Budding chefs and food lovers have a packed menu to choose from over the next few months in Eastbourne as the resort’s Culinary Arts Studio introduces new evening demonstrations designed to set taste buds alive.

From combining flavours and spices with Pan Asian Cooking to Eating Humble Pie, and from learning how to use all of the meat with Butchering and Cooking Meat to a Mystery Basket, an evening finding out how to produce wow factor dishes with a versatile mix of ingredients. Eastbourne will be hosting a series of exciting evening events from March to May this year, with those attending invited to learn from the best with professional Chef Steven Cooke leading the demonstrations with lots of tasters, recipes, and questions and answers throughout.

Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism, Cllr Susan Morris said “The new cookery demonstrations from the Culinary Arts Studio are a fantastic idea for the spring months ahead and the perfect excuse for a fun evening out, while learning some great culinary skills at the same time! The Studio is a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen and anyone attending will be able to view top techniques up close, before taking recipes home to try out for themselves.”

With spring fast approaching and the evenings getting lighter the new evening demonstrations offer an alternative night out for both residents and visitors.

Located at the Eastbourne campus of the University of brighton, the Culinary Arts Studio is located in a beautiful position at the foot of the South Downs and offers a unique experience for anybody visiting the town.

Taking place on Wednesday evenings from 6.30pm – 9pm the courses make a great excuse for a mid-week break and leave visitors with the day free to explore the seaside resort.

By day, budding chefs can be inspired by a vast selection of local restaurants including the award-winning Hungry Monk at Jevington, famous for inventing the Banoffi Pie, or explore local food and drink makers including the nearby English Wine Centre or Middle Farm, home to the National Collection of Cider and Perry.

The Culinary Arts Studio evening demonstrations cost just £25+VAT and include the chance to sample dishes, take recipes home, and pick up tips from Chef Steven Cooke.

To book visit the online shop at www.visiteastbourne.com or telephone the Studio on 01273 643361.

Plus the demonstrations are also available to book online from www.cookery-holidays.com with a stay at an Eastbourne hotel.

If you missed the first of the 2009 East Sussex bonfire celebrations (Hastings, October 17), not to worry. Saturday November 7th sees the second of the big bonfire celebrations in 1066 Country – this time in the historic setting of the town of Battle, East Sussex, site of that famous skirmish between a certain William and Harold.

Bonfires are serious business in Sussex, with many of the county’s towns and villages having their own bonfire societies – the Bonfire Boyes. Formed to regain some control over potentially riotous events, the societies oversee these massive processions and spectacular displays. They work tirelessly throughout the year on behalf of their local communities – while having a riotously good time in the process. ‘Battel Bonfire Boyes’ is Sussex’s oldest society, dating from 1605, and indeed is one of the oldest continuous membership societies in the world.

Battle’s gunpowder plot connections are the strongest in East Sussex. Guy Fawkes is said to have sourced his gunpowder from the town’s powdermill in Powdermills Lane. The oldest Guy Fawkes effigy in the world enjoys his annual outing from the Battle Museum of Local History when he plays an integral part in the bonfire procession up the High Street and through the spectacular gatehouse of Battle Abbey.

Unlike the Lewes Bonfire, the Battle Bonfire is open to all on a turn-up basis

If you decide to make a weekend of it you’ll also have time to check out the 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey & Battlefield and Yesterday’s World. Battle Museum of Local History displays artefacts from Battle’s gunpowder past and the only Battle of Hastings battle axe head ever to be found. Battle’s hidden gems include the Almonry Gardens and the Independent Photographers Gallery, whose current exhibition ‘Bright Ones’ shows the work of recent graduates from the University of brighton.

Can’t make this weekend? Then make a date in your diary for November 14th when it’s the turn of the Rye Bonfire Society to host their event in this beautiful medieval ‘Cinque Port’ town. They’ve burned boats here in the past as their ‘Guy Fawkes’, in a nod to the town’s history of defending the country against attacks along this part of the coast.

For further details of the history of the Sussex bonfires and their important place in our heritage, or for help with organising a visit, please get in touch sooner rather than later, as accommodation is at a premium for these popular events.