by Gudrun Bowers | 25, Jul 2025
Meet Helen Goh, who for 10 years developed the recipes at Ottolenghi, as she explores the ways baking brings meaning and joy to our lives. This will be a new format for us, taking place in the bookshop kitchen – with a cookery demo and a chance to sample some baked goodies!
When you roll up your sleeves and get out the mixing bowl, you do it for reasons far beyond the mere production of a piece of food. Few know this better than Helen Goh, who – alongside being a recipe developer with Ottolenghi for more than a decade, is, uniquely, a practising psychologist.
Helen will be discussing her first solo cookbook, Baking & the Meaning of Life, which draws on her upbringing in Malaysia and Australia, her acclaimed work with Ottolenghi and her psychology training to share her distinctive approach to baking with 100 delicious sweet and savoury bakes.
Helen has been a recipe developer with Yotam Ottolenghi for more than a decade, and is a food columnist for the Good Weekend, The Guardian and The Observer. A trained psychologist, she combines psychology practice with a cooking career. She was head pastry chef at a landmark restaurant in Melbourne, Australia, before moving to London to work with Ottolenghi.
EVENT FORMAT:
Author talk with cookery demo, nibbles & a complimentary drink upon entry, plus book signing.
£25 Ticket price includes a SIGNED copy of Baking & The Meaning of Life. Book tickets via the link below or in person from the bookshop, or by phone on 01903 812062.
Event starts at 7pm.
![A Cookery Author Supper with Camilla Stephens]()
by Gudrun Bowers | 8, Aug 2019
We are really pleased to welcome the marvellous Camilla Stephens to the Steyning & District Food & Drink Festival. Camilla is the founder of the acclaimed locally based success story Higgidy Pies. She trained as a cook at Leith’s School of Food and Wine and worked for a time as head of food development for Starbucks UK before leaving to follow her dreams and start her own business – Higgidy.
In her first cookery book, Higgidy:The Cookbook, Camilla introduced excitingly delicious recipes for much more than just pies, and now she has produced Higgidy – The Veggie Cookbook: 120 glorious recipes for Vegetarians and Vegans, a mouth-watering and inspiring collection of recipes very definitely not just for vegetarians, but for anyone who enjoys fresh flavours!
This will be a great evening, with scrumptious food cooked by the Sussex Produce Chef followed by an fascinating interview with Camilla, who’ll share anecdotes, tips and stories from her inspirational career.
£30 ticket includes delicious freshly-cooked 3 course meal, author interview, and a book voucher towards purchase of Higgidy – The Veggie Cookbook.
Here is the menu for the evening:
STARTER
Selection plates of: Higgidy Feta & Red Pepper Veggie Rolls, Higgidy Cheddar & Onion Chutney Veggie Rolls, Higgidy Sun lBush Tomato & Cheddar Swirls, Higgidy Mature Cheddar & Pesto Swirls, All served with Beetroot Muhammar, REd Pepper Romesco, and Broad Bean and Mint dip.
MAINS (please make your choice after booking and email / phone / pop in to let us know your choices)
Local Broad Bean & Chives Gnocchi served with shaved parmesan and local pea cress.
OR
Local Smoked Cheddar Tart with Walnut Crumb served with local beetroot quinoa and a salad of local apples, celery and dill.
OR
Buffalo Mozzarella Salad, mixed Nutbourne Tomato and Green Olive Focaccia Salad.
DESSERTS (please make your choice after booking and email / phone / pop in to let us know your choices)
Local Greengage Fool served with fresh berries & homemade shortbread
OR
Local Plum Cobbler served with creme anglaise
OR
Fig & Almond Frangipane Tart served with fresh berries & whipped mascarpone.
Doors open at 7pm, meal begins at 7.30pm. Tickets must be booked in advance and menu choices must be submitted in advance.
by Gudrun Bowers | 13, Aug 2018
Join the Gin Revolution!
Wednesday 19th September, 7 for 7.30pm at the Sussex Produce Cafe.
In association with Steyning Food and Drink Festival, and The Sussex Produce Cafe, we are excited to welcome Dave Broom, Glaswegian drinks writer and spirits expert extraordinaire, who will join us at the Sussex Produce Cafe for a dinner and gin-tasting evening. Dave has written over a dozen award-winning books on whisky, gin, rum, and the art of bartending, is a contributor to numerous whisky journals, and lectures widely on wine, spirits and distillery. Over a delicious 2 course dinner, Dave will lead us through tastings of a range of artisan gins, and will also share insights into the history and manufacture of gin, and how best to enjoy its subtle flavours.
Tickets £35 to include superb 2 course dinner, gin-tasting, and a copy of Dave’s new book ‘Gin:The Manual’.
by Gudrun Bowers | 8, Aug 2017
Thursday 5th October at 7.30 pm.
Beer expert and writer Roger Protz will tantalise our tastebuds with a tutored beer tasting and talk about his new book ‘IPA, A Legend in its Time’- a fascinating look at the history of IPA.
India Pale Ale is a world-wide phenomenon. It is currently enjoying an astonishing rebirth and is brewed in just about every country in the world. In particular, it’s the most popular beer style brewed by craft brewers in the United States and there are some 300 versions produced in Britain, its country of origin. Roger’s book traces the history of IPA and looks into the art and science of its creation.
Roger will lead the audience through a tutored tasting of some local brews, including of course, several tasty local IPA style brews from our hosts, Dar Star Brewing Co.
Ticket price of £18 includes beer tasting, a copy of Roger’s book, and Roger’s fascinating talk.
