnership, creators of Sussex Business Awards and organisers of the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival.

More than 200,000 people will receive nomination forms to vote for the awards at food festivals and rural events throughout the summer and autumn.

Contact Paula Seager at The Priory Partnership on 01273 207155 for more details.

Thursday, February 16, 2006