The Menu Partners reflects on a milestone 2025, celebrating Brighton’s hospitality through the BRAVO Awards, sustainable local sourcing, and operational growth. Discover their year in review and exciting 2026 plans.
An interview with Lonnie from Nanima Asian Kitchen and Café in Kemptown, the proud winner of the Best Value award at the 2025 BRAVOS! Lonnie discusses the immense joy and increased reputation the award brought, their unique daily-changing, pan-Asian family concept, and the secrets to succeeding in the local food scene.
The BRAVO Awards are celebrating a decade of championing Brighton & Hove’s independent food scene. Established as a trusted public vote, the awards provide vital recognition and visibility for local businesses. With record-breaking participation, the BRAVOS are more than a competition, they are a democratic, year-round vote of confidence that drives bookings and momentum for the city’s vibrant hospitality sector.
Running a hospitality business is full of passion, creativity and risk. This month, we talk to Max Merriman from Preston Insurance Brokers, who specialises in supporting restaurants, pubs, and cafés across Brighton and Sussex. Max helps hospitality teams protect what they’ve built—from property and public liability to unexpected mishaps—so they can focus on serving great food and creating memorable experiences.
Meet Cherie Spriggs, Head Winemaker at Nyetimber, following an extraordinary milestone for English wine. Nyetimber’s Blanc de Blancs 2016 Magnum was crowned Champion Sparkling Wine of the World at the International Wine Challenge 2025, with Cherie herself named Sparkling Winemaker of the Year for the second time.
We meet Tanya Armstrong, General Manager of The Jolly Sportsman — winner of Best Sussex Pub 2025 at the BRAVOS. Tucked away in the village of East Chiltington, this much-loved country pub has captured the hearts of guests with its welcoming atmosphere, focus on local produce, and balance of tradition and innovation. In this interview, Tanya shares what makes The Jolly Sportsman so special, and why the BRAVO win means so much to her team.
This year marks a huge milestone for Fourth & Church as they celebrate ten years at the heart of Brighton’s food and drink scene. What began as a neighbourhood spot with a passion for flavour and wine has grown into an award-winning Brighton restaurant and destination for wine lovers across the city and beyond.
We were recently lucky enough to sit down with Bookie, the chef and owner behind Namo Brighton, to talk about her inspiring journey from a childhood in Thailand to opening her first solo restaurant in the heart of The Lanes.
Few cafés in Brighton have a story as rich as Roedean Café, perched high on the clifftops with sweeping sea views over the coast and Brighton Marina. Behind it is Poul Jensen, a chef whose career has taken him from luxury hotels in London to 5-star sailing ships in Tahiti, and even the kitchens of the iconic River Café.
From cooking his first meals at just seven years old to becoming a chef and now a published author, Nick Jaye has travelled an extraordinary path. Growing up with undiagnosed dyslexia, he left school at 15 without qualifications and built a 40-year career in estate agency before finally returning to his first love: food.
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